We are all photography nerds. Aren't we? Be it a starry sky, a fascinating moon, a lovely sight, or a loved one brightly laughing. We all want to cage those dearest moments to cherish them later in life. Clicking pictures is one very great way to do so. And what can be even more fascinating is to have a physical copy of the moment instantly!

That is where the polaroid camera comes in. In this article, we will see how polaroids work, what they have got inside, the features they bring along, and for how much you can get one. Let’s get straight into it!

What Is A Polaroid Camera?

A polaroid camera (also known as an instant camera) uses a self-developing film to create an instant physical photo. The chemical print of the photo develops into a color picture shortly after taking it.

The idea is credited to American scientist Edwin Land. The first Polaroid camera was unveiled in 1947 and available to the public in 1948. The gadget enjoyed tremendous fame and sales for decades despite having a relatively high price.

What’s So Special About polaroid cameras?

Polaroid photos are not ordinary photos. They are unlike traditional photos that reside in your phone’s gallery. They are unique in the sense that they develop shortly after being taken and cannot be made copies of.

What people love about them is the nostalgia that they bring. You click a photo and get a physical copy of it in hand almost instantaneously. The photos can be too bright and blurry sometimes but that’s an aesthetic of its own kind.

People missed the polaroid cameras when they met their downfall in 2001. However, the changing trends and demand luckily brought the gadget back. It is small, handy, and easy to carry. Thus, people love keeping one.

What happens inside the polaroid camera?

Just like traditional cameras, a polaroid camera consists of a plastic film covered with silver halides (a combination of silver and any electronegative elements of Group 7). The film is covered with three silver halide coatings- red, green, and blue. When this extremely light-sensitive film is exposed to the scene you want to capture, a negative image of the photo is carved on the film.

The layers of the film overlay where they react with the developing dyes to create a positive image. The dyes are opposite colors coated below each layer- yellow below blue, magenta below green, and cyan below red. The printed film is then again exposed to light for a few minutes until it develops into a well-rounded color photo.

How do polaroids work?

Now that you know what a polaroid camera is and what it has inside, here’s how it practically works.

1. The camera comes with a pack of sheets, referred to as the negative film, coated in reactive chemicals. To set up, the pack of sheets is inserted into the camera just like you insert a battery. When a picture is clicked, one of the negative sheets is rolled in front of the lens.

2. As soon as a picture is snapped, the shutter of the camera opens and lets the film be exposed to the light of the scene in front of it. The chemical-coated film absorbs the light and creates a negative reflection of the image on it.

3. Then comes the reagent. It is the chemical that triggers the reaction that produces the photo. While the rollers of the camera release the photo, the reagent held in the white borders of the film is ejected to cover the surface in order to print the photo.

4. The film is then ejected out of the camera. The picture does not appear instantly. It takes a while( 10-15 minutes) to turn from white to grey to a color image.

Polaroid camera price- Are they worth it?

Polaroid camera price ranges from Rs.12,000 to Rs.34,000. With the emerging demand and advancement, the prices have surely risen. The original Polaroid camera cost $89 back in the 90s- that is $957 today.

It is now really hard to get a polaroid camera under Rs.10k. Instant films have never been cheap even at the hype of their popularity. The high demand and low supply always kept the prices high.

If you are looking for a polaroid camera under Rs.10k today, you should better hunt for a secondhand. You can search for polaroid cameras under Rs.10k on sites such as OLX where there are used but decent items available at relatively lower prices.

Since this point-and-shoot camera is handy and nostalgic, the sales have been high despite its ever-rising prices. It has now more advanced features and lets you edit your pictures with different effects just like your phone. So with so many benefits, this handy gadget is definitely worth buying.

Conclusion

Pictures add a lot to memories. You keep them for life. And what’s better than having them printed right out of the camera? Polaroid cameras are no new invention. This fascinating little gadget has accompanied people in the best of their moments for decades now. But with lots of the latest advanced and improved cameras constantly coming on the market, many of us don’t know about this old legend. Now that you know a lot about Polaroid cameras, how they work, and what they are worth, you can decide about buying one.