Fuji helps Polaroid fans move on

Out with the old, in with the new.
(Credit: Urban Outfitters)

The next generation of instant film has made its way into the US market to delight those of us who never had the chance to say goodbye to the classic Polaroid camera.

Fuji's Instax Mini camera creates credit card-size photos in a funky camera that comes in pink, blue and white.

Last February, Polaroid announced that it's shutting down factories of its instant-film cameras. Websites like SavePolaroid, which actively contact Polaroid in a bid to save the classic camera, have sprouted in response to the sad departure. Unlike Kodak, which was successfully sued for creating an instant camera, Fuji has produced the Instax with permission from Polaroid, and therefore has some production limitations.

Though Fuji's Instax Mini is no Polaroid, it is a great alternative for photographers who like instant gratification. The 5-inch by 5-inch by 2.5-inch camera sells for US$130 at Urban Outfitters, and film is about US$1 a photo. Compared with what avid Polaroid fans are currently paying for film, this may actually be a cheap and practical solution.