Using a 90s Polaroid camera in 2024

We all know Polaroid. Their iconic cameras are an inseparable part of pop culture, appearing not only in movies, video games or TV shows from the 70s-90s but also in the memories of many who got to experience this era first hand.

The company suffered a lot over the years. Financial problems in the 90s, eventual bankruptcy in 2008... but through a strange miracle, the company survived thanks to the Impossible Project, a group of former employees who bought the last remaining Polaroid factory in Enschede, Netherlands and eventually became the new Polaroid. The original formula for the film was lost due to environmental laws and defunct chemical companies and they had to remake it from scratch.

So how does the new Polaroid film hold up? And how does it feel to use cameras like this in the modern digital age?

Introducing the camera

The camera in question is a Polaroid OneStep 636CL. This is one of the cameras from the famous Onestep 600 line which launched back in 1983 and lasted until the early 2000s, the famous boxy cameras with a flip-up flash. The 636 launched in 1994 with a slightly more rounded corners and in two versions, an infrared autofocus one and a fixed focus one with a macro filter.
I have the fixed focus version. The camera uses a plastic singlet 116mm F11 lens and takes 600 type film.

The film

Modern Polaroid film is undeniably different from the old stuff. Probably the biggest difference is that you now only get 8 shots instead of 10. When Polaroid had to rework the formula, the new film ended up being slightly thicker and while the company have said numerous times they will return back to 10 shots asap... we'll see.

Nowadays Polaroid make only integral film and only in 5 different formats: 600, i-Type, SX70, 8x10 and Go.

Technically 600 and i-Type film are the same thing. 600 film cartridges just have a built in battery (the vintage cameras take power from film packs) while i-Type ones don't as the new cameras have a rechargeable battery inside the camera itself. The SX70 film has a built in battery and a lower sensitivity to light due to a built-in ND filter. 600 and i-Type film are 640 ISO, SX70 is 150 ISO.

This means that with 600 and i-Type film, you get a bit more flexibility and sharper photos as the camera will use faster shutter speeds than the SX70 cameras in the same lighting conditions. SX70 film also has a noticeable pink-ish tint due to the filter.

The new film develops within 10-15 minutes usually (or shorter depending on light conditions and temperature) and has a shelf life of one year. With expired film, it can get a bit unpredictable but fresh film is usually pretty reliable from my experience. Remember to always keep your film warm when you're shooting in cold and to keep it in shade and cool when you're shooting in hot environments. It is a bit heat sensitive.

I'd always recommend you to store any Polaroid film you have in the fridge. Don't freeze it.

The experiences

The camera itself

This 90s camera is probably the one I use the most nowadays.
The build quality is very nice. It's sturdy and quite solid and weights around around 600 grams.

The viewfinder is very pleasant and has a rubber eyecup that makes it quite comfortable to look through.


The camera features fully physical controls. After flipping the flash up, you can see everything you need on the front. The exposure compensation is a simple slider from -1 to +1 stop. The closeup filter is also a quite simple slider. Sliding it onto the lens allows you to focus from around .5 to 1.4m.


On the right side of the camera, you will find two springloaded buttons. Front one is for shooting with the flash, pressing the rear one fires a shot without the flash. On the flash is a green LED that lights up when it's charged.

Ergonomics wise, it feels very pleasant to hold. There's a nice spot behind the shutter button where you can rest your thumb and the plastic is a bit rougher so it's pretty comfortable. The compact size makes it pretty nice to carry. The strap is a bit thin but it's easy enough to replace.

Sharpness wise, the lens is decently sharp in the center but the closer to the edges you go, the softer it gets and you start seeing signs of chromatic aberration. Whether you like this more lo-fi look or not is up to you.

Shooting itself and the film

First to really note when using a box type Polaroid camera is that... with most only have an F11 lens. The 600 film's sensitivity makes it a bit more bearable but if you're shooting indoors or in dim light conditions, flash is a must otherwise the camera willl select a very slow shutter speed and you'll be left with a very blurry image. If you're however in a well lit area like outdoors during the day or even sunsets, the camera will give you decent pictures even without the flash.

As mentioned here before, the film develops for 15 minutes. I highly suggest you to upgrade the frog tongue to the new type. The opacification layer still isn't as good as the old stuff and you might get blue halos or white streaks over your images quite often with the original one. The new one is barely 10 bucks, easy to install and doesn't retract on it's own. Wait for around 10-30 seconds or so before flicking it off and pulling out the film and you'll be left with no artifacts of this kind.

The photos comes out usually quite nicely. The camera exposes well, leaning more towards darker shadows and more highlight detail. The Polaroids usually tend to have high contrast, a bit muted colors and from my experience, if it's hot the film generally takes on a purple or yellow-ish tint while in the cold, they're a bit green to blue-ish. Don't shake the polaroids, just leave them flat, lying front face down.

Conclusion

I am having a blast. This camera might have a soft lens but I really like the colors the film has. I know this isn't the 80s when this was one of the only ways to see your photos instantly after taking a shot but it has it's magic. Watching the photo slowly develop in front of you. It's a truly nostalgic experience and as long as you don't get intimidated by the price of the film (20 bucks per one pack), you're gonna have a lot of fun.

And a few more shots as a treat: