Trying Polaroid again

by Posted in Black & White, Polaroid I2 Leave a comment
polaroidi-2-1-of-6

I don’t like Polaroid cameras, and they certainly don’t seem to like me. But a lot of people do seem to like them, so a while back I bought the latest and greatest Polaroid camera: a Polaroid I-2. The first time I tried it I was not surprised to discover that I hated the results. Then I read that there was a problem with the exposure. It didn’t work correctly when the camera was in auto mode. I kept meaning to try it in manual, or aperture priority to see how that went, but I never got around to it.

However, I recently read that Polaroid had issued a firmware update that fixed the exposure problem. I updated the firmware and put the camera aside (you can see how enthusiastic I am about Polaroid photography). Eventually I went out to try it.

How did it go? Well, you can see from the pictures…terrible, and if you think this is bad you should have seen my first attempt to scan the pictures. I didn’t notice, until I’d already scanned them all, that I’d left the camera set to scan color rather than black and white, so I had to scan them all over again.

Once again, I’m disappointed with the results but I’m starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. It’s fairly clear that I chose the wrong weather/time of day to take the pictures. There was too much contrast, and I think that the film didn’t have enough dynamic range to handle it. Next time I’ll go out on a cloudy day and see how that goes. I’m fairly persistent (stubborn?) and I’m not ready to give up yet. I have some more film on order.

I’ve read that you need to try several times before you start getting halfway decent results. That’s all very well, but Polaroid film is incredibly expensive, and these failed attempts are costing me a lot.

polaroidi-2-2-of-6

polaroidi-2-3-of-6

polaroidi-2-4-of-6

polaroidi-2-5-of-6

polaroidi-2-6-of-6

Taken with a Polaroid I-2

Film Camera 2024 -2: Polaroid I2 – Results

by Posted in Polaroid I2 Leave a comment
polaroidi2results-4-of-1

So how did my foray with the Polaroid I2 go.

It went better than my first effort with the SX-70. The camera is clearly working as intended. The picture above, and the three below are pretty much straight out of the camera and onto the scanner.

polaroidi2results-2-of-4

polaroidi2results-3-of-4

polaroidi2results-4-of-4

I was a bit disappointed, but on further consideration I decided that the poor quality of the photographs is most likely the fault of the photographer (i.e. me). One of the main reasons for this is that I’m stubborn. I’d read on a number of websites that the camera didn’t work well in auto mode: i.e. it tended to overexpose and select a slow shutter speed, which introduces blur. I’d been told, but I decided to find out for myself. I can confirm that what the other sites had said was true.

Of course, after I’d scanned them, I had to fiddle around with them in Lightroom. I didn’t want to spend a lot of time on them, so they’re over sharpened in many cases. See the pictures below for how they looked after I’d “processed” them.

polaroidi2results2-9-of-1

polaroidi2results2-2-of-8

polaroidi2results2-3-of-8

polaroidi2results2-4-of-8

polaroidi2results2-5-of-8

polaroidi2results2-6-of-8

polaroidi2results2-7-of-8

polaroidi2results2-8-of-8

There were numerous constraints: Apart from the SX-70 mentioned above I’d only ever used a polaroid camera once, and that was about 50 years ago, and it was one of the “cheap and cheerful” models; This was the very first time that I was using this particular camera; I don’t know much about scanning polaroids and I’m not much good at scanning at the best of times; and I’d chosen to use a mode that everything I had read told me not to use.

So, bearing mind the constraints I was satisfied with the results. I’ll certainly use the camera again (I a paid a lot for it), but next time I won’t use the auto mode. Instead, I’ll probably use either Aperture priority (usually my preferred mode) or maybe even full manual.

Film Camera 2024 -2: Polaroid I2

by Posted in Polaroid I2 Leave a comment
polaroidi2-1-of-1

I started my adventures (or maybe misadventures) in instant photography with an old Polaroid SX-70. It didn’t altogether work out (See: Film Camera 2024 -1 and Film Camera 2024 -1: Polaroid SX-70 – Results). Determined to continue with the adventure, I considered getting the SX-70 checked out and fixed. But then it occurred to me that it is after all an old camera and might well stop working entirely in the near future. And it’s a lovely piece of industrial design that I wouldn’t mind having it as a shelf queen. So, while not entirely ruling out the possibility of getting it fixed at some point I decided to get another camera: a more recent polaroid camera. Eventually I decided to go for broke and get Polaroid’s top of the line camera: The I2, Polaroid’s most sophisticated camera of all time.

There’s a good review of it on Digital Review: Polaroid I-2 review: The best instant camera doesn’t come cheap.

According to the review the key specs are:

  • 98mm f/8 lens (∼38mm f/3.2 equiv.)
  • LiDAR autofocus
  • Manual & auto exposure modes
  • Compatible with i-Type, 600 and SX-70 film
  • Optical viewfinder with LCD info display
  • Internal battery rechargeable via USB-C
  • Rear OLED info display
  • 2.5mm flash port
  • Metal tripod mount
  • Bluetooth enabled

The review concludes:

What we like

  • Sharp 98mm lens with a fast equiv. aperture (for an instant camera)
  • Manual and auto exposure control
  • Exposure compensation wheel
  • Accurate center point AF
  • Good build quality
  • Great battery life

What we don’t like

  • Pricey
  • Viewfinder glare is distracting, worse for glasses wearers
  • Viewfinder info display is hard to read
  • Max shutter speed of 1/250 too slow for some subjects
  • No manual focus mode

Pricey but capable, the I-2 is the best Polaroid camera money can buy in 2023. Its suite of full manual, auto, and semi-auto exposure modes provides plenty of flexibility. The sharp lens outputs fantastic shots and autofocus works with solid reliability. Plus, the camera handles well and looks even cooler.

However, for a lot of folks, the core features of the Polaroid I-2 are going to be overkill. This is especially true given the point-and-shoot style Polaroid Now camera is just $95. It doesn’t have as nice a lens or manual controls but it is $500 cheaper. Just think of all the film you could buy with that savings. (Though the prints are significantly smaller.)

But the I-2 isn’t meant to appeal to the masses, rather it’s a niche product for a very specific type of diehard Polaroid shooter. These are folks clinging for dear life to their creaky, twice-rebuilt SX-70 cameras (I know a few). And I believe these are the people who are going to appreciate the I-2 and all it has to offer, even if the price is a bit much to stomach.

The Polaroid I-2 is the ultimate instant photographer’s camera, with full manual controls, accurate autofocus and a super-sharp lens. But it is pricey and the sheer number of features may overwhelm some users.

Good for: Deep-pocket instant shooters. Anyone craving total exposure control over their instant photos. Polaroid diehards.
Not good for: Those who want an affordable and easy way to snap Polaroids.