Polaroid OneStep 2
MSRP $99.99
“For instant film lovers, OneStep 2 brings back the style and image quality of the camera that started it all.”
Avg
-
The retro design is fun to use
-
Polaroids really pop right away
-
Rechargeable battery
-
Easy to use
-
Cheap
Against
-
The quality of the photos is as retro as the design
-
The film is expensive
-
Bulky
Faux leather wraps, silver trim, and mechanical control dials bring a vintage look to some modern digital cameras — but those trends look like costume jewelry next to the Polaroid Originals OneStep 2. Modeled after a 1970s camera, the OneStep 2 both looks and shoots like a vintage Polaroid camera, which broadcasts the same instant film with that classic edge.
But the OneStep 2 adds a handful of modern conveniences to the classic style, like a rechargeable battery, a built-in flash, and — the epitome of a post-2010 camera — a selfie timer. Unlike digital cameras with a built-in Zink printer, the OneStep 2 uses actual instant film to generate that organic, imperfect look without relying on a wannabe digital filter.
But the 1970s aren’t for everyone. Even with its modern improvements, the Polaroid OneStep 2 remains a very old-fashioned camera that lacks the convenience and quality of modern digital cameras. Whether the experience is pleasant or frustrating depends on who is recording it.
Retro inspired design
Based on the 1977 Polaroid OneStep Land Camera, the remake for Polaroid Originals retains the same general body shape and aesthetic while adding a few more modern features. That ’70s-era inspiration makes for a bulky design that weighs a pound and measures nearly 6 inches at its longest point. The included neck strap can be slipped through the back to make the camera easier to carry, since you’d have to wear clown pants to pocket it. Of course, without that style of housing, the camera simply wouldn’t be a OneStep.
Hilary Grigonis/Digital Trends
While cameras using Fujifilm Mini instant film have a smaller profile, the OneStep probably can’t lose too many inches while still leaving room for a film pack. Polaroid i-Type 600 film designed for the new OneStep cameras — which has the same dimensions as traditional Polaroid instant film but is slightly thicker — measures approximately 3.1 by 3 inches for the photo area and about 4.2 by 3.5 inches overall. In comparison, the Fujifilm Instax Mini produces a smaller print with an image size of about 1.8 inches by 2.4 inches.
The film slides into the camera base, opens with a small lever at the front. Instructions for inserting the film pack are written on the cartridge, making it easy to insert even for users unfamiliar with instant film. The cartridge retracts with a satisfying click, and the camera automatically spits out the black cover paper.
The USB port on the back is a dead giveaway for a modern camera masquerading as a 1970s release.
On the top of the camera, a set of eight mini lights indicate how many images are left in the film pack.
As an instant film camera, the OneStep 2 uses a fairly minimalist control scheme, although it has a few more options than the 1970s original. The shutter button is front-to-bottom — which is odd, since most modern cameras put it on top — which stays true to the original.
While holding the camera with your left hand and your right index finger on the shutter release, you will see that your thumb is resting on the button without the flash. Pressing and holding this button during photography suppresses the flash, which is normally always on. The flash itself is a new addition to the camera — the 1977 model had the option to add a flash on top, but did not have a built-in flash.
Hilary Grigonis/Digital Trends
The camera’s modernity is also evident in the small self-timer button on the front to initiate an instant movie selfie. A switch under the viewfinder on the front allows you to lighten or darken the image, another feature not found on the original camera.
Polaroid warns in the user manual that the viewfinder is not 100 percent accurate – it’s not a through-the-lens viewfinder – especially when close to the subject. The viewfinder looks like you’re looking through a bubble — the center of the image bends toward you as if magnified, while the edges are blurred.
But the biggest giveaway that this isn’t a OneStep from 1977 is the USB port on the back of the camera. Of course, you won’t use it to transfer images to your computer, but it does charge your battery. However, you shouldn’t do this too often, as Polaroid says the camera will last 60 days on a charge.
Shooting with Polaroid Originals OneStep 2
There’s one big reason to bring back a 1970s camera—pure joy. Taking a photo you can hold in your hands, a photo you actually have to wait for, is strangely enjoyable in the digital world. Pictures are not taken and then forgotten among the thousands of others in your phone, but hung on the refrigerator or attached to a photo album. If it’s fun otherwise, then OneStep 2 is great.
There’s one big reason to bring back a 1970s camera—pure joy.
In the age of digital, describing the OneStep 2 as an “instant” camera is almost a misnomer. Yes, you can hold an image in your hands within seconds, but images take about 10 to 15 minutes to fully develop. The film should also be kept face down during this time to prevent damage, or you can leave it in the camera under the black roll-out protector to protect each image. The waiting time is only frustrating when you realize after 15 minutes that you need to retake a picture that came out too bright or too dark.
