Polaroid launched what it calls its most capable instant camera in decades on Thursday (7 September), called the I-2.
The camera, which is compatible with the I range of films produced by Polaroid, is aimed at more professional shooters and in the UK comes with a £599 price tag – similar to entry levels DSLRs.
The new camera is five times the price of the Instant Now model, but Polaroid has touted a number of improved features on its budget model, including what it says is the sharpest lens yet, manual controls and a Lidar-based autofocus system.
Polaroid has said the new camera has come after years of development to produce a premium-level 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 analogue photography — a choice that many passionate photographers told us they were craving,” Polaroid’s CEO Oskar Smolokowski said in a press release. “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.”
The new camera’s tech specs include:
- Several different picture-taking modes: Auto, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Multi-Exposure and Self-Timer
- Shutter speed range from 30s to 1/250
- Bulb mode up to 99 hours
- Three-element lens with minimum focus distance of .4m metres (1.3ft)
- 98mm f/8 lens with minimum aperture of f/64
- Tripod mount
- Rechargeable battery with 15-pack battery life
- Integrated flash
- 5mm external flash sync
Polaroid shuttered its physical concessions in 2020 but has partnered with physical camera retailers around the world. In the UK, these include The Photographers’ Gallery and department store Liberty.
The new camera’s website includes an exhibition featuring photos taken on the camera by 15 different photographers. A number of videos about the new camera also feature on the brand’s YouTube channel.
I'm a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).
I’m doing everything I can to promote film photography in the 21st Century, and help it survive and thrive. If you want to write something for Kosmo Foto, please drop me a line at foto.dowling@gmail.com.
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Thank you very much for the articles, I constantly follow the news, thanks to your work.
Thank you so much, Wladimir!