Polaroid I-2: The modern successor to vintage polaroid? Initial test and review

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Polaroid just released their latest and greatest professional camera, the Polaroid I-2. Prashanna joins us again on Modern Midlife’s, to help unbox this camera and put it through its paces to see whether it lives upto its hype as well as to see whether it truly deserves its price tag!
Everyone has been comparing it to the legendary Polaroid SX-70 camera’s and lets see whether it will dethrone it as the sharpest and best Polaroid camera.
Have you been considering purchasing this camera or are you a new owner of one also? Share with us your experience in the comments below! Subscribe if you enjoyed our video!
0:00 Introduction
0:22 Unboxing of Polaroid I-2 bundle
2:30 Initial Impressions & parts of the camera
3:20 External display and the different modes
4:26 Polaroid I-2 and its predecessors
6:38 Photowalk with Polaroid I-2 and Polaroid 680
11:12 Depth of Field Testing
11:35 Review of Photos
15:02 DOF Comparison
15:58 Sharpness comparison
16:43 Final Thoughts
18:16 Outro
Prashanna also wanted to share a summary of his own thoughts below for those considering this new camera;
“I have seen everyone compare the I-2 to the sx70 camera and I do think that this is an entirely wrong way to look at the camera. The I-2 is a viewfinder camera and the SX70 and its variants are SLRs. You are comparing apples to oranges. It is like comparing a Rollei 35 viewfinder camera with a Nikon F3 SLR camera. Both are arguably excellent 35mm cameras but they are inherently different and will be used differently. This comparison can never be fair and which camera you like will be dictated by how you take your photos. I don’t know where this original comparison started from, but it is wrong to compare them!
The vintage cameras that are closest to the I-2 are actually the Spectra Cameras. For those of you who are like me and keep lamenting about missing using your spectra cameras and the loss of the film, this is the camera for you. It is basically a spectra camera on steroids and has almost all of its functions other than the ability to do manual focusing. This is the closest thing that will fill the void in your soul from losing spectra film and this I2 is essentially a modern spectra camera that shoots conventional 600/i-Type/SX-70 film.
Here are the PROS
- Excellent optics and coating
I did a rudimentary unscientific test using a sharpness target using the I2 and a Polaroid 680 that was repaired by Jake Bright a few years back. I will attach the Polaroids. Without getting too esoteric and philosophical about what it means for an image to be very sharp, The I2 wins the Polaroid 680 hands down (but I still feel both cameras should not be compared because a viewfinder/rangefinder will always have less camera shake than a SLR (even on a tripod) and therefore result in the images appearing sharper). Compare the polaroids that I have attached and form your own opinion.
- Battery life is Great
I didn’t charge the camera out of the box. Kept it on and my friend and I shot the camera while keeping it connected through Bluetooth on the app. Then we went out and ran 4 packs of film through it and it still has 2 bars of battery life left.
-Improvements in user design and user experience
The camera has a lens cap warning when you attempt to shoot an image while the lens cap is still attached to prevent you from wasting shots.
The camera also won’t allow you to fire a shot if you are closer than 20cm to the image.
The camera also will warn you when camera shake could become an issue through the viewfinder
The internal app interface is simple and intuitive to use.
The camera also has a fast autofocus with what I consider a satisfying shutter sound.
The flash setting is kept in memory even when you switch off the camera (you don’t have to worry about switching off or on your flash every time you off and on your camera)
-DOF with beautiful bokeh
I tried taking some shots at different apertures and I have to say that the shots with smaller apertures are sharp and the bokeh at larger apertures is pleasing to my eye. I took photos at f8, f16, f32 and f64. F32 and F64 are very similar with F64 just a hair ever so soft
-No Phone required
The ability to control and see all the functions/settings of the camera without having the need to use an APP is a godsend and reduces the need to tinker with another gadget just to access another function built within the camera
Do drop your comments and likes for more great content! Subscribe if you enjoyed our video!

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4 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 75

@stapledtogether 10 месяцев назад

great review. all of the first videos by big youtubers were clearly paid advertisements so its nice to see some honest technical testing

@ilmago5291 10 месяцев назад

exactly, lies of marketing and reality distortion field,only this and the verge review are true

@robindastallion 10 месяцев назад

I definitely disagree, the photo comparisons were misleading, its a manual camera but the images were blown out, so he was comparing the 680, an automatic camera, to the i2, a manual camera. For non photographers, this is a pretty bad take because its not giving the i2 its due diligence. While I agree the first reviewers were more biased, this video is the opposite, a dude who didnt use the camera properly and doesnt appear to be a camera focussed channel.

