Little Camera. Big Fun!
Written: Apr 28 '00 (Updated Nov 02 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap, Compact, Easy to use.
Cons: Small, slightly expensive film. Pictures that you have to cut free with a pair of scissors.
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| DudeFace's Full Review: Polaroid I-Zone Pocket Film Camera |
From the first moment I saw an ad for the I-Zone camera, I knew I had to have one.
When I was a kid, my father went out and got Polaroid Swinger cameras for my brother and I. They were the instamatic of the day. They produced roughly 2x3 inch, often blurry, black and white pictures. They used those annoying blue flash bulbs (the ones that would crackle and be two hot to touch after using). The film was a challenge to use. But with all their failings, the Swingers were a blast. The film was cheap, so the cameras were always full. It had a light meter, so you knew when you could take a picture successfully. They were always around. Even more impressive then the fond memories of their use, are the pictures we still have today, 25 years later. I've been talking pictures continually for most of my life, but the ones that stick out as being the most creative, the most memorable, the most spectacular, the most purely entertaining are those early Swinger pics.
This isn't a review of the Swinger though. This is about the I-Zone.
The I-Zone is a modern rebirth of the swinger. The camera is completely different. The film is completely different. The pictures it produces are completely different. The world of photography it opens up is absolutely the same. Hand an I-Zone to your kid, or let the kid in you out and you will marvel at the pictures created.
The camera comes blister packed with a built in flash, the batteries needed to operate it, wrist strap, and your first pack of film. Your off to the races in less then five minutes. Pocket sized, you can have the I-Zone with you at all times. Automatic flash makes it hard to goof up a shot. How-to diagrams on the bottom keep the confusion down when it's time for more film. Easy to operate shutter release button. Three shutter speeds for in-door, cloudy and full sunlight picture taking. The batteries last nearly forever because the camera automatically shuts itself off after each picture. The I-Zone is a fun packed no-brainer from beginning to end.
My final words:
The Bads - The film is a small (1x0.5 inches), and a bit expensive for its size (roughly $0.50 per frame). I-Zone film also suffers from all the same problems of every other type of Polaroid instamatic film (tan dead spots, low/fuzzy detail, muted colors). One other bad, you have to cut the leading and trailing paper off with a pair of scissors, running the slight risk of releasing the caustic chemicals used in the developing process. This would keep me from giving the camera to someone who couldn't understand (say kids under six, or that particularly stupid friend of yours).
The Goods - The camera is cheap (roughly $20), compact, and easy to use. Because the film doesn't automatically advance, you can double expose a frame for some interesting special effects. The pictures you snap will be unforgettable.
Buy One. You will be happy you did.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
DudeFace
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Location: Miami Lakes, Florida
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 3 members
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