Analogue meets digital in this crispy new Polaroid snapper
Instant and digital? Witchcraft.
Heck it. What’s wrong with my Hipster Filter?
Shush, it’s working fine. Your common or bearded hipster tends towards pricier imaging exotica, such as Leicas and Hasselblads, and isn’t bothered about this. Which is a shame, because it’s a world first. As in, it’s the first Polaroid-style ‘instant’ format camera to be launched in over 20 years.
There are plenty of original Polaroid cameras still in the world, all of which owe their continuing functionality to the Impossible Project, which rescued the original manufacturing machines from a Dutch crusher and markets film cartridges (new) and cameras (refurbished) to enthusiasts. But now, Impossible is realising its dream by releasing an entirely new camera.
It certainly looks pretty snazzy.
Doesn’t it, just? The basic shape of the I-1 will be familiar to anyone who has seen an old Polaroid camera, even if the matt black finish and lens-surrounding LED ring flash are bang up to date. You can press the shutter button and get an instant print out – and can even wave it about to try and make it process faster, if you like.
But the camera also connects to an iPhone app via Bluetooth. Using the app you can remotely trigger a shot, but more interestingly you can also muck about with shutter speed, aperture and flash settings. You can even set up creative craziness such as double exposures. This is photo-tweakery the likes of which analogue photo fans have never dared dream.
Ooh, and then you get a hard copy straight away!
Exactly that. There’s that charismatic click and buzz, then the short wait in which your grin gradually fades as it slowly becomes apparent that you’ve over-cranked the exposure. Why such chagrin? Because, as with Polaroid cameras of yore, it’s the film that adds up.
Impossible Project sells both colour and black-and-white film for the £229 I-1, at a not inconsiderable £14.99 for eight shots. That definitely marks this as one for instant picture fans and quirky gadget completists. Or, indeed, well-to-do hipsters.
Fraser Macdonald
consulting editor 
