Polaroid Instant Film

The polaroid instant camera is a type of camera that has self-developing film. You may have seen these types of cameras before. You’ll often see the picture come out of the front of the camera as soon as it has been taken and soon after, it has fully developed itself.  Other companies make these types of cameras but the Polaroid instant camera is the most famous. So much so, that the term “Polaroid” is used to describe the type of camera/film as opposed to just being the name of the company that makes them.

The ype of film used is what classifies a Polaroid instant camera. Instant roll film was used in the earliest Polaroids but this film has since been discontinued.  Roll film came in two rolls which were both inserted into the camera. These eventually came in 3 different sizes. Later cameras used what is called “pack film” which required the photographer to pull the film out of the camera after taking pictures, then peeling apart the positive from the negative when the film was done developing. This film originally came in a rectagular format (100 series), and later in a sqare format. Some of the later models, such as the extremely popular SX-70, made use of a sqare format integral film, which self-contained all components necessary for developing itself.  Each exposure would develop itself immediately after it was taken.  SX-70 (or Time Zero) film has now been discontinued but had a versy strong following, especially from artists who like to manipulate the film.

600 series cameras like the Pronto, Sun 600, and One600 use 600 film. Polaroid Spectra cameras use the different Polaroid Spectra film which comes in the rectangular form. Captiva, Joycam, and Popshots (single use) cams user a rectangular format that is made smaller. I-zone cameras use an extremely small type of film which comes in a sticker format. Finally, Mio cameras used Mio film, which was a film thats size was somewhere in betweent eh 500 and 600 size format.

The Polaroid instant camera, while now obsolete and not produced anymore, is very much still in demand by photographers and enthusiasts worldwide. Artists often use these cameras to take pictures which can later be manipulated and made into works of art.