Polaroid JoyCam 500 Instant Camera, Blue
Silver, Joycam Instant Camera, Small, Sleek Design, Uses 500 Film That Takes Pocket Size Photos, Packaged In Clear, See Through Box.
The Polaroid JoyCam is an instant camera designed in the spirit of the saying, "Everything old is new again." Polaroid has taken their signature product, the instant camera, and repackaged it in a slim silver body. In an age when camera makers are overloading their new products with automatic bells and whistles, Polaroid has instead made the JoyCam design simple and manual. This camera is so easy to operate that anyone can load and use it. It works with Polaroid 500 (formerly known as Captiva) film and produces wallet-size pictures. To advance your film, you simply pull a plastic ring on the side of the camera. The JoyCam also features a manually selected built-in flash. What we found most pleasing about the updated design is that it is noticeably less cumbersome than traditional instant cameras. While still much larger than a 35mm point-and-shoot, the JoyCam is small enough to throw into a backpack and bring along. Also, because the film ejection mechanism is manual in this updated design, Polaroid no longer has to build a battery cell into each film cartridge--so film costs less. In redesigning the body of the JoyCam, however, Polaroid has done little to improve the actual picture-taking mechanism or picture quality. In our tests, this camera was incapable of taking a decent indoor picture without using the flash. When we did use the flash, it distorted colors and produced washed-out images of the subjects in our photos. However, if picture quality and stunning portraits are what you are after, you'd be silly to buy an instant camera of any sort, much less a Polaroid JoyCam. The Polaroid JoyCam is designed for impulsiveness and fun, and it serves those purposes well. Pros:
- Light and portable body
- Simple operation
- More economical film
Cons:
- Flash causes color distortion
- Grainy picture quality
The Polaroid JoyCam Kit includes Polaroid's latest JoyCam camera model and a 10-frame film cartridge. The Polaroid JoyCam is a revision of the instant camera design that made Polaroid famous. It has a small body in comparison to its bulky predecessors and offers a frame counter and a built-in selectable flash with a flash-ready light. Easy enough for a child to use, the Polaroid JoyCam operates with the push of a single button--no focusing is necessary. The design feature that sets the Polaroid JoyCam apart from other instant cameras is its film delivery system--or lack of one. Traditional instant cameras relied on film cartridges with built-in batteries to enable the camera to expel each shot; however, this model works without a battery. Instead, users pull a plastic ring on the side of the camera to extract the exposed frame. This manual process enables Polaroid to offer a lighter camera body and compatible instant film cartridges at a more reasonable price. The Polaroid JoyCam takes pictures at a range of 3 feet to infinity. It works with Polaroid 500 instant film and produces pictures that measure 4.4 by 2.5 inches, which is slightly smaller than traditional Polaroid shots.
Polaroid JoyCam 500 Instant Camera, Blue Accessories
Polaroid JoyCam 500 Instant Camera, Blue Reviews
This was bought as a second camera to do Polaroids for charity events. Don't waste your money on this. Go with a nice Polaroid or a digital with printer. This went in the trash.
I didn't find it very good for travel. It is smaller than other polaroid cameras but still a bit bulky. My friend and I just went to Italy and took this camera along with my 35 mm camera. And we kept accidentally hitting the button to take pictures because there is no safeguard against it. We took the JoyCam for "just for fun" type pictures but it became a hassle. The strap is attached to the part of the camera used to pull the film out so you can't use the strap as a handle. Because of the sleek design it was hard to hold on to.
It adds so much to a night out with friends. The best thing about it is you get your picture right there and then. I own two Joycams, and I love them. The strap is long enough to sling over your shoulder, and the funky design of the camera makes for a great conversation starter. I'm 25 years old, and this camera is perfect for parties and for taking out to clubs.
No, they are not full sized pics, or of the highest quality. But, you do get an inexpensive, sleek looking, fun shooter and an opportunity to catch those out of the blue, "oh I wish I had my camera" views. A bit bigger and lighter than a cell phone, this zapper fits into small purses, teen boys' cargo pockets, and safely in an auto's glove box. We just pull the 'lil cord, note on the back where we took the subject & file them on index cards with any additional notes and keep them in an old recipe box. I have spied an alligator slithering down a neighborhood sewer drain, a famous QB at practice, not on the grid-iron, but at a golf driving range, and unfortunately, needed insurance pix of a fender bender, mine.
You just never know what you might see. (That alone did pay for the camera and loads more film) Also, having a 35-mm SLR and dabbling in photography as a hobbythis high-tech instant camera is useful for taking what my husband calls remembrance shots; places we want to shoot again. I like to keep it handy while driving about town. And if we never pass that way againat least we have some fond memory.Hey, it's a fun camera, at a good price, which has practical uses and is sleek enough for first time users to the pickiest gadget-guru. Instant gratification is the name of Polaroid's unique silver cased JoyCam's snap-snap-get-that-shot game.
The JoyCam is a nifty little camera, the picture size is just about right for instant photos. The handle to pull out your pictures does feel a bit flimsy, but it seems to serve it's purpose well. Not too spendy, either, which in my opinion is the best part of it. As long as you are not looking to be the next Mapplethorpe, the JoyCam is an ideal way to go. The photo quality is good but not great, although I took some indoor pictures, which usually turn out really dark, and the photos turned out really well.
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