Before Smartphones lived in our pockets and gave us access to cameras 24/7, instant print cameras from the likes of Polaroid were all the rage. As the digital revolution took over, the instant print camera business and many others started their sharp decline. Before we knew it, these fun cameras that gave use immediate prints were all but dead. Times are starting to change though as these retro, easy to use, colorful cameras are making a comeback in a huge way. Read on after the break to learn about how these analog gems are coming back in a big way.
Fujifilm released their Instax line of instant cameras in the USA back in 2008, right when the smartphone revolution was starting to take hold. While there was some success initially, sales for both Polaroid and Fujfilm declined quickly. The rise of Smartphones and their ability to replicate so many separate tech items had a huge effect on many different markets, but no market has seen an impact like the world of photography has. As services like Instagram took off the photography world underwent a massive transformation, and it just about killed analog and instant print cameras.
The good news is that there’s an uprising. A generation that has grown up knowing nothing but digital everything has a yearning for nostalgia, and retro inspired products; that includes instant print cameras, just like the ones in the Fujfilm Instax line, and Polaroid cameras.
According to an article on The Ringer, the business of instant print cameras is projected to generate revenue in the area of $1.8 billion within in the next three years. In a weird roundabout way, the age of the Smartphone caused both the death of instant cameras and their resurrection as a whole generation is desperate to experience an analog world. Something as simple as using an instant print camera like the Fujfilm SQ10 and holding a physical picture in their hands tops their wish list.
Isn’t it crazy to think that there’s a generation of people out there who have never held a photo in their hands before? The younger generation wants to bring back the art of making scrapbooks and photo albums, and this is something I think we can all get behind. Sure, digital collages in a virtual world that get liked by people we will never meet are great, but nothing can beat the emotions generated when we sit down with friends and family to hold and look at physical pictures.
How many of our readers use instant print cameras? How do you feel about them? What do you like about them? Let us know in the comment section below.
