Polaroid Mod Makes Instant Photography a Hands-On Alternative to AI

TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff tried the new Polaroid Mod, an all-analog instant camera that turns settings into physical dials. He describes using it as more involved than prompting a generative AI model, and says he enjoyed the experience.

The camera has a 103mm main lens and a 95mm portrait lens, infrared autofocus with two focus zones, and three exposure settings: auto, one step lower, or one step higher. Its mode dial offers Double-Exposure, Split Shot, Motion Freeze, and Light Painting. A half-lens cover comes with the camera for Split Shot.

The Polaroid Mod works with 600 film and Polaroid I-Type film packs. Its 750mAh battery is intended to last through shooting more than a dozen film packs. The camera weighs 520g, and its film takes 10 to 15 minutes to develop fully.

Ulanoff tested Split Shot by exposing each half of a frame in a separate photo, and tried Light Painting with an iPhone flashlight. He reports that the results exceeded his expectations, while cautioning that the images can be grainy and high in contrast. He says they may surprise people accustomed to the clarity of an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy. The article describes the camera as unveiled on September 29 and says Ulanoff had tried it earlier that month.