What is an instant camera?
Instant cameras use packs of film emulsion that include all the chemical developers and substrates needed to print a photographic image within minutes of pressing the shutter button. Each film pack includes the negative to capture the image and the positive paper needed to produce the finished print.
As the print emerges from the camera, the development process begins. Soon, a blank sheet turns into a color photograph.
As the print emerges from the camera, the development process begins. Soon, a blank sheet turns into a color photograph. Film packs come in bundles of 10 exposures and the cameras have countdown windows that let you know how many shots are left before you’ll need to swap in a new pack.
Referred to most commonly as a “Polaroid” (after the company that popularized the technology) the instant camera foreshadowed some of the convenience that digital cameras would later bring. With an instant camera you could see your photograph within minutes of taking a picture instead of having to take a roll of film to the lab and wait for it to be developed.
Although digital cameras have made the instant camera obsolete in almost every way, there is an undeniable charm and whimsy to pressing the shutter button and having a physical print emerge from the camera, watching an image develop right before your very eyes. Even for a photographer like myself who remembers spending hours in the darkroom, the whole process still feels like magic. No, you won’t get the brilliant colors and wide range of highlight and shadow tones that even an entry-level digital camera can offer, but each print is a one-of-a-kind memento that can be physically passed around and shared in a face-to-face, rather than virtual, environment.
Who is this for?
The primary allure of instant cameras is that they’re fun to use. A great conversation starter, an instant camera is an easy way to coax even the most camera-shy subjects into posing for a portrait. And, you’re likely to draw a crowd of curious onlookers as you wait for the prints to develop. I have two kids who have been raised on digital cameras; for them, watching an instant print develop is far more exciting than scrolling through images on the LCD screen of a digital camera.
Great for parties, weddings or just evenings at your favorite bar, instant cameras are well suited to gatherings where you want to document your friends and surroundings in a casual and inclusive manner. The toy camera-like appearance of instant cameras puts people at ease more than a serious-looking camera would. Add to that the fact that you can’t share an image to Facebook at the touch of a button and people are only too happy to offer up great, uninhibited poses. And in this age of bits and bytes, which are easily duplicated, there’s nothing quite like taking someone’s picture and then moments later sharing the only version of it in the world with them as a gift.
Instant cameras are a decidedly retro proposition of course, with a limited set of features. You don’t have a zoom lens, the viewfinders are tiny and less than precise at close distances. And you don’t get an onscreen preview of how lighting and contrast will affect your photograph, so you never know exactly how the photo will turn out. But these shortcomings are usually part of the charm of shooting with an instant camera. If you’re not interested in a product with these limitations, a digital camera would be a better choice for you.