@mrtecostudio 10 месяцев назад

@@ilmago5291The verge review is also so good 👏👏👏

@stapledtogether 10 месяцев назад

regardless of the fact that its being compared to a 680 (which i agree is too different to compare really) he is still showing what the i2 does snd how it works with different settings. hes not trying to sell anyone this camera (like all the early reviews) just displaying his experience and his method of testing.. it doesnt have to be everyones perfect test this is just his video and how he did it.. you can take from it what you like really@@robindastallion

@cdigames 10 месяцев назад

To add to this. The Spectra cameras were about $600 adjusted for inflation, which makes the comparison even more apt. With their in-viewfinder displays and unique quirks to usage, the I-2 definitely feels like it carries on the lineage of the Polaroid Spectra Pro camera in particular. Given the Spectra Pro had an LCD on the back to give you a readout of camera functions.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Yeap i completely agree! hopefully others can draw the same parallels and see this camera for what it is and see the niche it will occupy! This is THE CAMERA for those who miss using their now defunct Polaroid Spectra cameras. This probably wont be the last camera that the Polaroid company makes and its just a matter of time that they will make their own SLR and then we can compare it to all those SX70 folding cameras! I am just surprised Polaroid didn't market the camera as such. Seems like such a wasted opportunity!

@cappysdad383 10 месяцев назад

The best I-2 review on RU-vid. I bought one of these at release and took it on a short RV trip and got a few shots walking to and around an old WWII airfield. Noticed right away how sharp it is. I was with my wife when out walking so just used full auto exposure to save time, found -2/3rds stop seemed best for most photos. Will be out trying manual exposure when weather improves in prep for a RV trip to Nashville in a couple weeks where there should be some good images waiting on me.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

I am hoping they update it. i noticed the following exposure compensation works for me [ ~ f8 / f11 use -1 EV ], [ ~ f16 / f22 / f32 use -2/3 EV], [~ f45 / f64 use -1/3], if in doubt u can just leave it at -2/3?

@630Prods 10 месяцев назад

This video was amazing from production to information. It is ashamed that you did not get an I-2 earlier but now I know your opinions are unbiased. Thank you for all the information and I am excited to get mine in the mail!

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Yea hopefully you found the information of great help! We may try to do some more in-depth testing over the next few weeks and see if we can put the camera through its paces!

@brandonhansen3615 10 месяцев назад

This video is exactly what i was hoping to see. I love the comparisons great job!

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Thank you! If there are any specific comparisons or tests you wish for us to conduct with this camera, please drop us a comment and we will see if we can incorporate it in our next video!

@slimewowgrogga7765 10 месяцев назад

Thank you for making this. You were very thorough and concise. I subbed you. Keep up the good work.

@8storeytree 10 месяцев назад

amazing detailed review, comparison etc. 👍👍 keep it up, Prash.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Thank you!

@Neptunite 10 месяцев назад

Great to see a Singaporean's perspective! Since we live in a tropical country year round and temperature does affect the film results and all.

@the.midlifers 10 месяцев назад

yes! very much so. we are going to a temperature controlled environment to do more testing soon, so do look out for the vid !

@mrtecostudio 10 месяцев назад

Amazing honest review! Others youtubers who received the camera for free were praising too much the camera even when they got overexposed photos. Thanks again 👏👏👏👏👏

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Every camera has pros and cons. No camera is perfect for our uses. We just wanted to give a fair and balanced review. I am glad you liked it and hope you found the review helpful!

@swar5141 10 месяцев назад

Just tested and mine are coming out overexposed under studio strobes. Outside everything is over exposed But an adjustment over -1 stop everything looking good. Great detailed video thank you.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Thank you for coroborating out findings as well. Currently the sweet spot appears to be between -2/3 to -1 for us too, but we will continue to test this further. Did you have any other issues when using it with the strobes as well?

@jamesgomez2361 10 месяцев назад

I’ll give you effort for duel wielding these however…the slr 680 with NO frog tongue makes the comparison at a bit of a handicap. Still won’t convince me to trade in my slr 680

@Intricatethought567 10 месяцев назад

Awesome video!!