Stamped on the bottom of the camera is the suggestion to keep at least 2 feet from your subject. The fixed-focus lens is rated for 2 feet to infinity; get too close and the images will be soft. Indoors, the flash is also too bright for approaching objects. Other suggestions etched into the camera recommend shooting with the sun behind you and always leaving the flash on unless you’re shooting in an ultra-bright scene.
Hilary Grigonis/Digital Trends
The instant camera is easy enough to use that my 6-year-old had fun taking pictures with it (although it was a little too big for my 4-year-old’s hands). And while adults will enjoy the camera too, instant film is a fun way to teach kids about photography and show that some things are worth waiting for.
The OneStep 2 experience is very basic—yet the camera forces you to slow down because every single photo you take costs money. With eight exposures in a pack, the instant camera helps you become a more conscientious compositor, since extra shots equal money wasted. It’s great for honing your eye for composition, but it’s also another point of frustration.
New film, same classic look
Although the film cartridges have been reworked for the new camera (i-Type film is not compatible with older Polaroids), the same aesthetic remains the same.
That cinematic look is most evident in the colors. Greens, for example, are darker and less saturated than the scene appears to your eye. The pictures already look like they’ve been treated with an Instagram filter.
Overall, images tended to be darker, even when shooting outdoors. Underexposure can be part of the aesthetic, but you can use the +/- switch on the front of the camera to brighten images a bit if brighter exposure is more your style. However, there are no real manual settings.
Unfortunately, the glare is not a rainbow-style artistic effect, but a white spot on the edge of the photo.
Of course, the image quality isn’t “good” by any modern metric, but that’s part of the “perfect imperfection” that Polaroid Originals says makes up the instant film image. Images are always a bit soft, which sometimes complements the desaturated aesthetic, but can also obscure some of the best parts of a scene.
If you shoot against the light – contrary to recommendations – the lens sometimes flares and causes parts of the photo to be illuminated. Unfortunately, the glare is not a rainbow-style artistic effect, but a white spot on the edge of the photo. You can usually tell through the viewfinder when this is going to happen, and you can even prevent it by shielding the lens with one hand, with some kind of makeshift lens hood, but it’s not always easy to do and you run the risk of getting caught in the photo if you’re not careful.
Indoors, Polaroid says the built-in flash helps with color balance in images, but we still found photos to be too yellow. Of course, maybe that’s desirable as part of the 1970s look and feel.
Our download
Retailing for around $100, or a little more if you go for the special edition, the OneStep 2 is one of the more affordable instant cameras on the market and, with the original Polaroid film dimensions and camera look, probably one of the most retro. The trade-off, however, is a larger, bulkier body.
I-Type film retails for $45 for a three-pack for basic film with a white frame, and a bit more for black-and-white film or special editions with different colored edges (Stranger Things special edition “upside down” camera and film is one of our favorites). That works out to about $1.87 per photo. In comparison, the Fujifilm Instax mini only costs about 80 cents per shot, or 58 cents per shot if you pick up the larger 60-exposure pack. As we’ve mentioned in previous instant camera reviews, there’s a lot of disposable plastic that comes with the film cartridge to consider as well.
Is there a better alternative?
Thanks to the resurgence in popularity, finding an instant film camera is not difficult. The Polaroid Originals OneStep+ ($140) offers a similar design and image quality, but adds Bluetooth and allows remote smartphone activation of the camera, as well as manual adjustment of some of those exposure settings in addition to a simple +/- switch.
Polaroid Originals, of course, holds the rights to that Polaroid-sized instant film — other instant cameras tend to use the Fujifilm Instax Mini, which produces an even smaller print. Most of these cameras also have a smaller profile than the OneStep 2. The Leica Sofort has one of the sleekest designs, but retails for around $280. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 ($140) retains the retro-inspired but smaller body and offers manual control settings to avoid photos that are too bright or too dark. Or, to get really retro, the Mint InstantFlex TL70 2.0 ($389) looks like an old twin-lens camera, but works with the Fujifilm Instax Mini. And for the best of both worlds, the Fujifilm SQ10 ($120) shoots both digital and instant movies using Fujifilm Square film.
How long will it last?
Considering you can still buy a decades-old film camera and use it, the Polaroid OneStep 2 probably has a long life. It’s a plastic camera that isn’t weatherproof, but we expect it to last for years to come if taken care of.
Should you buy it?
That. This camera is a nostalgia game, but a good one. OneStep 2 offers the original Polaroid look while being fun to use. Note that the cost per photo is extremely high. You will only use this on rare occasions.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn