Film Old Polaroid 600 vs Polaroid Now?

mike3996

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Finland
I am looking to get a Polaroid camera and film as a late Christmas gift for my brother.

Polaroid Now can use i-Type batteryless film which a tiny bit cheaper. But the cameras cost more, being newer and having slightly more electronics in them.

Polaroid 600-series plastic nonfoldables (just like Now is) are cheap in comparison. I could probably ask my relatives and receive 1-2 such Polaroid cameras for free. Sadly I missed my chance and now I'm back to my town of living, and traveling to see people would be prohibitive just for this one scenario.

Assume the price difference of a Now+ and a well-maintained 600-series Polaroid camera is around, well let's forget about currencies and express things through cost of Polaroid film:
  • Costs 4 600-type film packs: well kept Polaroid 600-series camera (f.ex 635)
  • Costs 9 i-type film packs: brand new Polaroid Now
  • Costs 11 i-type film packs: brand new Polaroid Now+
  • Costs 12 i-type film packs: brand new Polaroid Now+ travel kit (a neat matching pouch)


I ran the numbers and then some, it would be very wise idea to get a preowned 600 camera rather than go for a brand new one.

But of course the internet reviews favor the new and the shiny. They say things like "Now+ is the sharpest instant camera to date" and the few extra controls you get via smartphone integration would make some sense.

I'm turning to you. Is it practical to expect an expensive 9-film-pack Polaroid Now to be head & shoulders ahead of a four-pack 635CL (for example) in terms of autofocus and clarity?

I'm having difficulty reading about the tiny differences of various Polaroid 600 cameras. But I am going to assume that none of those offer manual exposure controls like Now+ does (via an optional smartphone app)?
 
Must it be a Polaroid? Fuji Instax cameras are good as well, and I really like the Square format. Yet another option is to look at Lomography instant cameras that also take Fuji Instax. Last I checked they took the mini, square and wide format. They are much more expensive than a used Polaroid 600 though, but in line with the cost of a new Now+

If you want to stick with Polaroid - that is good too! I have a few. Sun 600 and an SX-70 Sonar AF.
The SX-70 and filters will allow you to use the 600 and SX-70 films.

Unless you go for a Polaroid SLR style instant, then the most you can do is exposure comp on the cameras that take 600 film.

My daughter and niece both have a Polaroid Now+ and I do not see that big a difference in the IQ between them, and much prefer the older cameras. They also make some Polaroid 600 with AF as well.

I'd love for Lomography to make an instax back that would work on a speed graphic, zeiss ikon or a mamiya C33 - as I have those sitting around doing nothing and think it would be awesome to experiment with them and get that quick feedback.
 
Must it be a Polaroid? Fuji Instax cameras are good as well, and I really like the Square format. Yet another option is to look at Lomography instant cameras that also take Fuji Instax. Last I checked they took the mini, square and wide format. They are much more expensive than a used Polaroid 600 though, but in line with the cost of a new Now+
3 and a half hours ago when I was opening this new thread I wasn't aware that Fuji Instax is a real analog instant film camera. :)
The smaller film is very attractively priced and the selection seems to be much bigger than what Polaroid has on offer.

I'll be studying Instax cameras a lot next.

My daughter and niece both have a Polaroid Now+ and I do not see that big a difference in the IQ between them, and much prefer the older cameras. They also make some Polaroid 600 with AF as well.
Yeah I kind of started to readjust my demands. Not having shot any instant film -- I'd like to say ever? -- and seeing very, very few instant pictures in person, I don't know why I was thinking autofocus is a thing that matters. Most of these cameras have a plastic single-element fixed focus lens and everybody and their dog says not to expect high fidelity photography from these. The point of vintage instant was totally lost on me, momentarily. :)
 
3 and a half hours ago when I was opening this new thread I wasn't aware that Fuji Instax is a real analog instant film camera. :)
The smaller film is very attractively priced and the selection seems to be much bigger than what Polaroid has on offer.

I'll be studying Instax cameras a lot next.


Yeah I kind of started to readjust my demands. Not having shot any instant film -- I'd like to say ever? -- and seeing very, very few instant pictures in person, I don't know why I was thinking autofocus is a thing that matters. Most of these cameras have a plastic single-element fixed focus lens and everybody and their dog says not to expect high fidelity photography from these. The point of vintage instant was totally lost on me, momentarily. :)

Some of the Fuji's are not...they are hybrid digital/analog...meaning that the image is captured on a small sensor, then you get to decide if you want to print it or not.

My recommendations for a traditional camera feel in the Fuji Instax Mini is the Neo 90 (I had this one and gifted it to my daughter). Or you can get a Diana f+ with Instax back that will shoot both 35mm film and instax mini. I have that one and find it fun to use.
In Square there are a few SQ cameras that fall into the hybrid option from Fuji. I have one of those, the SQ10.
Lomography has a "square glass" camera that is fully analog and opens up like a bellows type camera.
Fuji has a Wide camera as does Lomography. I liked the Lomography camera more as it had more features.
 
