The Polaroid Impulse: An Instant Taste of the 80's.

The Polaroid Impulse was released in 1988 and it’s got the looks to prove it.

I found this one at a thrift store (the bag it came in was more expensive than the actual camera). A nice way to quadruple its value is to load it up with a pack of film and go on an adventure (the Impulse takes Polaroid 600 film).

To turn the camera on you have to release the pop-up flash which removes the lens covering. Since the two are connected there’s no way to turn off the flash, but if you’re not one for automatic flashes, just block the light with any opaque tape, or cover it up with your hand, which will give the photo a weird, flesh-toned hue (a natural colorsplash of sorts!).

Like other similar Polaroid models, the Impulse has a fixed aperture and a pretty simple 3-option light setting control. The focal length ranges from 4 feet (1.2 m) to infinity.

The camera’s a bit clunky and has a definite 80’s vibe to it. Polaroid also released the Impulse in other color schemes, but there’s something nice and reassuring about the thin, bright red stripe against grey and black—like a comfortably crappy car or cheesy Brat Pack movie. All in all, this camera’s definitely worth the money I bought it for, I just wish the film weren’t so expensive!

2009-04-30 #gear #people #review #instant-camera #polaroid #80s #600-film #polaroid-impulse