Sunday 26 February 2012

Polaroid Z340: When Instant Film Meets Digital


Polaroid Z340 - The blend between old and new technology

Polaroid has become an icon for the wide range of instant cameras - it's fun, quick, and has this sort of retro-y feel to it especially when you're holding it in a party. Ever since it was founded in 1937, Polaroid has become a primary camera for those who wanted a camera which can deliver them an instant photo as soon as they pressed the shutter button. When they announced the new Polaroid Z340, I was completely stunned by the fact that the company which was once famous for its range of instant digital camera has once again walked into the arena of digital camera. So what are the new feature available, besides the new digital camera adaptation? There's an LCD screen on top of it which you can flip it open to view on live mode. Well, they did try to experiment with digital when they released the Polaroid PoGo which basically looked like an average point-and-shoot camera - though it did not managed to get many attention from the public. 


Instant photo processed from the built-in printer just like its predecessor 

The front view of the Polaroid Z340

The Polaroid Z340, like any other Polaroid is a mobile instant camera which is ideal for parties. The Zink technology uses a special paper which is embedded with dye crystals. The photo is processed from the heat emitted from the built-in printer inside the camera, the different level of heat produced would then results in the formation of different colors which in turn creates the photo. 

However, the noise performance of this camera is definitely not that impressive which is what you would expect from an instant camera. From the ISO 1600, you can see a few percentage of declination of image detail and presence of grains. At ISO 3200, there is definitely an OBVIOUS declination of image details and  the huge presence of grains has degrades the image quality. 

Image taken at ISO 1600

Image taken at ISO 3200

SPECS WISE:
- 14MP
- 2.7" inch screen
- SD card compatible
- Rechargeable lithium-ion memory (approximately 25 photos)
- Uses Zink technology (an ideal choice for an instance camera as it does not use ink)
- Instant image process under a minute (45.8 secs)

SAMPLE IMAGE:
But of course, who cares about the technical detail!! Like any other question we addressed to a camera - How does it performs?

The built-in flash on the camera definitely gives you a much more natural lighting

   Close-ups shots as taken by the Polaroid Z340

Group shots taken using the Polaroid Z340 can be a fun experience which you could learn to enjoy

SHOULD YOU BUY IT?
The blend between the modern digital camera with the retro instant camera is definitely a perfect couple made in heaven. The image quality has been significantly improved from the previous line of Polaroid digital camera - the Polaroid PoGo. Though it may not actually an "instant" camera, it does delivers you a much quicker process speed compared to its previous predecessor. It offers an appropriate image quality which is what you would expect from camera of this sort. The Polaroid Z340 is a fun, instant camera for you to play around with. Personally, if I were to purchase it, it would be because of the experience -  Of course you can't expect the performance of this sort of camera to even rival an entry level DSLR. But, the retro style body which the company still maintains is what attracts the attention of many Polaroid believers. Plus, because it is digital, you can download and upload it online and share it with you friends and throughout the world as well. The image is not just limited to the 3 x 4" frame instant paper which prints out from the camera body but it is also saved in JPEG format so that you can review it again and again on your computer. 

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