@sweat100 10 месяцев назад

Thanks for the review and share! Any thoughts on the premium strap? Didn’t hear you mention about it during use.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

There wasnt really much to chime about it. It looks stylish , feels comfortable enough and matches the aesthetic of the camera. Unfortunately I like to keep my cameras without their straps when safe keeping them. This strap is not easily removed and re-attached. Their "less premium" straps with the clip on system is more user friendly in my opinion (Perhaps I will try to show it in the next video). Now its a little too early to tell how the vegan leather holds up or lasts as it just have been a few days (but I didn't notice any rapid deterioration on it so far) Is there anything specific you would like to know about the strap?

@11.Pierre 10 месяцев назад

great video!

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Happy you liked it!

@nordmende73 10 месяцев назад

Thank you!

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Dont mention it! You might like the video on exposure issues that we did just after this video!

@nordmende73 10 месяцев назад

@@see.prash.87 I already did watch that video. Thanks!

@infernalcapricorn 10 месяцев назад

Great vid! Do a black and white test.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

will try. is there any specific test you would like to see with black and white film?

@rancosteel 10 месяцев назад

I wish you had used an external lightmeter just to see how accurate the internal metering is. Most of the shots look overexposed.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

I dont have a dedicated lightmeter, but i will probably test the lightmeter using an app on my phone and see whether it matches. Based on other reviews, I suspect the internal metering is off as they mentioned using an external meter solved their oever-exposure issues

@teleaddict23 9 месяцев назад

All that money for garbage photos. I can’t believe that on a £600 camera, the exposures are still off. Yes, occasionally you get a good shot but is it really worth it? Thanks for an honest review, you’ve saved me a lot of money.

@the.midlifers 9 месяцев назад

i feel it’s let down by the film more so than the camera, some exposure quirks, but the AF and the lens is really not bad. I am recently getting into instax, so stay tuned for some polaroid alternatives 😀

@edwardferry8247 10 месяцев назад

I have the $1000 Ming from MINT, the I2, a Spectra and a Polaroid Lab. The films are variable mediums, I think that’s why testing is fairly difficult as even in the same batches there will be alterations in outcome. I use Polaroid for artistic creative purposes so variability is part of the attraction for me. As you say, if you want to reproduce a scene (as is) use a standard film / digital camera. The Lab will get you pretty nice and interesting results if you want to bridge digital and Polaroid without changing an existing digital approach. I personally want to see Polaroid succeed precisely because it’s a unique and historical medium. We can all improve our results by taking more time, manually metering a scene and using a tripod. Keeping the dynamic range below 4 stops will help. A sunnier day with sky will be handled better with a 49mm ND filter. If it’s purely fun then fill the frame with your subject as much as possible and add a little fill-in / bounce with one of those small hand-held video lights. Thank you for your review and for taking the time to make the video. I hope more people will explore Polaroid and see it as a creative endeavour which might spark other artistic pursuits also.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Thank you for viewing and taking the time to share with us your perspective. It sounds like our school of thought on the medium mirrors one another! The variability and the magic of the film developing before you is what make it amazing. However, I do see where too much variability can lead to waste of film and money. I do hope Polaroid can improve on the thermal stability of the film so that people in the tropics such as us can use it as it was designed. Can I ask, for your ND filter, how many stops is It ?

@TheLeiPol 10 месяцев назад

I enjoyed this review and the comparison with the SLR-680. Wonder if you can use the LiDAR AF system to photograph an object that is behind glass. Edit: agree it can be considered as the replacement of one of the high end Spectra/Image camera because the Spectra/Image also was a viewfinder camera but just uses square film instead of the weird wide format

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

From my initia testing this seems to be the case - shooting through window when u are more than 20 cm from window appears fine --shooting through window when u are less than 20 cm from window cant be done (close focussing error pops up) - shooting through tinted windows cant be done - haven't tested with rain and all that, eventually!

@TheLeiPol 10 месяцев назад

@@see.prash.87 Thanks for the usable information.

@mrtecostudio 10 месяцев назад

This is a great review👏👏👏 So i have 3 SLR 680 and two Mint SLR 670. Should I get the I-2 or nah?

