Polaroid JoyCam Film Camera
- Zoom Lens: Without Zoom Lens
- Zoom Range: 92 mm
- Camera Type: Point and Shoot
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Where's The Joy???
Pros
Cute & Easy
Cons
Low-Quality All Around
Recommended it?
No
It was almost five months ago when I first bought my JoyCam. It was a new arrival, and its flashy package and $10 rebate made it an offer that I simply could not refuse(to quote an old family friend). Cute and compact, it seemed like the perfect bit of convenience...not to mention all of the fun antics I would have taking instant pictures, right? Wrong!
The JoyCam Ups-The Author Attempts Optimism
1.Size-Compact enough to fit into my barn jacket's pockets, the JoyCam is only about 50% longer then a conventional camera. While this may seem a bit large, one must consider the size of most instant cameras, those giant cumbersome pieces of photographic equipment that sometimes reach 6-7 inches in height. This thing is a baby by those standards...
2.Attractiveness-I must admit that the JoyCam has a sharp modern design that is very appealing to me, a similar fluid shape to those $150 Nike watches that have recently become a trend. The color scheme is simple black and cobalt blue, a welcome change from the offensive yellow of those constantly proliferating disposables.
The JoyCam Downs
1.Fragility-There is some surprisingly shoddy construction behind the JoyCam, surprising because all of my previous experiences with Polaroid products have been so good. The plastic exterior scratches easily, and I give the blue "facepaint" about 2 months worth of life before it's completely worn off. As for its breakability, keep reading patiently...
2.Picture Quality-The design of this camera provides it with an extremely low quality photo. There is a slight grain to each picture, and regardless of exterior lighting there is always an unflattering darkness(dullness?) to the photos. It also unforgiving of any glare or other light sources, some light from a computer screen managed to ruin an entire set of shots taken of an office.
As for the built-in flash, I literally seen brighter sparks coming from the mouths of people biting Wintergreen Lifesavers. It's about as flashy as a constipated lightning bug!
3.Picture Size-2 inches tall by 3 inches wide, the JoyCam picture is about the same size as one of the mini decks of cards you get on planes and trains. This makes for an awkward product of little usefulness...not nearly big enough to display but too big for a wallet.
You charge WHAT for film?-The Author Gets Real
The single most annoying factor of the JoyCam is its replacement film, both expensive and difficult to find. At $10-12 for a dozen picture cassette, you pay dearly for the convenience of an automatic pictures, up to 4 or 5 times more than regular roll film. This price would really upset me if it was easy to get film, but my school bookstore hasn't sold it for months, claiming that low demand and trouble with distribution keeps it off the shelves. My guess is that it's more of the latter than the former, since distribution difficulties seem to have kept it out of stock in a lot of stores.
The death of my JoyCam
Four months after I bought it, I brought the camera to Iowa with me to celebrate the wedding of one of my best friends(also my first time in a wedding party since I was a ring-bearer). I was seated at the head table, with the dais about 3 feet off the ground. The camera fell off the table and slow motion dropped 6 feet to hit the floor...and the pull tab(used to release a taken photo) shot across the room like a cork of overshaken champagne. Well, that was that, no one was able to fix it for me.
The Final Verdict
My final judgement is a simple caveat: don't be drawn in simply by cute design and perky marketing. This is a low quality product gilded with trendy hipness and it won't stand the test of time, even if that time is only 4 months...
The JoyCam Ups-The Author Attempts Optimism
1.Size-Compact enough to fit into my barn jacket's pockets, the JoyCam is only about 50% longer then a conventional camera. While this may seem a bit large, one must consider the size of most instant cameras, those giant cumbersome pieces of photographic equipment that sometimes reach 6-7 inches in height. This thing is a baby by those standards...
2.Attractiveness-I must admit that the JoyCam has a sharp modern design that is very appealing to me, a similar fluid shape to those $150 Nike watches that have recently become a trend. The color scheme is simple black and cobalt blue, a welcome change from the offensive yellow of those constantly proliferating disposables.
The JoyCam Downs
1.Fragility-There is some surprisingly shoddy construction behind the JoyCam, surprising because all of my previous experiences with Polaroid products have been so good. The plastic exterior scratches easily, and I give the blue "facepaint" about 2 months worth of life before it's completely worn off. As for its breakability, keep reading patiently...
2.Picture Quality-The design of this camera provides it with an extremely low quality photo. There is a slight grain to each picture, and regardless of exterior lighting there is always an unflattering darkness(dullness?) to the photos. It also unforgiving of any glare or other light sources, some light from a computer screen managed to ruin an entire set of shots taken of an office.
As for the built-in flash, I literally seen brighter sparks coming from the mouths of people biting Wintergreen Lifesavers. It's about as flashy as a constipated lightning bug!
3.Picture Size-2 inches tall by 3 inches wide, the JoyCam picture is about the same size as one of the mini decks of cards you get on planes and trains. This makes for an awkward product of little usefulness...not nearly big enough to display but too big for a wallet.
You charge WHAT for film?-The Author Gets Real
The single most annoying factor of the JoyCam is its replacement film, both expensive and difficult to find. At $10-12 for a dozen picture cassette, you pay dearly for the convenience of an automatic pictures, up to 4 or 5 times more than regular roll film. This price would really upset me if it was easy to get film, but my school bookstore hasn't sold it for months, claiming that low demand and trouble with distribution keeps it off the shelves. My guess is that it's more of the latter than the former, since distribution difficulties seem to have kept it out of stock in a lot of stores.
The death of my JoyCam
Four months after I bought it, I brought the camera to Iowa with me to celebrate the wedding of one of my best friends(also my first time in a wedding party since I was a ring-bearer). I was seated at the head table, with the dais about 3 feet off the ground. The camera fell off the table and slow motion dropped 6 feet to hit the floor...and the pull tab(used to release a taken photo) shot across the room like a cork of overshaken champagne. Well, that was that, no one was able to fix it for me.
The Final Verdict
My final judgement is a simple caveat: don't be drawn in simply by cute design and perky marketing. This is a low quality product gilded with trendy hipness and it won't stand the test of time, even if that time is only 4 months...
