Impossible Project just announced its very first camera, the I-1, which uses Polaroid 600 film.
Impossible Project is currently the only manufacturer of Polaroid 600-type film and there hasn’t been a new 600-type camera released in years.
The I-1 steps up the capabilities of what we’re accustomed to having in instant film cameras like those older Polaroids and even the current Fujifilm Instax cameras. It can be controlled by a smart device over Bluetooth connection to adjust aperture, shutter speed and flash settings. It can also be triggered remotely from the app. Notably, the I-1 includes a built-in ring flash and autofocus.
Interestingly, the I-1 features a rechargeable battery, which is a departure from other Polaroid 600 cameras that are powered by the battery inside the film pack. I wonder if this will lead to a more modern version of the 600 film that doesn’t include a battery inside the pack…? Maybe we’ll get some cost savings and more exposures as well? One can hope, right?
The I-1 will cost $299 and should be available in May 2016. More details here on the Impossible Project website.
“Orphée aux enfers”, indeed.
I’m reluctant to criticize without understanding motivation. But having used instant-picture materials for half a century, I can’t let this pass without comment.
I’ll start by correcting mistakes. The /original/ Polaroid format was 3.25″ x 4.25″ prints from roll film. This format was carried over to Colorpack cameras. It wasn’t until the SX-70 that Polaroid introduced square prints.
Also, Edwin Land did not invent instant photography. Daguerre did (albeit accidentally). The Daguerreotype is an instant, on-the-spot photo as surely as an SX-70 print is.
Impossible’s claim that it had to reinvent instant photography is difficult to swallow. A proper patent requires enough information that a person “skilled in the art” can duplicate the invention. The idea that the detailed chemistry of Polaroid materials was never written down is — well — impossible to believe.
The I-1’s use of rechargeable batteries suggests that the battery in integral film packs doesn’t supply enough energy for extended use (which is understandable). I hope it doesn’t mean Impossible intends to eventually delete the battery.
The I-1 evokes a huge yawn. What purpose does it serve when there are tens of thousands of SX-70 and SLR-680s lying around? Especially as…
IT’S NOT AN SLR.
IT’S NOT AN SLR.
IT’S NOT AN SLR.
For me, if you can’t look through the lens, it’s not a /real/ camera.
The photo demonstrating that the I-1 is a working product is problematic. The developer spread at the bottom is uneven, and (worse) the gray bar shows that the picture unit jammed (or was jammed).
I’ll stop here. I admire Impossible’s guts in trying to revive an obsolescent product (no one enjoys instant photography more than I), but it has yet to come close to duplicating it.
PS: Would you please stop using pictures of women holding the SX-70 incorrectly? The “correct” hold is actually the easiest and most-comfortable.
Yesterday I took a photo of a neighbor’s flower pot, using outdated FP-100C. The colors were accurate and vibrant, and the print developed correctly at 60 degrees. Needless to say, the sharpness and detail were superior to any integral print (as there is no opacifying layer).
If Impossible is seriously interested in bringing back instant photography, /this/ is the goal it should be aiming for. Let’s have peel-apart materials worthy of professional use.
* I’d post it, but there doesn’t seem to be any way.