Polaroid

Using the process of Dr. Edwin Land, Polaroids were the first successful instant photo cameras which were easy to use.

From the Polaroid section of the 2001-2002 McKeown’s Cameras:

“The idea of in-camera development is not new; there are records of ideas for instant cameras from the first year of photography. In 1857, Bolles & Smith of Cooperstown, New York patented the first instant camera which actually went into production. Jules Bourdin of France invented a simple system which was successfully marketed as early as 1864. may other attempts met with mediocre success, but Polaroid caught on and became a household word.”

Some of the older models (such as the 95, 105 and 850) are really nice-looking cameras. By the mid-60s, though, the design was fairly bland. But form followed function and the cameras were extremely popular, even though they were relatively expensive.

Several different film formats were used over the years, and most of it ceased production long ago. Luckily, there are ambitious and die-hard Polaroid fans out there, and some of that film has been revived. I’d love to see a day where we could get some of the old 4×5 format roll-film again. I actually have a few long-expired rolls of it – as well as a few packs of the 667 Black and White – that I’ll get up the nerve to shoot someday.