Polaroid One600 Ultra Film Camera.

Our company uses Polaroid cameras for taking photos that are given out as novelty items at public and private events.

This camera the Polaroid One600 Ultra is one of those Polaroid cameras that has long been known as THE instant picture camera. These cameras have gone through different looks and quality but still remains known as the "Original Instant". This particular one is a step up from the Polaroid One600 Classic camera.

Though the quality may not be the same as some better digital cameras, it sure is fine for most people when given away as a free promotion. It's now more a novelty item than anything else to the general public. I will say though that many Polaroid shots, taken in their prime range and lighting, have a very "natural" look to them. I like the end result better than many digital images I have taken. It actually can cost more to use Polaroid film than it takes to print digital, but, people still like it.

The camera has the same housing as the One600 Classic but the One600 Ultra has a few upgrade differences.

First the like features and benefits.

The one600 Classic and Ultra are very slim when closed. A push of a button and the casing opens with the lens and viewfinder ready for action. This kind of casing keeps the more delicate parts of the camera tucked away when not in use and also keeps the camera from being so bulky when not it use. Even when open it's still slim lined. Nice. It's also pretty lightweight at slightly more than a pound. That said I do happen to like the older, bulkier versions of the Polaroid. I also find the sleek casing design is temperamental and does not open and close smoothly at all times.

The camera comes with an instruction pamphlet that uses images to show how to use the camera. Don't expect much text. The bulk of all the words you might see, hoping for detailed information, is printed in twelve different languages.

The film is placed into the camera through the front. I don't like the small little button that has to be reached in the front of the camera to open it. Polaroid used to have a nice thumb action latch on the side that made it easy to find and use. That's important for the way we use the camera, many photos in an evening. These cameras hold packets of film that push out 10 images, then the next batch must be put in. I have found that this type of camera does not always spit out the cover card of the film upon closing the film storage latch as it is supposed to. In two cameras we have to squeeze the front area together to activate the switch or whatever is in the camera that triggers the mechanism.

The cameras have a counter that is easily viewable. This is a big improvement. For years the window was extremely tiny.

A flash is built into the camera and always goes off so there's no using this camera in museums and such places that may not allow flash. No batteries are needed to be changed. There's a system in the camera that receives the little bit of power needed to energise the flash through the film packet. Very cool.

Both cameras come with a strap.

The difference is that the One600Ultra has a better flash range of 2-10 feet allowing for closer photographs. The recycle time for the flash is also faster dropping the 6 second time of the Classic to 4 seconds with the Ultra. That makes a difference for us when we are taking multiple shots of the same image. We can get more photos taken in less time.

Both cameras have a fixed focus but the Ultra starts at 2' unlike the further distance of 3' on the Classic.

In shopping around carefully there should be just a ten-fifteen dollar or so difference in price between the Classic and the Ultra. The extra dollars for the One600 Ultra Polaroid is worth the difference for us.