Polaroid isn't really Polaroid anymore.The company made famous for its instant-print film camera went bust. Its corporate shell was occupied by private equity investors, who gained the right to license the “Polaroid” brand to any gadget maker.
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Polaroid isn’t really Polaroid anymore.
The company made famous for its instant-print film camera went bust. Its corporate shell was occupied by private equity investors, who gained the right to license the “Polaroid” brand to any gadget maker.
One such branded product is on its way to New Zealand.
Next month will see local release of the “Polaroid Two” camera.
It’s a digital model (with a five-megapixel sensor) rather than film but, like the original Polaroid, it can instantly print a photo.
Printouts are 2-inch by 3-inch, and can be instantly fingered thanks to “zero-ink” technology, which involves crystals (see demo video here if you’re keen).
According to a test by the UK's Tech Radar, the printouts take 40-seconds to appear, and look “a little grainy”.
The site also grouses about the cost of the Polaroid Two's photo paper (£8 buys you 20 prints); lousy battery life (15 pictures) and a chunky (35mm wide) form factor that makes it feel like lugging around a Sony tapedeck Walkman.
Ouch. Can they quote you in the ads?
I’m beginning to understand why the local distributor wouldn’t cough up a review unit.
If you’re still keen, the Polaroid Two will be available in New Zealand from June, priced at $379.
