I have a weak spot for instant film, it's true. I own a Polaroid Now camera, a Fuji Instax Wide, and an Instax Mini. Some of my best family photos have been taken with these relatively cheap, plastic-lensed cameras and lovingly placed in our family scrapbook-style, self-adhesive album.
Hit-or-miss image quality, terrible dynamic range, finicky exposure, and the strange color shifts—what's not to love? It must be the Lomography fanatic in me that is drawn to this imperfect yet charming coloration of Polaroid I-type film.
I've found that Fuji Instax film has a much tamer "standard" color response, but sometimes the Instax photos come out rather bland, particularly in the Wide format. I've grown to prefer the Instax Mini when using Fuji film; it also seems to have better auto-exposure than the Polaroid.
However, it's the much more unpredictable Polaroid I-type that I prefer to shoot. The sharpness varies greatly, and when shooting Polaroids, you should accept that many of your images will come out slightly "dreamy." The lens has two focus zones—selected automatically by an IR rangefinder. Exposure is also determined automatically, and there is practically no input necessary from the photographer prior to firing the shutter. A half-press gives autofocus a chance to switch lenses, and the full press has a near-instant shutter response, allowing for great action shots.
Although most photos are flawed, every now and then you get a real keeper—and that really makes shooting Polaroid fun. You just never know when you will get lucky and achieve the perfect confluence of focus, exposure, and amazing colors.
I-type film is expensive, at about $1 per frame, so one mustn't get too trigger-happy. Therein lies another paradoxical reason for my enjoyment of Polaroid photography: it's too expensive to waste shots on a whim. Despite the toy-like nature of the camera, you still have to think about the lighting, the composition, and whether what you're shooting is even worth it. Always save an exposure for an unforeseen photo-op!
Fuji Instax has its place too. I like to have my children take the Instax Mini with them on outings so they can take pictures on the cheaper Instax Mini film. They too are limited by the 10-shot cartridge capacity and learn to take pictures with care. I think the Mini is really where Instax shines in terms of image quality.
At the end of the day, instant film is still grounded in analog tech, which makes me love it all the more. Color photographic film is a post-meteor dinosaur these days, and the world should do the irrational and keep film alive. If you can't be bothered to shoot 35mm, at least pick up a Polaroid or an Instax at your local Walmart. I promise you, the fun will be worth it, and you might even feel compelled to start an album of the best shots.
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