Polaroid - Go Camera-Everything Box

Not worth the money when other options perform better for less.

I love it. A cute camera to have and casually use where ever you go. Surprisingly, the size of the lens and viewfinder don't suffer, despite it's tiny build. You can get nice pictures out of it. Will they come out perfect all the time? No. Instant film is always unpredictable at times but this is such an easy to use camera, and very straightforward. And it also comes with a timer, flash toggle, and double exposure. What's not to love?

I absolutely love this little camera so much!!! It’s so cute and tiny and I take it with me everywhere. I’d give it 5 stars but the camera takes better pictures outdoors than it does indoors (you can do selfie’s indoors but the background is black). The film can be a little inconsistent but for the most part my photos have turned out great!

Bottom Line: The Polaroid Go Camera is fun, easy to use, and delivers decent prints. Pros: fun and lightweight design, easy to use, decent image/print quality Cons: print handling is a bit more cumbersome than other instant cameras, lengthy print development time, relatively high cost per print Review: The Polaroid Go maintains the nostalgic Polaroid look in a simplified and streamlined design. The camera is lightweight and does fit in the pocket of my shorts, although it won’t fit in my wife’s. Fortunately, it’s not too cumbersome to carry with the included wrist strap. The camera itself is easy to use. Loading the film is as simple as popping open the cartridge door and lining up the arrows. There are three buttons: power, flash, and shutter. A small display shows the number of prints left (note that the camera must be on to show this) as well as whether the flash is on. Taking a photo is as easy as pointing the camera and clicking the shutter button. Selfies are also easy to take by simply turning the camera around and making sure you can see yourself in the mirror; my wife and I had no problem ensuring we were both in the frame. Overall, the camera performs well in bright and low light (which can be seen by the photos of the flowers taken in full sun and the selfie taken indoors). Like the Polaroid prints of my childhood, images do lose some contrast particularly in the brighter parts of the image (e.g., the flower versus the leaves; my wife’s face versus mine). Print handling and development are a tad bit on the cumbersome side. The instructions state that the image should not be exposed to light during development. When the print ejects, the image is covered by a black plastic film where it should remain for five seconds. When you remove the print, the film recoils back into the machine, so it’s not as simple as simply pulling out the print when it ejects. Next, the instructions say to lay the image face down on the table, where it takes 10-15 minutes for full development. Last, the “Everything Box” comes with two print cartridges with each containing 8 prints. Refills are also sold as 16 packs (once again two cartridges of 8 prints), which, at current retail, seems to put the cost per print over $1.

It’s been a long time since I’ve used a Polaroid analog instant camera, but it’s every bit as fun as I’d remembered. The Polaroid Go is currently the smallest version of the classic Polaroid instant camera, and while not tiny, is small enough to carry in a bag or oversized pockets. It’s roughly the size of my mirrorless digital camera. The body is made from a durable yet light plastic and contains a rechargeable battery that powers the camera and the flash. Rather than a typical camera neckstrap, the camera is bundled with a wrist strap that you attach to a corner on the base. The Everything Box also comes with two film cartridges containing 8 film sheets each and a set of fun rainbow colored stickers to decorate your prints and camera. On a full charge, the battery should last for about 15 cartridges before needing to be recharged via the included microUSB cable. Loading the film is super easy. Just open one of the aluminum foil sealed pouches containing a cartridge, slide the door latch mechanism on the bottom of the camera, and insert the cartridge wide end first with the arrows on the cart and camera lined up. When a new cartridge is inserted, the dark slide on the top protecting the film from light exposure ejects automatically. You’ll also receive an 8-pack of small double-sided round stickers with each cartridge to adhere or display your prints on other surfaces. When you turn the camera on, it automatically charges up the flash and displays the number of shots remaining in the cartridge on a small LED display next to the power button. A small dot next to the counter indicates when the flash is enabled and pressing the white flash key on top toggles it on or off for your next shot. Note that the flash will automatically re-enable after each photo is taken. Despite having only three buttons, I was surprised to learn that the camera supported double-exposure and self-timer modes, though the quick start guide was lacking on how to enable these features. To enable the self timer, just press and hold the flash key for two seconds until an orange light appears next to the flash on the front of the camera. Then after pressing the red shutter button, you’ll have 9 seconds to position yourself in front of the camera. Keep in mind there is no threaded mounting point on the camera, so it cannot be attached to a tripod, and you’ll need to find a flat stable surface to set your camera when not using handheld. For double-exposure mode, long press the flash button until a ‘1’ flashes on the counter display, indicating it’s ready for the first exposure. After taking the first photo, a ‘2’ will flash on the display when the camera is ready for the second exposure. You can even turn the camera off if you’re not immediately ready to take the second exposure; the camera will pick up where it left off when you turn it on again. This mode allows you to creatively merge two images together for surprising and interesting prints. The camera has a built-in selfie mirror on the opposite side of the viewfinder to help you frame up your shots when taking them in front of the camera. It’s okay and usable, but in very bright conditions may be hard to see. The built-in flash is eye-wateringly bright when it goes off but its reach is limited, so you’ll need to be somewhat close to your subject and/or the background if you wish to illuminate both. For beginners, it may take a bit of trial and error and practice to produce decent looking prints. First and foremost, the images don’t actually appear instantly, and you should place them face down or in a dark place, like a pocket, for 15-30 minutes to allow the film to develop fully. If allowed to develop face-up in the presence of light your image may become overexposed and blurry. The second thing is that the focal range of the camera is 1.5 feet and greater, so you’ll want your subject to be at least that distance from the camera if you want it to be clearly in focus. That means no macro or close-up shots. If you’re planning on scrapbooking or putting these photos in an album, the recommendation is to not compress or seal them in plastic for at least 30 days to allow the chemical processes in the film to halt and dry out. The photos are approximately 1-3/4 inch square and with the frame, the print dimensions are about 2-1/8W x 2-5/8H, so they’re fairly small, but that’s not a surprise since the camera itself is compact. The print quality was slightly disappointing though, and I felt that the color saturation was not very vibrant, the focus a bit soft, and the contrast too low. A friend of mine remarked that the photos looked like they had a “vintage filter” on them due to their washed out appearance, which may or may not be a desirable quality depending on what you’re going for. While they’re a fun size, the price per print is on the high end for what you end up with. Overall, I do find taking photos with the Polaroid Go fun. Once you’re familiar with how the film behaves and what sorts of print you’ll be able to produce with it, playing around with lighting and shooting conditions can help you create artful and stylized prints. It may not be the best camera for ultra crisp fashion portraits, but if you’re looking to give the world of instant film cameras a try, the Polaroid Go offers you that opportunity in a cute palm-sized camera.