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

I would say if you are fine shooting with a non-SLR camera and want something that shoots i-type film at a high quality, it might be worthwhile. But really depends on what you want to use it for? its less flattering on portraits or macro

@mrtecostudio 10 месяцев назад

Thanks for the reply!!!!@@see.prash.87

@Markybug-Keira-Cody 10 месяцев назад

you have the 2 best models of polaroid so dont bother imo ? i have a slr670s and a sx70 and this new camera looks junk in comparison !

@museonfilm8919 10 месяцев назад

IMO. You need to factor in the cost of the film when shooting Polaroid or Instax. In my experience I get about 70% of shots that are average or rubbish - and that's got nothing to do with personal photography skills - it's just the quirky nature of the format. However, if you take the time to experiment with external ND filters it can give more stable results.

@ilmago5291 10 месяцев назад

successor of spectra but spectra pro costed in actual change 360 $ not 700,and basic costed 200 and midrage spectra af/image elite 250;price of i 2 is the same of slr 690 in 1996 in actual $

@valeryisfreedom 17 дней назад

Hi. Could u do a comparison between polaroid i2 and instax 99?

@the.midlifers 17 дней назад

I feel that might be a little difficult to compare since the cameras are vastly different in film size used, price points, autofocus ability and lens sharpness. I personally feel it's like comparing apples vs oranges. we have done a review of the instax 99 and the i2 separately. Is there anything you wish to know in detail before making a purchase? maybe we can provide some advice

@user-cd8ri1mc6s 10 месяцев назад

I think it's overpriced myself. But I think it's neat. No Polaroid not a medium format back, can't do what my 35 mm film, manual, and mechanical cameras do better (and I can get my film scanned and ready to view in 3 days! Now the 110-A converted to modern pack film, now that's a Polaroid Camera!

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Fair point!

@ilmago5291 10 месяцев назад

if used spectra film this camera will be perfect successor of polaroid image elite pro/spectra pro/minolta instant pro cameras

@ilmago5291 10 месяцев назад

the 1200 si was best of a reflex,whit electronic viewfinder camcorder style;i 2 has viefinder like old spectra basic camera whit internal led and info

@brettkramer 10 месяцев назад

Nice video first of all ! I shot a bit of Polaroid SX-70 with a SX-70 Model 1 back in the day and I can tell you, todays stuff is not even close to the quality of the original SX-70 film from the early 80's. However, I still own tree of the SX-70 cameras, (Model 1, Alpha 1 and Sonor) and I've been purchasing the latest film to test with. I hope the new Polaroid can up their game with the new film, it has a long way to go, in my opinion, the prints do not look as nice as Fuji Instax film. You bring out some glaring faults with this latest camera and unfortunately your resulting prints look terrible. I also owned a Spectra camera back in the day and after looking at my images shot on Spectra film, the stuff really looks nice, now I wish I had shot more with that camera.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

TBH i feel that nothing beats Fujifilm's instant film's reproducability at this moment. Its more clinically consistent than the Polaroid film. Personally I don't feel that the poor prints are a result of the i-2 camera because both the SLR680 and I-2 had less than optimum results. I feel its just due to the inconsistency of the film. Also to be fair (or critical of Polaroid), we were using its film at ambient temperatures that are not recommended. We stay in the tropics and 28 degrees celsius (the upper recommended limit) is considered a "cold" day here. I too miss Spectra cameras and their film! I am just generally happy that Polaroid integral instant film is being produced and just hope that the quality and temperature stability is improved as the years go by

@user-cd8ri1mc6s 10 месяцев назад

@@see.prash.87 Fuji knows how to make film expertly. And consistently. The Neo Polaroid is still learning how!

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

@@user-cd8ri1mc6s i completely agree with you! its just a pity that their instant line of cameras are abysmal. If only the could transfer some of their mastery of camera making into the instant line and they would have an unbeatable system!

@brettkramer 10 месяцев назад

@@see.prash.87 Same here, I'm continuing to purchase the new Polaroid film with the hope they can make big improvements.

@Markybug-Keira-Cody 10 месяцев назад

fuji needs to buy polaroid

@ilmago5291 10 месяцев назад

srl 680 win:4 glass lens and more rapid shutter take better photos:the new i 2 remember to me same photos that i taken whit my spectra onyx;but many people don t say to use a slr whit slow time motion of mirror and if move cameras will have more sharp pictures whit I 2

@Lensesandgadgets 10 месяцев назад

Not for $599 plus $2 per snap 😮. I would probably pay $299 max. Yes it’s awesome insta camera, but to me and many others it does not justify the true cost to use.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Thats a fair point as well!

