I have more photos saved on my computer than I will ever know what to do with. Printing them out at home on my printer is fine, but replacing ink is expensive. And having my photos printed out by an outside source means that I have to leave my house, pick them up, AND spend money. What can be done? Well, Polaroid is bringing back a blast from the past. The new Polaroid Snap Instant Digital Camera solves all of these problems. This new take on the Polaroid instant camera marries classic analog photography with the modern digital age. I had to check this out.
I’ve had my Polaroid Digital Camera now for a week. The Snap has its limitations but I think that the fun factor coupled with the reasonable price means that Polaroid has a hit on their hands this holiday season.
How the Polaroid Snap Works
The Polaroid Snap allows you to take a picture, print it out, and share them instantly. The Snap used Zink Zero Ink printing technology to print images out automatically after they’re captured. The Zink paper has color crystals that when exposed to heat, different colors are activated creating the picture. The photos come out on 2 x 3 prints. It’s that easy. When you’re out of paper simply reload more or save your photos on a Micro SD card. The Snap uses a rechargeable lithium battery, so replacing AA’s are a thing of the past as well.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Polaroid Snap
- The Polaroid Snap is priced at $99 making it an affordable accessory to indulge on.
- Slim and simple design. It is easy to carry around with you and comes in 4 different color options (white, blue, red, and black).
- There is a Micro SD card slot that can digitally save your photos.
- Self-timer allows you to get the great shot. There is also a photo booth mode that takes six photos in 10 seconds.
- No need to buy ink cartridges.
- Adding and changing the Zink paper is easy. Simply press a button on the back of the camera, place your paper in with the writing part face down and the photo paper side face up, close the back, and start shooting!
- The photos dry instantly. No need to worry about smudges.
- Rechargeable battery.
- The camera comes in at 10 megapixels. This is not as good a quality as most newer cell phones.
- The Polaroid Snap only has 3 color modes (color, sepia, and black & white).
- There is no LCD screen in which to see your photo before you take a picture. Instead there is a pop-up viewfinder that you must line up your shot with.
- The camera doesn’t come with instructions. It isn’t hard to figure out how to work but a simple startup guide would be nice.
- There is no zoom option.
- Does not come with an SD card or any sample paper. You cannot take pictures without either having an SD card or Zink paper in; you must have one or the other.
Since the camera doesn’t come with either the SD card or the paper stock my best recommendation would be to purchase the Polaroid Snap Instant Digital Camera Amazon listings. Amazon not only offers free shipping & handling on orders over $35, but they also have everything you’ll need for your Polaroid Snap. Not only can you get the Polaroid Snap camera for $99, but you can also get the Zinc Paper for $14.99, and a 16 GB Micro SD Card for $9.49.
Final Recommendation
If you’ve ever owned a Polaroid camera in the past then you know what makes this a great product. They’re just fun. The old models were never known for making great quality photos. It was just nice to have a physical copy of a photo to instantly give to someone. In this regard nothing has changed. The Polaroid Snap is a slimmed down version of the old cameras that were once so popular. Now I’ve read in other Polaroid Snap reviews that the pictures looked exceptionally worse when printed on lower quality paper. I’ve only printed on the Premium Zink paper so I can’t confirm or deny these claims but they sound valid. Again, you’re not purchasing the Snap for great pics.
I would recommend the new digital Polaroid camera for anyone looking to give a cool gift this upcoming holiday. I think that teenagers would love it, and it’s also a great way to share some memories from this year’s holiday festivities. Thank you Polaroid for updating this beloved classic. The Polaroid Snap is a winner.
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