If you are a fan of instant film but need the connectivity of digital, Polaroid has a camera for you. On Tuesday, it announced the Polaroid Snap Touch — a digital/instant film hybrid camera that offers many modern digital camera features while still producing nostalgia-inducing instant pictures. The Polaroid Snap Touch hopes to bridge both worlds of photography with the feature-packed camera.
The Polaroid Snap Touch features a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen display for composing your shot as well as navigating the camera’s menu system. The Snap Touch sports a 13-megapixel CMOS sensor that is capable of capturing high-quality images and 1080p full-HD video capabilities and a Bluetooth radio to transfer your images to a smartphone or tablet via the Polaroid Print App for iOS and Android. The app features a number of creative filters, stickers, and limited editing controls that can be used to print directly on the Snap Touch. Most importantly, the app allows you to save all edits and photos on your device for sharing online and letting your followers know what they are missing out on.
For those looking for the nostalgic Polaroid experience, the Snap Touch uses an integrated printer featuring Polaroid’s Zink Zero Ink printing technology to print instant 2 x 3-inch photographs. The printer works with Zink-enabled paper by using heat to activate and colorize cyan, yellow, and magenta dye crystals to produce the final image on paper without fear of smudging and without expensive ink cartridges or ribbons. The paper includes a self-adhesive back that allows the prints to be used as stickers — so add some flair to your cubicle or fridge as you see fit.
Along with the Snap Touch, Polaroid also announced a new rainbow bordered 2 x 3-inch Zink Paper. The latest version of Zink Paper features five fun, brightly colored borders reminiscent of the familiar white Polaroid Classic Border Logo. The colored border will automatically appear around the image after a photo is printed. In addition to the new Polaroid Snap Touch, the Polaroid rainbow border 2 x 3-inch premium Zink Paper is compatible with the first generation Polaroid Snap and Polaroid Zip instant photo printer. Polaroid says the photos print in about a minute so you can snap, share, and repeat — no waving required.
The Polaroid Snap Touch is the antithesis to many high-end compact cameras on the market. If the Polaroid Snap Touch’s lines look familiar it is because it was designed in partnership with design firm Ammunition — the studio behind the Polaroid Zip instant photo printer and Polaroid Cube and Polaroid Cube+ lifestyle action cameras.The Polaroid Snap Touch is available for pre-order in six available colors and three bundle options: camera only, camera and paper, and camera and paper subscription at PolaroidSnapCamera.com. The Polaroid Snap Touch is expected to retail for $180 and the Zink papers are available for $13 for a pack of 20; the subscription will save you a few bucks on paper.
