Polaroid Snap camera

What the listing stated:

Untested

EBay

Hmm….EBay untested, the number one way to try and flog knackered crap without accepting any responsibility. Caveat emptor as they say “Buyer beware”. Hey, I’m a rebel it might even work…who knows?

About this camera:

The new Polaroid Snap camera attempts to recapture the fun of instant photography, but with a modern, digital twist. 

The Polaroid Snap prints out 2×3 inch photos straightaway using ZINK (Zero Ink) technology, and can even store a back up of the photo you’ve just printed on a memory card. The ZINK paper also has an adhesive backing so you can also use each print as a sticker if you wish. 

You don’t however get a rear screen, or an electronic viewfinder. There’s also relatively few changes you can make to settings. The Polaroid Snap is available in four different colours, with one of its unique selling points being a relatively low price (£89 in the UK). 

This cost doesn’t take into account the price of supplying it with the paper which you need to print your, er, prints though. 

The Polaroid Snap has a 10 million pixel sensor, and a fixed length lens. It was designed by the Ammunition firm, which has made its name working with the likes of Beats by Dre, Square, Lyft and other big brands.

Amy Davies – photography blog

The fact this camera has gone at such a low price speaks volumes to me. I suspect it has numerous issues. I have recently been working on a number of these “Instant” cameras namely the Fujifilm Instax range that are quite good to be honest on a similar photo output size of 3×2 inches. I’ve decided to have a look at the original Polaroid-range and this Snap camera became available. I believe these cameras came out circa 2016. The difference between this and original Polaroid cameras is that this one uses a 10mp camera and uses an additional SD card. With this camera you can also frame your shot using a number of different add ins and print using Polaroids Zink paper. The paper is a thermal type, and the picture quality is not all that brilliant if what I have read is to be believed. This camera is a bit more “advanced” than the basic Polaroid of the 70s, hence there is a bit more that can go wrong with it.

It originally retailed at £89GBP and is now discontinued. Current prices are between £20-£40GBP and I’ve purchased this one with postage for a total outlay of £10:94GBP. Film prices are similar to that of the Instax range.

Now we can do an assessment of what has arrived.

Assessment:

This camera is dated inside as November 2016, so it is currently a youngster at only 8.5 years of age.

It’s arrived and it’s a nice little unit. A little unclean but this will buff up ok. The battery is dead, but once I plug in a micro USB it’s charging ok.

The port looks fine so there is no issue here. I open the back and whoops! There is some film inside but I hope this doesn’t fog! This is a film that uses a thermal printing process, but does still have its sensitivities. And in the SD card slot is an 8GB card, so for the price I’ve paid for this unit the card is a superb bonus.

And as I’m impatient, I switch the camera on after a short charge and I take a photo, after adjusting a few settings the printer kicks into life and a picture starts to appear.

There were only two film pieces inside and I suspect they have been in there a few years as they are yellowed through age and this is noticeable on the rear where they are very yellow. I’ll have to get some new film to test for real.

So, at the moment it’s all looking very promising, the picture isn’t brilliant quality but that has always been an issue with these units, however I believe a copy is saved to the SD card so you’d always have a reference. The printer is a bonus I guess, for printing out those special moments that you want to see instantly just like good old Polaroids. As for repairs I suggest at this point there is very little wrong with this unit. I do though have to explore its functionality and settings and do some reading up on the basics. When I’ve done that I’ll have a better idea.

I’ve checked the SD card and can confirm it is taking pictures without the need for paper and saving to the SD card as it should. It did also contain 110 pictures of what looked like holiday photos from the original owner. I have contacted the previous owner and they have stated the photos aren’t required so i have reformatted the card. There lies the security issues with selling such items and not checking prior to sending off to strangers, it really is basic security folks, delete and format before selling anything to anyone.

The only items that seem to be missing from this unit are the charging/transfer cable of which I have quite a few, and a magnetic lens cover that really isn’t necessary. Other than that it’s a complete unit.

Repair:

The battery has been left to charge, and this has been achieved with no issues at all. All indications are as expected.

The unit has been cleaned and this has come up lovely, I know the actual camera works as viewing the results on the SD card confirms this, and for a 10mp camera the results aren’t all that bad.

I now just need to get some film to check out all the features that are available, only then can I really say the camera is working.

There are only really six options available here on the camera, via the dial on the top you have the choice of black and white, sepia effect or full colour, and on the next button you have a choice of with or without the Polaroid type frame, hence that is your six possible options. I’ll show some examples of each below.

Result:

What a cracking little unit.

As basic as basic can be but a great fun item all the same. Nothing technically wrong with it and sold as untested just because the owner couldn’t be bothered to charge it and check it over. Their loss is my gain to be honest, and I inherited an 8GB Sd card as well, one of those rare occasions that you buy such an item and it falls in your favour. I deserve one of those moments to be honest, most of my purchases are faulty junk. This makes a pleasant change.

Im keeping this, for the while. There may be another youngster in the family interested in this one. I’m looking at obtaining the next one up in this range to see the differences, and the advancements that they have incorporated. (It must be broken of course 🙂)

Thanks for passing by, as always much appreciated.