Polaroid PIC 1000

It seemed that instant cameras were dying -- yet another analog victim in a digital world. When Polaroid announced in 2008 that it would quit making the film that fueled its iconic instant cameras, it appeared to be the final nail in the coffin. The company instead seemed bent on plastering the valued Polaroid name on all sorts of cheap electronics.

Then -- in what seems an instant -- instant printing has roared back. Revived after a bankruptcy, Polaroid is, er, focused on instant imaging. "What makes Polaroid special is this incredible tactile experience of sharing your pictures in real time," says company executive Jon Pollock. People like holding and passing around instant images of whatever event they're sharing, he says. "We joke that Polaroids really were the first social medium before YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter."

The company, armed with instant cameras and small printers, is now trying to sell the concept to a new generation. Polaroid recruited pop singer Lady Gaga, herself a seeming instant hit, to market the new instant imaging to young buyers. She's also a fan of the old, analog Polaroid cameras and film, popular among artists for their unique, sometimes quirky results. "Each photo was one of a kind, nothing else like it and not doctored," Pollock says. "It was almost like a crapshoot -- you didn't know exactly how it was going to come out."

Most of Polaroid's new products depend less on that unpredictability. The printers connect to digital cameras and camera phones, where images can be edited, and Polaroid's other instant cameras are digital. They also depend on new instant film from a company called ZINK Imaging, which is using technology that Polaroid developed but chose not to commercialize itself.

[Here's a guide to shopping for the perfect digital camera.]

It's almost as if Polaroid had to first die before the new "Zero Ink" technology could spring to life at ZINK, whose prints couldn't compete with the quality of the original Polaroid film. And neither could compete with the quality of prints that can be made pretty darn quickly from inkjet printers. But as an independent company, ZINK decided its clean process -- no messy ink cartridges -- and portability could make up for lesser quality. "We knew we weren't the best of best, but we thought the quality was good enough," says ZINK executive Scott Wicker. "It was really about entertainment in the moment."

Now, second-generation ZINK film is producing better-quality prints, if not still the best. And more generations are coming as Polaroid reports that its printers and cameras are hot sellers, and other companies adopt the technology.

Even the original Polaroid film isn't dead. A group calling itself the "Impossible Project" leased an old Polaroid factory in Europe and is developing a new, cheaper version of instant film that will work in Polaroid cameras, and maybe others. Polaroid has embraced the effort and plans to introduce a new analog camera to use the film.

Fujifilm, meanwhile, has brought America its own line of Instax instant cameras. The company has sold similar models overseas, but waited for the old Polaroid to die before bringing them to the United States.

More conventional printer companies aren't ceding the "instant" market. Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Canon, and others have compact printers -- some which can even run off batteries. We've included one example in our guide to the new choices for consumers wanting instant prints:

Polaroid PIC 1000.

As part of a return to its roots, Polaroid later this year will release an updated version of its old, analog OneStep camera called the PIC 1000. It will produce the classic Polaroid prints with their white border. Film will come from the Netherlands, where the Impossible Project has been working on a new way to produce instant Polaroid film that's cheap enough to serve what's now a much smaller market. More details on the film should be available next month.

Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer

Meanwhile, Polaroid forged ahead with portable printers that can run off batteries and produce clean, simple prints using the Zero Ink technology from ZINK. A current PoGo printer sells for about $40 and produces 2-by-3-inch prints that cost about 40 cents each. A new model coming this year will produce 3-by-4-inch prints that are also of better quality.

Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera.

The ZINK tech is also built into cameras in an echo of the old Polaroid models. A current Polaroid camera uses the 2-by-3-inch, first-generation ZINK paper. Selling for about $200, it's a stripped-down, point-and shoot digital camera that captures 5-megapixel images. A new model coming later this year will have more features, capture 12 megapixels, and produce the second-generation, 3-by-4-inch prints.

[As with other digital cameras, the PoGo's images can also be shared online via these sites.]

Pandigital printer.

Jumping on the ZINK bandwagon, Pandigital is selling a small printer that produces 4-by-6-inch prints. The printer has a slot for memory cards and a small liquid crystal display (LCD) for previewing shots. It's remarkably simple to set up and use, keeping the emphasis on instant and simplicity. It can print four wallet-size photos on one 4-by-6-inch sheet and is small enough to easily carry, though it needs an electrical outlet to operate. The printer costs about $130 online, and prints run about 40 cents each.

PlanOn PrintStik.

The ZINK film uses a heating process that's related to the thermal printers found at cash registers and gas pumps. A similar tech is behind this portable instant printer from PlanOn called the PrintStik. Aimed more at traveling professionals, the printer runs from a rechargeable battery and is only an inch or two wide and about 11 inches long, or wide enough to print a full document page. The thermal prints are monochrome only and can be produced from Windows computers and BlackBerry phones. Models start at about $150, and supplies cost about 20 cents a page and up.

