Digital Camera from Polaroid Z2300, Offers Instant Prints

Polaroid’s new offering, the Z2300 instant digital camera, is fundamentally a digital camera with a built in printer that is ideal for birthday parties, shots of sports teams and anywhere you want to instantly share prints of your photos with the subjects.

While the smartphone camera has replaced the digital stand-alone camera for many this camera offers instant on-demand prints.

When you take photos, you can view them on the camera's 3-inch LCD screen and also make instant 2x3 prints.

The prints are tear-resistant, smudge-proof and have adhesive backs - just peel off the paper backing. However the prints are only of moderate quality and do not match those produced on standard printers, but they are instant and suit general purposes.

The prints are also quite small and may be a little blurry. Extra care is needed to steady the camera when taking photographs by resting the camera against a wall or by using used a tripod.

The prints costs about 50 cent a shot and the film packs are widely available.

The Z2300 instant digital camera is about 5 x 3 x 1.5 inches, and is not quite pocket-size, and it is quite heavy compared with other digital cameras. The controls are relatively simple by they are distributed on all sides and can take a while to learn where they are and what they do. These cameras would be great fun for children to use and would be good for scrapbookers. The sticky-back photos would be great fun at parties.

The printer media consists of a composite material embedded in paper that has yellow, cyan and magenta dye crystals. The printer generates heat to activate the crystals to deliver a multi-colored print in less than 60 seconds. The camera resolution is quite high at 10-megapixels but it is the moderate resolution of the printing process that lowers the print quality. User can choose which photos to print or to automatically print all of them.

The camera software allows you to add frames around the photos or print them with the classic Polaroid border. Sticky-back paper is available, as well, which is very convenient for party games and other activities.

The camera is available in black and white colors and has a thin rainbow decoration across the front and a prominent red shutter button.

The prints appear from a slot on the right hand side. On the left hand side of the camera is the power jack, a mini-USB port and a switch for macro and landscape mode. After taking a photo you press the print key, then choose the number of copies and confirm your selection. The printer paper cassette has a 10 page capacity.

The camera is also capable of taking a 720p video and the images can be downloaded for printing on external printers.

These cameras are great for what they are designed to do - Instant on-demand printing of images - for parties and fun times with kids. They are not meant to be quality cameras.