Polaroid JoyCam Film Camera

For reasons I can't quite explain, I have always wanted a Polaroid camera. Perhaps it's the instant gratification factor. When I saw the JoyCam advertised on television, I immediately thought, "Wow, that is so neat!" At that point I vowed to buy one. I bought it as a treat for myself with some of my epinions cash. I was tickled to death when I opened the cute little box to play with it, my very first Polaroid camera.

It is lightweight and much smaller than most regular Polaroid cameras. I'm a huge sucker for anything "miniature". The JoyCam is small enough to fit inside a large purse or a big pocket. It has a nice rounded design that feels good in my hands when taking a photo. However, it gives the impression of being a bit fragile and I am afraid of breaking the darn thing. Honestly though, I didn't expect much more for the price of only $23.99. I knew before I bought it that it would be a "cheapie" camera just to have fun with.

I can't say I am thrilled with the picture quality. No matter how careful I try to be with conditions and technique the photographs usually come out grainy, dull and/or with glare spots and streaks. Again, I wasn't expecting perfection from a Polaroid because every photo I've seen from a Polaroid are this way, even more expensive models.

It works by aiming and pushing a button to take a photo, then has a pull-tab to remove the shot from the camera. The pull tab doesn't work smoothly. I have found that a hard quick pull is best. It's too jerky otherwise. It has built-in flash but it doesn't seem to work very well. Indoor photos are always somewhat dark. It actually takes much better photos outside. There is an indicator switch on top to set to either "indoor" or "outdoor" but honestly I have found this doesn't make a huge difference in the end result.

The photos themselves are smaller than the average square Polaroid. They are approximately 3 inches wide and 2 inches high. The size is a little awkward since they don't fit well into any size photo album pockets. They are a bit large for wallet size but look too small for the 3.5"x5" pockets. I can't really see putting them in a frame of any kind either, not just because of the size but because the quality isn't good enough. Basically, this camera is best used for just goofing around.

Goofing around at $8-10 for a roll of film is a bit on the pricey side though. It takes 500 Polaroid film and I've only been able to find it with 10 pictures per roll. As a comparison, I usually develop a roll of 24 exposures with doubles for only $6 at my local grocery store. Sometimes Walmart has the film on sale but so far the least expensive I've seen it is $7.99.

I have to admit that the first time I attempted to load the film into the camera, I did it incorrectly. For some reason I found it confusing. I wasn't sure which way to put it in, and didn't peel off the top layer first so my first "photo" ended up being that cover strip from the film. Live and learn. I was probably being a bit eager to play and didn't take my time.

This might sound crazy but despite the cheap construction, poor photo quality and high expense of film I still have fun using it. I think there is a time and place for it. One idea is taking candid shots at special occasions such as birthdays and weddings. A person could also use the photos to give their guests as a keepsake momento or party favor. I once read in a magazine that Carly Simon keeps a Polaroid journal, taking a photo every day and putting it in a special album where she writes about it. I have also used it to take a photo of an item I want to sell at on online auction and then scan it since I don't have a digital camera. It's also fun taking candid shots of my one year old daughter. But it will never take the place of a good quality automatic 35mm like my Minolta Zoom.