Polaroid returns with a pocket camera that prints


The Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera is where, at last, Polaroid meets digital photography. As you may know, Polaroid collapsed as digital cameras became the new must-have, but the company has been revamped and is coming out with forward-thinking products.

You may have heard about the PoGo ZINK, Polaroid’s pocket photo printer (Scott has featured it in his Daily gear deals) but that has to be connected to your camera via USB. Now, the camera and printer are one again, and for under $200.

  • A bit more about the Polaroid PoGo:
  • 5.0 megapixels
  • 3″ LCD screen
  • 4x zoom
  • Fixed and macro focus
  • Digital red-eye removal and cropping features
  • Self-timer
  • Printer is inkless, in the Polaroid tradition (“ZINK” means “zero-ink”)
  • Prints 2″ x 3″ peel-off sticky-backed photos in about 30 seconds
  • Option to print date, file number, or a variety of borders
  • Compatible with Mac or PC for all your usual digital photo needs

Model CZA-05300B is available from Amazon.com for the discounted price of $179.88, and qualifies for free shipping. The paper for printing is $19.99 for a pack of 80 sheets. Our only qualm? You don’t have to shake the picture for it to develop. That’s oddly disappointing for the nostalgic like us — but we’ll get over it (maybe we’ll shake it anyway).
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Instant photography is not dead (yet)

Several days ago, I wrote about the death of the Polaroid instant camera, and the attempts to bring the iconic instant camera back from the dead.

Turns out that may not be necessary for everyone, as Fujifilm jumped into the void left behind by Polaroid with their new Instax 200 instant camera.

The concept is very much like the Land cameras sold by Polaroid; you insert a film cartridge, make a photo, and a minute later you have a colorful print of whatever you snapped.

The camera itself is a pleasantly low $49.95, but film cartridges will run you $21.95 for a twin pack of 10 prints. For comparison – Polaroid cartridges cost about 50 cents more for the same number of sheets.

The camera itself has received a favorable review from the folks at B&H Photo, which is where you’ll also find it in stock, if you want to continue your tradition of instant prints. Of course, real Polaroid lovers will probably never settle for anything other than the real thing!

Naturally, technology will eventually replace the chemical process used in these instant cameras, and one the first cameras using a new digital instant print system dubbed “Zink” recently appeared on Japenese store shelves.

That same technology also powers a pocket digital printer made by Polaroid as well as their own version of a digital camera with an integrated printer.