A tough call.

I am playing a very risky game here, planning and weighing all these features for a usecase that may totally be off the mark because my brother will be the recipient of this gift, not me.

Suffices to say, camera bulk or film development speed is not a factor. Best night time exposure/best automatic flash performance is probably the defining factor. [My intended] subject will be cars and mobile homes, in varying qualities of light.

Polaroid seems to be in a bad position when I pit Fuji Instax against it. Fuji seems to be a better at picture fidelity, exposure, features, cost. The cheapest Polaroid to achieve the same feature set is the Now+ at a high-ish price tag.

Polaroid is however The Brand. I'm of the school who doesn't simply buy some cheap off-brand crap as a gift. If I have the mind to buy a bottle of wine or a sixpack of brews to someone, it won't be a dollar store house brand. It has to be something above average, and if it's proving to be too costly for me, I skip giving a gift altogether. Premium or bust!

Fuji is technically better I have no doubt about it. It would help if Fuji Instax Wide 300 would look a bit better but it's pretty awful looking camera. :)

Fuji Instax 90 Neo Classic would fit my aesthetic and I believe brother would also appreciate it, but the frames look pretty small for writing long captions.

Brother doesn't subscribe to the vintage/happy accident aesthetic (apparently out of the two, very much a Polaroid thing) but I think he buys the general idea once I give it to him.

My investigations continue and my spreadsheets keep filling up.


Edit.
The classic-looking Fuji Instax Mini 90 Neo seems to be largely out-of-stock.
Instax Wide 300 is rather cheap in comparison.
 
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I am finally set on getting an old Polaroid 600. The kit I am building my brother (a camera + year's worth of frames*) will come to about the same whether I get a brand new Fuji Instax Wide or a 30€ Polaroid 600 off of eBay.

In Euro terms, that's around 200 €. It would be around 330 € if I went with a brand new Polaroid Now+ with travel kit and all.

*He's not really a photographer at this stage anymore so this won't be as costly as one'd fear.

I only have to decide if a fixed-focus camera suffices or should I spend the extra 20 € for an autofocus Impulse camera. The additional trouble is of course ensuring I get a working camera from eBay. :) eBay cameras are 30-50 € shipped and local refurbished cameras reach astronomical 125 € asks.
 
I guess right now I have some clarity about things and I can ask these few Qs to make my final mind:

  1. I gather there are 3 or 4 types of focusing in Polaroid cameras, please correct me if I'm wrong:
    1. Fixed focus cameras that covers about 1.2m to infinity
    2. Fixed focus plus close focus (CL or "Portrait" models) and perhaps on these models the standard distance is a bit farther than on those #1 cameras?
    3. Manual/autofocus cameras that have two focus settings
    4. Autofocus cameras that have a real helicoid with sharpest accuracy? (I wonder if this fourth category is just my imagination)
  2. SX70 can apparently accept 600 film without any adapting or physical trickery. Only you have to use an ND filter apparently? Anything to consider?
 
I guess right now I have some clarity about things and I can ask these few Qs to make my final mind:

  1. I gather there are 3 or 4 types of focusing in Polaroid cameras, please correct me if I'm wrong:
    1. Fixed focus cameras that covers about 1.2m to infinity
    2. Fixed focus plus close focus (CL or "Portrait" models) and perhaps on these models the standard distance is a bit farther than on those #1 cameras?
    3. Manual/autofocus cameras that have two focus settings
    4. Autofocus cameras that have a real helicoid with sharpest accuracy? (I wonder if this fourth category is just my imagination)
  2. SX70 can apparently accept 600 film without any adapting or physical trickery. Only you have to use an ND filter apparently? Anything to consider?

Yes, this is correct.

For 1.4, that is the SONAR type cameras. As far as I know they had those on some SX-70, 600, Spectra style instants.

Regarding point 2, yes the SX-70 can accept the 600 pack film. The only real difference is the film speed, with the 600 being faster, thus needing the ND filter. You can go 2 ways with the filter. MINT makes a lens kit (which is what I chose because it comes with color filters I use for B&W film as well as a macro lens for close ups) or an ND sheet that fits over the top of the film pack that you install before inserting the 600 film into the camera.

The downsides of the lens kit are that you cannot close the camera back up unless you remove the filter adapter. The pack filter does not impede the mechanical functions of the SX-70 at all. My issue was the quality of the ND film and it's relatively/potential disposable nature.....and the fact that I might for get to remove it after I finish a film pack and throw it away on accident.
 
For 1.4, that is the SONAR type cameras. As far as I know they had those on some SX-70, 600, Spectra style instants.
Thank you. I am currently very close to setting on Polaroid 600 Impulse AF which has a Sonar style autofocus. Dan Finnen's reviews show up prominently on search results and he likes that particular model for budget Polaroid the best. Having a good range of focusing options also allow for some artistic stuff methinks? It's a good camera and its noniconic looks is the only reason I hesitate for the slightest bit.