The Polaroid Go camera and photos are both small and cute. The photos have a very vintage quality to them. I did find artifacts on some of the prints letting me know that the development process is a bit delicate but I think it has more to do with the defective film packs I got (more info below). I recommend a lot of lighting! I liked the outdoor/sunny photos I took. I also took some photos indoors in low lighting and the flash does help but flash-only will give you photos that are still a bit dark. The instructions say to leave the photo under the film shield for 5 seconds before removing it from the camera slot, and it’s also advised to let it develop either in a dark place or faced down on a flat surface. In the process of learning this camera, I also learned to be gentle with the photos while they’re developing. This instant camera is great for selfies as well as for wider shots, but not intended for maco (close up) shots. I took a close up picture of my dog and the background was in focus instead of him. That's a user error, not a Polaroid issue. Just a part of the learning process. This package comes with 2 film packs, 8 in each pack. Both of my film packs had an ink leaking issue that caused the photos to have discoloration in certain spots, which kind of lends even more to the vintage look, but I would definitely prefer a film pack that doesn’t have that issue. The ink would leak from the back of the photo as soon as it starts developing and I would either wipe it off carefully or just let it dry because it takes quite a few minutes to develop anyway. The leaking ink got on the film shield but it does not seem to have gotten on the front of any photos. The included quick start guide has a link to the manual online [polaroid.com/go-manual] which is how I learned to activate the Double Exposure (double tap flash button) and Self Timer (press flash button >2 seconds) modes. Overall, this is a fair product. I may have recommended the Polaroid Go if at least one of my film packs didn’t have the leaking issue, but both did. I will likely buy another set of film packs to test it out one more time. I like the idea of mini Polaroid photos but was disappointed by the defective film packs. I would be more excited to add the Polaroid Go to my instant camera collection if the film didn’t leak or discolor.

Picked this up for my daughter for her birthday. Its very compact, which is nice since she's small. very easy to use and set up. I had to convince her to take her time with it because there's only 8 pictures per pack. It'd be nice if it held more but i understand space constraints with such a small camera. Not a problem though as refills are plentiful and can be picked up easily at multiple places. Its about $20 for a 2 pack (16 pictures) My only issue is the film takes 10-15 min to develop. when we're at home, its easy to just flip it upside down on the counter and leave it and set a timer so she can wait. I imagine it'd be more annoying out and about, because where do you store the picture. Hey Ya is not an instructional video.. do not shake these pictures like a polaroid if you want something fun to goof around for fun physical pictures and you don't have a photobooth near by, then its definitely a cool toy to have around.

Let me start by saying I'm an older photo enthusiast and have enjoyed the Polaroids of yesterday (80's/90's era) and looked forward to trying this new Polaroid Go. And while it's cute retro design and small 2 inch photos should impress and will make those who see you using, share fond memories of days gone by. That's where the nostalgic similarities ends for me. I wanted and tried to love this little camera. I even contacted the Polaroid technology person to get the best tips for making this camera be all it can be. Unfortunately, the film or the camera (possibly a bit of error on my part), only yields oddly colored or washed out images outside and dimly lit indoor pictures. One picture didn't even get full development. I think some will get better results because of their talent. And others will love the "Artsy" look these photos produce. Even the included sticker pack might be fun to get younger photogs in to the photography hobby. Just know, based on the camera I used for this review. It requires a little skill, steady hand for 2-3 seconds (because the picture is not "taken" till the film ejects). And while it can do selfies with the reflective coating. Pictures closer than a foot will not likely focus. To sum up my experience with the camera: + Fun size and nostalgia others will want to share with you. + Can do selfies, timer and double exposure. - Film is not cheap and photos that do develop are styled with odd hues and/or washed out colors. And 2 inch photos are very small. - indoor photos barely worked and not worth risking limited photos. - Pictures need 5 seconds of cover then up to 15 minutes in the dark to reach optimal development. I think at a reduced price this could be fun just for the laugh of it all. The camera I used just required more patience to use to it's best abilities. Far different from current cameras and pictures of a digital world that many of us have got accustomed to.