R.I.P. Polaroids

[Crystal]

A few weeks old but I just found out.

Polaroid Abandons Instant Photography (http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/polaroid-abandons-instant-photography/?scp=1-b&sq=polaroid&st=nyt)


It was a wonder in its time: A camera that spat out photos that developed themselves in a few minutes as you watched. You got to see them where and when you took them, not a week later when the prints came back from the drugstore.

But in a day when nearly every cellphone has a digital camera in it, “instant” photography long ago stopped being instant enough for most people. So today, the inevitable end of an era came: Polaroid is getting out of the Polaroid business.

I honestly haven't used a Polaroid camera in years and I can see why they're discontinuing them. They've pretty much become useless when we have LCD screens and home photo printers.

In case you've never seen a Polaroid or the awesome photos that can be taken them with them, here's a Flickr group full of pretty pictures:

Polaroid Edge (http://flickr.com/groups/14462747@N00/pool/)

R.I.P.

[CMJ]

This actually made the National News - I saw Brian Williams give the eulogy.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm sad to hear this. I love the way that Polaroids look and I'd take more pictures with my Polaroid camera if it wasn't for the fact that the film is so expensive :(

[Rutabaga]

I read this news a couple of weeks ago and immediately printed out the story to give to my boss at work. We use Polaroid cameras to take ID photos of patients at admission and also any pictures we need of surgical incisions, bedsores, and any other wounds that patients are admitted with. My boss's first reaction was, "Oh no, where are we going to get the film?" My response was, "Um, no, it means we now have to rethink the equipment we use for taking pictures." :rolleyes

A lot of us are hoping this means we'll finally switch over to digital cameras. It will mean a little bit of an expense at the beginning, but overall we think it will end up being cheaper.

BTW, I'm old and decrepit enough that I remember the original Polaroid cameras where you had to pull the picture out of the camera, shake it until it dried, and then peeled the cover off :lol.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I read this news a couple of weeks ago and immediately printed out the story to give to my boss at work. We use Polaroid cameras to take ID photos of patients at admission and also any pictures we need of surgical incisions, bedsores, and any other wounds that patients are admitted with. My boss's first reaction was, "Oh no, where are we going to get the film?" My response was, "Um, no, it means we now have to rethink the equipment we use for taking pictures." :rolleyes

A lot of us are hoping this means we'll finally switch over to digital cameras. It will mean a little bit of an expense at the beginning, but overall we think it will end up being cheaper.

BTW, I'm old and decrepit enough that I remember the original Polaroid cameras where you had to pull the picture out of the camera, shake it until it dried, and then peeled the cover off :lol.

LOLI remember those.

[Veritas]

I have no sympathy for medical people pining over these. They'll tell you that they need them for ratio mapping & skin stretch (ie, you can still do metrics with digital). The truth is that doctors are the most technologically backward people on the planet. Beyond a doubt.

[Cat X]

I have no sympathy for medical people pining over these. They'll tell you that they need them for ratio mapping & skin stretch (ie, you can still do metrics with digital). The truth is that doctors are the most technologically backward people on the planet. Beyond a doubt.

The only reason that Polaroid had any kind of real market was in Foresnics and police investigation, well at least that was my understanding, didnt know medical still clung onto it. There was a lot of truth to the thought that faking or altering Polariod was too difficult to do and thence was always unchallenged in a court, it makes great evidence as a result. Digital does have problems in that area.

But for anything else, digital hands down wins, full stop. Why anyone clings to film is beyond me