Fujfiilm Instax Instant Film Camera.

Fujifilm targeted U.S. consumers last fall with smaller versions of its Instax analog cameras. The Instax Mini 7S is a point-and-shoot model that produces 2-by-2.5-inch prints. The new Mini 25 will hit the U.S. market later this year with added features. The bulkier Instax 210 is aimed at professionals, such as real estate agents and insurance adjusters, and produces 4-by-5-inch prints. The Mini 210 and 7S both sell for about $75, and the photos they produce are better than ZINK prints and perhaps even better than original Polaroids. But they are expensive, typically costing $1 or more each.

Canon SELPHY CP790.

The best "instant" photos still come from more conventional printers, usually inkjets with clumsy cartridges and prints that take some time to dry. Canon targets the portable market with dye-sublimation printers, which produce top-notch prints from simple cassettes that hold a printing ribbon. The prints come out ready to be handled with a protective coating that also resists fading. The cute-looking Selphy CP790 can run off an optional battery pack and can print wirelessly from phones with its optional Bluetooth adapter. The printer itself costs about $160, and the 4-by-6-inch prints run about 30 cents each.

 

 

How to Save With Cutting-Edge Tech
David LaGesse

An economy in the dumps has taught many consumers to live without the extras. And that would seem to include the latest in gadgets: New HDTVs, MP3 players, and game consoles can cost a bundle. But some of the best in fresh tech not only comes cheap; it can even save cash over time. Here's how savvy buyers can cut their budget and still brag that they're on the cutting edge

Ease the Paper Chase by Going Digital
David LaGesse

Most consumers have experienced at least a taste of going digital. Online banking, electronic statements, and online bill paying have eased the paper chase. And consumers use less dead-tree paper, while saving on postage, envelopes, and printing costs. Here is a quick guide for those who want to take the digital dive and save time and money in the process

Technology Opens Doors for Investors
Rob Silverblatt

In an era in which the Internet is steadily uprooting traditional business models, David-versus-Goliath stories are becoming increasingly common. Meanwhile, the traditional investment and fund players have responded with advances of their own. Here's a look at some technologies that have emerged in this climate

Apple's iPad: 5 Reasons Why the Apple Tablet Will Flop
David LaGesse

Few revelations from Apple had generated more anticipation than Apple's recent iPad product announcement. Though nobody knew exactly what the iPad would be, reports widely agrees that the device was to be a new type of portable computer akin to a tablet.

Apple's iPad: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Ben Baden

Apple has announced its latest -- and what some say -- greatest creation yet. The iPad is the biggest news since the launch of the iPhone. The iPad is going to be aggressively priced so Apple can get as many iPads into as many hands as quickly as possible. Most of the news reported was positive, but there are still some unanswered questions. Here's a look at what the iPad has to offer ...

An Amazon Kindle for Every Student
Zach Miners

Forget better standards, merit pay for teachers, or rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure of America's aging schools. No, if we really want to fix the U.S. education system, we must start with Kindles. Thomas Z. Freedman, the primary author of the paper, writes that having a "Kindle in every backpack" (the title of the proposal) is not just an educational gimmick but could improve education quality and save money

The War on the Book
Paul Greenberg

In Ashburnham, Massachusetts, a prep school has just given up on books. The headmaster of Cushing Academy, one James Tracy, doesn't see any need for them. Not any more. Anybody who's anybody or wants to be now has an iPhone with apps, a Kindle or whatever the Next Big Thing turns out to transiently be. Who needs books?

Ultimate HDTV HD Television Buying Guide
David LaGesse

We studied the hundreds of HDTV flat-panel television sets that plastered walls at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and have distilled a quick guide to today's key options

What's New in Consumer Technology and Electronics
David LaGesse

The 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is smaller than in recent years, but it's still where the world takes stock of what's coming in consumer electornics and technology. And obscure acronyms -- the valued shorthand of geekdom -- seem especially prevalent as new tehcnologies roll out. Here are five new technologies and getting a big push this year ...

CES 2010: Peripheral Vision
Kyle Orland, Crispy Gamer

Many video gaming hardware makers were showing off their new wares at CES 2010 in Vegas each year. Here are the most noteworthy of the selection shown at the show earlier this month.

Mobile Tech That Stole the Decade
David LaGesse

If the '90s were the Internet era, maybe the '00s were the mobile decade. Technology packed ever more power into ever smaller devices, putting portable electronics at the leading edge of innovation this decade. With freedom of movement in mind, here are the top tech innovations of 2000-2009 ...

The Biggest Technology Flops of the Decade
David LaGesse

The new millennium was born amid an Internet bubble that soon burst, not a good omen for the technology industry. The sector rallied, however, and continued to produce a remarkable run of new gadgets. But it had more than its share of flops, as well. Here are the 10 biggest debacles of the decade

 

(c) 2010 U.S. News & World Report