My Little i (Polaroid i-Zone)

Member Name: lwperkins

Product:	Polaroid i-Zone
Date:	15/03/03 (418 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun, Great Gift Idea

Disadvantages: Expensive films, Only for 'fun' pictures

When I was little I remember we had a Polaroid camera, which my dad always got out on Special Occasions. It was a massive black box and it took several hours to set up (although that could have been just because my dad was doing it!)

I grew up thinking Polaroids were a bit naff and so did a large proportion of the population. Polaroid gained an image that was a bit sleazy. It was the camera you used to take the sort of photos that you didnt exactly want the staff at Boots looking at when you got them developed.

That was until it gave itself a dramatic makeover in line with the 'naughty Noughties' and suddenly Instant Cameras were cool!

'i-zone' instant pocket cameras were Polaroids bid to regain domination of market where other camera manufacturers had suddenly tried to grab a piece of the action.
They were marketed with 'fun' in mind. Serious shots not allowed! The gimmick is that the mini pictures these cameras produce are actually stickers! Cool, eh?

I have the basic blue edition, but there is a range of colours and styles, including silver, metallic shades, transparent and even Tweety Pie and one with a built in FM Radio. Although the product itself is not new on the market, new variations regularly appear.

The camera is fairly compact although only pocket sized if you have big pockets. It is long and thin rather than the traditional box shape of Polaroid cameras.
On the top is a bright yellow button to turn it on and alter the setting for indoors and outdoors which is the same button you press to take a photo. That's about as complicated as it gets!!

The actual photos work in the same way as normal Polaroid ones -you take the picture, pull it out of the camera, and within a few moments it develops.
It can take some getting used to, especially when photographing people, they need to be really close up, otherwise they just look pale and not very interesting, but after a
few pract
ice shots, its easy.
Don't expect top quality images, they just don't happen, but I would hope that people looking for excellent photo quality wouldn't be interested in bright blue and yellow plastic cameras in the first place!

The photographs really are mini. They are 3.6 cm x 2.4 cm. Each one is numbered, so you know how many shots are left. When the photo is developed, you just cut it out, peel off the backing paper and stick it on whatever takes your fancy.

You can also buy the film as just mini photos without the sticky bit, but where's the fun in that?
Also available is 'fortune film', where when the photo pops out it displays a message like a fortune cookie, which fades as the picture develops. I can't really see the point of this, but it apparently sells by the bucket load, so obviously someone does!!

I have had a couple of faulty films, where the pictures never develop or don?t come out clearly even if the lighting was correct. Polaroid are very good at dealing with customer queries, and I?ve always had mine swapped with no quibble if I?ve had a problem.

The I-Zone makes a great gift for difficult to buy for teenagers. I bought one for my niece and she loved it. Apparently they are 'well cool.'
It's easy to use and robust so it makes an ideal first camera as well. The film is simple to load - you just lay it in and away you go.

It would also make a great present for people who regularly get very drunk indeed (in my experience, we are talking students here!) as they would no doubt find it hilarious and it has the added benefit of providing lots of little stickers of documentary evidence of 'the night before.'

The camera itself retails at around £19.99. This usually includes one pack of film containing 6 shots and the 2 AA batteries required to work it, although keep an eye out for offers in places like Toys R Us where I've see
n it retail as low as £9.99.
Films come in twin packs (2
x 12 shots), which retail at £8.99. I usually buy mine from Boots, but photographic shops and supermarkets also sell them.

As mobiles develop and more have the capacity to take photographs, I'm sure the popularity of instant cameras will diminish, but for now, they certainly are a great little fun camera and ideal to take anywhere.

Summary: