Polaroid's I-2 Instant Camera With LiDAR Is The High-End Shooter Your Folks Never Had
Photographers from days gone by will remember the instant gratification of seeing the results of taking a picture within a few moments with an original Polaroid camera. However, the ability to take photos with a cellular phone quickly replaced the Polaroid's allure. While a smartphone does the trick for some, others still desire the ability to point, shoot, and have that feeling of a Polaroid image in their hand. The company has answered the call with a modern-day version of its instant camera.
"For a long time, it was our dream to make a high-end Polaroid camera and give people more choice in the world of analog photography - a choice that many passionate photographers told us they were craving," explained Polaroid Chairman, Oskar Smolokowski. "To develop the I-2, we expanded our engineering team and spent more than four years designing and finessing every element. It is the most capable camera we've ever made and a true milestone in our journey."
Polaroid was founded in 1937 by Edwin Land. It first produced ski goggles and 3D glasses for the US Army and Navy, and it was not until 1943 when Land's daughter asked why she could not see a photograph of herself immediately, that the instant camera was created. Land made his daughter's dream come true in 1947 with the world's first instant camera. The Polaroid SX-70 camera would later become the model that set the world on fire in terms of instant photography.
The new Polaroid I-2 takes full advantage of its autofocus and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor to ensuring an accurate focus. It is also the first Polaroid camera for integral film with built-in manual controls that allow for more creative freedom, according to a press release by the company. The camera also sports a viewfinder that communicates camera settings via an integrated display and an external OLED display, something older folks would have loved back in the day. Some controls available are shutter speed, aperture size, and six different shooting modes.
Instant photography does come with its imperfections, which is what has driven Polaroid's "Imperfectionists" campaign. The campaign was created to mark the launch of the new camera, which celebrates creators who yearn for "random and chaotic aspects of life and the creative process."
"I am not interested in perfection. Chaos. Spontaneity. Randomness. That's where reality exists," remarked artist and photographer Coco Capitan. "Working with the I-2 and the Polaroid film is remarkable. As a creative tool, it has a lot of capabilities, while you cannot always predict what the photo will look like. Every shot is unique, and the creation process is as meaningful as the end result."
The Polaroid I-2 can be purchased now on the Polaroid website. Its price of $599.99 includes the I-2 instant camera, a pack of Color I-Type film, B&W I-Type film, and Color I-Type film double pack Summer Edition.
