Photographing with Instant 35mm Film Cameras
There are times when capturing portraits of people you've just met that you probably wish you had a copy to instantly hand to them in order to remember the moment. Instant cameras allow you to do just that with self-developing films incorporated into the camera body so that you have a processed print in your hands just seconds after taking the shot. While reduced in prominence with the advent of digital media and online sharing, the instant film medium still has its place in providing souvenirs of special moments that you can share with anyone.
What Is a Polaroid Camera?
Also known as an instant camera, these cameras use a self-developing film that can create prints almost instantly after capturing a photograph.
- The first commercial instant camera unveiled in New York in 1948. However, the earliest known model invented was by Samuel Shlafrock in 1923.
- Because Polaroid was one of the first companies to develop and patent these instant cameras, its name is synonymous with them today despite other brands also making their own models.
Which Types of Instant Cameras Are Available?
Instant cameras are available in a wide range of different types and styles, with their basic classification coming down to the type of film they use.
- Some of the earliest models used a roll film that contained a developing agent and the negative, while others used pack film designed so that you could pull it out of the camera and separate the positive from the negative after processing it.
- While early instant cameras were relatively large, and more like a portable darkroom, they gradually reduced in size to become compact 35mm models, many of which had built-in, pop-up flash units.
- Today's instant cameras are visually appealing and pocketable so that they're attractive as an everyday camera for capturing candid moments and having hard copy prints in your hand within seconds.
What Are the Advantages of a Polaroid Camera?
One of the main advantages of instant cameras is the speed with which they develop prints, which makes them favorable for travelers or street photographers who want to share their photographs with people they meet along the way.
- Modern 35mm instant cameras are generally light in weight compared to digital SLRs with interchangeable lenses, and they offer a practical alternative when image quality is not of paramount importance.
- Since you have little control over the settings you use, instant camera photographs often have a certain aesthetic and vintage appeal with grainy and slightly blurry images.