@rjsvids 10 месяцев назад

sorry but, 600 dolars in 2023 for a plastic lens in a film camera?! no its just stupid , just made a cheaper camera with more controls, the polaroid one step plus, is a already great modern camera , go grab one and ditch this expensive one.

@paulnewman9275 10 месяцев назад

Right ,Vegan leather is not leather it's polyurethane - not sustainable and more damaging to the planet than leather. Companies need to call it what it is , plastic! My son's Tesla was $80k and it's got horrible plastic seats - sorry Vegan leather :))) As for the camera ,it looks good and I don't think it's overpriced BUT unless the Polaroid film itself is improved dramatically it's a waste of money. I used Polaroid for decades but now shoot only Instax as it's 99.99999% reliable ,even when its years out of date. The look is a personal preference some prefer Instax others prefer Polaroid but regards quality there is simply no comparison. Fuji just invested $30 expanding Instax capacity by another 20 % due to massive growth in demand. Happy days all round for instant film users :)

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Fair points all around. I agree with you on many of them. I just hop Fujifilm will release a camera that really takes advantage of its amazing film!

@CorvusHyperion 10 месяцев назад

having the same experience with the I-2, overexposing badly.

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

try setting exposure compensationto -2/3. i believe if u want a more refined approach you can see what I replied to your other comment in the next video!

@CorvusHyperion 10 месяцев назад

Thanks!@@see.prash.87

@WhoIsSerafin 10 месяцев назад

All that effort in a crappy plastic lens.

@robindastallion 10 месяцев назад

Bad review, its a manual camera and the comparison photos with the 680 are misleading. If youre going to rush a review to be one of the first then you should have read the manual and practiced first. I agree that some other photographers that got review units may have been biased but their photos look nothing like yours. Its pretty obvious you shot both cameras completely automatic and then adjusted the exposure after seeing blown out images, this doesnt do justice to the manual capabilities of the i2

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

Thank you for taking time to watch the review and reading my write up! Truly appreciate you taking the time to reach out to let us know your views. I think i was being quite balanced in my review and I do think that the i-2 is an amazing camera (maybe you missed that part in the write up under the video or actually within the video itself). Unfortunately I don't have a MINT SLL670 and so don't have another Polaroid camera that can do manual testings as comparisons (but as I said numerous times in the video also these are 2 very different cameras and should not be compared ). Personally I wouldn't consider the I-2 a true manual camera either as it cannot be focussed manually. I would rather call it a viewfinder camera with manual exposure mode. I think its fair to critique the I-2 for its inability to expose properly in automatic mode as it has the automatic mode built in. i cant in good consciounce overlook this and mislead any viewers watching this post or reading my write-up. Honestly I cant think of any other reviewer so far who has shown DOF and sharpness comparisons. And given that we didn't get a pre-release look at the camera , we did a decent job within the limited time we had. I think it is fine that you feel otherwise, but I thought I just wanted to highlight that. Our intention was to give an initial view first and we plan to test the camera further over the next few weeks and follow up to this video if our schedule allows for it (I am not a full time youtube lol). If you feel there are any specific tests that could accurately reflect the true capabilities of the cameras we would love to hear it! If the tests are feasible we might even cover it our next video! just reply back to this comment and we will see if and how we can include it. Thanks once again for watching the video and sharing with us!

@Exxcalibur186 10 месяцев назад

@@see.prash.87I thought it was fair. I was honestly going to do the same thing with my SX-70 Sonar when my i-2 arrives, but maybe I should just save that film, set the exposure comp at 1 under and call it a day. Does the exposure comp setting lock in as you turn the camera on and off?

@see.prash.87 10 месяцев назад

@@Exxcalibur186 The exposure compensation is a manual dial. So as long as it stays at -1 (for instance), it will also remain as such when booting up. When voting up it will remind you what exposure compensation mode you are on briefly on the external display before moving on the exposure modes It will also remember your flash setting and the shooting mode you were in previously and keep to the same mode. There is however no way to exist the multiple exposure mode if you are midway through your exposures. You must complete all multiple exposure's exposures before you can change modes again. hope this help!