Blending retro chic with some modern tech touches, Polaroid’s latest instant camera is an undeniably charming and tactile way to capture moments directly onto shiny squares of white paper. But some key limitations (and extra costs versus taking photos with your phone) mean it won’t be for everyone.
Physically the $400 Polaroid Flip evokes the classics, with a simple viewfinder and a sloped plastic body, and a sturdy flap at the front for protection. When you lift it up to reveal the shutter you’ll feel just like you’re using some ancient and arcane pre-digital device, which is sure to give you style points. But it doesn’t work exactly like a camera from the ’60s.
The Flip has a clever hyperfocal system for autofocus, with four fixed lenses on a rotating internal wheel. A sonar projector on the front measures the distance to your subject and selects the appropriate lens when you half-press the big red shutter button. Fully press it and the photo is taken, shooting out the front under a black plastic shroud. In around 10 minutes the white paper will have become a photo, but until then, you’ll never quite be sure if you nailed it or not.
Multiple lenses mean there are multiple sweet spot distances; 65cm, 85cm, 120cm and 250cm. A powerful flash is also designed to adjust depending on distance. There are no manual controls for focus or white balance on the camera, though you can hit a mode button multiple times for a timer, double exposure, or to choose from three levels of light exposure, via a simple LED display. I did wish I had more direct control, though an element of surprise in the results isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Results can vary greatly depending on lighting conditions, but the sonar, lenses and flash generally produce good images at the press of a button.Credit: Tim Biggs
When my photos worked out they were often better than I expected, and evoked pics I took with a film camera in the 90s. Faces are soft and creamy, elements outside the focal point have a dream-like bokeh, there’s enough detail to see rain out a window or logos on clothing, and there’s a cozy overall vibe despite a generally cool colour temperature.
On the other hand, indoor environments behind the subject are always dark and gloomy, it’s rare to get strong colour and contrast unless you’re outside on a sunny day, and it’s hard to know when to mess with the exposure setting. A lot of indoor shots tended towards green or blue tinges. Some shots I took in perfect focus and good lighting also have overexposed faces, or the dreaded red eyes, thanks to the overpowering flash.
When the photos didn’t work out, it was usually because the sonar shot past my subject and I ended up focusing on something in the background, or because a bright element of the shot cast the rest into shadow. I did once also misjudge the 40cm minimum focus distance, and I had to get used to adjusting left to make up for the viewfinder position.
