humnbrd4g's Full Review: Polaroid OneStep Film Camera
This is a camera that will aggravate left handers. All controls sit on the right hand side. Hmmm, right handed engineers, I think so!
I, like almost every other One Step owner, wanted the instant pictures and didn't want to spring for too elaborate a setup. The One Step fit the bill. At $35. average cost, you don't have to lay out a large amount of cash to get the gratification of instant pictures.
The One Step is not usually a photographers only camera but rather an addition to the arsenal. Camcorder, 35 mm camera for the bulk of the shots, a digital camera for online shots, and a Polaroid for the instant shots. That was my mindset, that it would be used regularly in it's own role. Wrong.
The first hard gulp comes when buying that first package of film. It usually has it's own display area and the big blue boxes are easy to pick out. There's a few different kinds, but this model uses the 600 series film. You stand there doing the math and realize it's going to cost you $1 a picture, with no room for error or reimbursement for messed up shots. Still you give in and buy a package, vowing to make it last and only use it on important shots, family gatherings and the such.
The film package can be a bit confusing the first time, as far as how to load the film. Yes, I know there's directions in a manual somewhere, but it was tossed into filing right after I opened the camera. Besides, I feel it should be easy to load without a manual. Pull the silver foil closure off the box top inside and pull out the cartridge. Holding your camera upright with the camera facing forward, slide the small black lever under your right hand finger forward. It sits near the bottom of the camera side and has an arrow on it showing you the direction. The front bottom half of the camera will drop open. Turn it around to face you, making sure the silver bars are on the bottom. Now look at your film cartridge. Notice the side with 4 cutouts that resemble exclamation points, that's the bottom side. Slide the film in as far as it will go in the opening. Click the door shut. There will be a noise and then a piece of cardboard will pop out. Your camera is now loaded and ready to take some pictures!
Looking at the front of the camera, grasp it midway up along the front cover border and pull forward. Mine is a tough pull and even after a year still takes some yanking. Once you have it loose, it can be snapped into an upright position. The top part contains the flash unit. The camera body offers you a choice of focus range. You can choose 2-4 feet or 4 feet and more. It's not the best focusing ability. Only an average of 50% of my pictures come out in focus. There's also a lever directly under the lense that gives you a brightness control, such as it is. Again, it only gives you 3 choices, normal, bright or dark. Wow.
So, film's purchased and loaded, your settings are set for focus range and brightness... now just point and shoot. The lever for picture taking is located midway up the camera under your right hand finger. Just slide it back toward you. There will be a click and a whirl, then a picture comes out the front. It has a white border around it and a white area on the bottom so you can write down the occasion or spot. The pictures go fast though, before you know it, you'll push on the button and nothing will happen and you'll have to go buy more film.
Dimensions are large and clunky, in the closed position it is 4" tall and 5" wide. But when open, you have a whopping 6" tall, which is quite a bit larger than your other cameras. Now I'm not sure why all other technology has advanced to the point where everything can fit onto the head of a pin, but apparently Polaroid has locked their doors to these developers. Their cameras are and always have been large and clumsy, and nothing has changed in that area. It features a carrying strap and ready light on the top.
Overall, it's not as useful a camera as you swear it's going to be. Soon enough it will sit there while you wait for an occasion good enough to spring a buck a shot on. With 35mm film costing an average of $2.50 on sale and developing run on special almost everywhere at least once a month for a buck a roll (24 exposure), it just isn't cost effective. The quality of pictures isn't the greatest, so you don't even come out ahead on that.
Takes clear, instant pictures at the push of a button Switchable lens for regular or close-up shots Focus-free simplicity Built-in automatic flash Req...More at Amazon Marketplace
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