But say if a camera with a closeup/far focus mechanism would also produce sharp results for casual landscape use (subjects at 15+ feet) then maybe a camera with dual focus would be equally good? Then again, the price difference of a cheapest possible Polaroid and a 600 Impulse AF is not staggering. Typically less than a 8-frame pack of shots.

I do wonder how the new Polaroid Now/Now+ operates. Dual focus or a helicoid? It's got autofocus but they don't advertise Sonar.

Regarding point 2, yes the SX-70 can accept the 600 pack film. The only real difference is the film speed, with the 600 being faster, thus needing the ND filter.
Great, this expands my options a bit, until I again remembered that a (film)battery-powered flash is a requirement. This kind of rules the SX70 models out. :doh:

(Perhaps people are also going the other way about this: using lower-sensitivity SX70 film on their 600 models?)

~

Luckily I have a deadline for giftgiving, otherwise this thread would probably continue well into 2024 until I can make my mind.
 
Found this bit of information off of a German eBay post, translated by Google.

The Polaroid 670 focuses lightning-fast when the shutter is released by changing the focal length using different lenses: The lens includes a movable segment with four lenses, which result in the following focal lengths: 107 mm (from a subject distance of 3.9 m), 105 mm (1.5 m to 3.9 m), 99 mm (0.9 m to 1.5 m) and 90 mm (0.6 m to 0.9 m).

This 670 Supercolor is a Sonar-focus camera.
 
I decided on film at least. (600.) I placed 12 boxes of the good stuff on order yesterday. The Dutch Polaroid.com was the cheapest place inside EU even though they didn't even stock the large 5-packs of film.

And I have some time to choose the camera. Even though the camera does support the film, Now/Now+ is out, I have decided. A vintage 600 camera it shall be. It'll fit the general theme best anyway.

I just have to do some soul searching and consider my risks involving an eBay purchase vs a refurbished & warrantied camera.

Primary cameras on my radar:

  • Price category 40-50 € incl shipping (no warranty): more or less iconic 600 boxy cameras, fixed focus
  • Price category 55 € incl shipping (no warranty): Impulse 600 AF (smart and sensible camera but lacks the ultimate iconic boxy look)
  • Price category 75 € incl shipping (no warranty): Supercolor 670 AF (kinda expensive but has the boxy look)
  • 130 € incl shipping (refurbished and with short warranty): very iconic looking boxy sharp-edged 600 series Polaroids, none of which have the quality optics of the autofocus models.
  • 70-95€ incl shipping (refurbished and with short warranty): cool options but these are ugly late 90s models.
Get me a teacup and I give you a storm.
 
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W H E W. I finally made my choice and ordered the camera.

Yesterday I was very settled on getting the Impulse 600 AF despite its noniconic looks. It's a smart no-nonsense camera, has a lot of features. People like it for its functionality.

Then today midday I noticed some safer options, two-setting manual focus and iconic sharp-edged box look for not much more. I'd get the peace of mind with a 30-day return period. The image quality thing is probably a nonissue with polaroids anyway and brother has given up photography, and IQ is not the point of polaroids anyway. So that's what I'll get.

But then I just had to sit down and think about things once more. Why do I do that? This iconic box doesn't have a self-timer which I think is a safe thing to include. So maybe Impulse 600AF after all? But I read someone's comment that the autofocus takes a little bit of the immediacy, adds delay. I wholeheartedly agree on that but brother was a Canon shooter so he knows autofocus. And the eBay purchase has no 30-day trials.

But I finally thought the self-timer would be a fun little addition, in case brother gets more excited about the whole idea. Vintage Polaroid cameras with self-timers are very rare, the Impulse 600 being actually the only 80s design that eats 600 film.

I did start having some regrets not just buying the latest Now+ because it'd have all these features (and more) just in case brother wants to have more fun with it. Then again, he's the wealthy one in our family, he can buy more Polaroids if he really picks it up.

~

You may wonder why buy a camera for someone who's moved on from photography as a hobby. Yes, getting him a new Canon or whatever would be a foolish forced gift, a waste of his time and my money. But back in the day people didn't shoot phone cameras, they shot Polaroid. And today people shoot phones. He shoots his phone for social media purposes. That's why I think Polaroid for a specific purpose won't be a misguided idea. He's living the life all across Finland with a nice car and a caravan on trailer. I want to nudge him to have tangible physical photos, not just some photos on WhatsApp.
 
The camera arrived and is in general working condition. I fed it a film pack and motor, flash works.

From my very brief testing it appears that the AF isn't doing anything. Not like the little closeup shot looks too soft anyhow. So much for getting the "ugly" Impulse just to get that one IQ-enhancing feature. :D


Okay, I googled like half a second and found out others also comment that the autofocus isn't audible or tactile in any way.

During the research period I'd read somewhere that the Impulse focused during a half-press but then there's this another report that says it focuses instantly at the time of exposure.
 
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