Polaroid JoyCam 500 Instant Camera, Blue

This camera is so easy to operate that anyone can load and use it. It works with Polaroid 500 (formerly known as Captiva) film and produces wallet-size pictures. To advance your film, you simply pull a plastic ring on the side of the camera. The JoyCam also features a manually selected built-in flash.

What we found most pleasing about the updated design is that it is noticeably less cumbersome than traditional instant cameras. While still much larger than a 35mm point-and-shoot, the JoyCam is small enough to throw into a backpack and bring along. Also, because the film ejection mechanism is manual in this updated design, Polaroid no longer has to build a battery cell into each film cartridge--so film costs less.

In redesigning the body of the JoyCam, however, Polaroid has done little to improve the actual picture-taking mechanism or picture quality. In our tests, this camera was incapable of taking a decent indoor picture without using the flash. When we did use the flash, it distorted colors and produced washed-out images of the subjects in our photos. However, if picture quality and stunning portraits are what you are after, you'd be silly to buy an instant camera of any sort, much less a Polaroid JoyCam. The Polaroid JoyCam is designed for impulsiveness and fun, and it serves those purposes well.

Pros:

• Light and portable body
• Simple operation
• More economical film

Cons:

• Flash causes color distortion
• Grainy picture quality

The design feature that sets the Polaroid JoyCam apart from other instant cameras is its film delivery system--or lack of one. Traditional instant cameras relied on film cartridges with built-in batteries to enable the camera to expel each shot; however, this model works without a battery. Instead, users pull a plastic ring on the side of the camera to extract the exposed frame. This manual process enables Polaroid to offer a lighter camera body and compatible instant film cartridges at a more reasonable price.

The Polaroid JoyCam takes pictures at a range of 3 feet to infinity. It works with Polaroid 500 instant film and produces pictures that measure 4.4 by 2.5 inches, which is slightly smaller than traditional Polaroid shots.