Rating: 
Summary: Sleek, Fun, & Practical--All Loaded Into One
Review: Instant gratification is the name of Polaroid's unique silver cased JoyCam's snap-snap-get-that-shot game. No, they are not full sized pics, or of the highest quality. But, you do get an inexpensive, sleek looking, fun shooter and an opportunity to catch those out of the blue, "oh I wish I had my camera" views. A bit bigger and lighter than a cell phone, this zapper fits into small purses, teen boys' cargo pockets, and safely in an auto's glove box. I like to keep it handy while driving about town. You just never know what you might see. I have spied an alligator slithering down a neighborhood sewer drain, a famous QB at practice, not on the grid-iron, but at a golf driving range, and unfortunately, needed insurance pix of a fender bender, mine. (That alone did pay for the camera and loads more film) Also, having a 35-mm SLR and dabbling in photography as a hobby--this high-tech instant camera is useful for taking what my husband calls remembrance shots; places we want to shoot again. We just pull the 'lil cord, note on the back where we took the subject & file them on index cards with any additional notes and keep them in an old recipe box. And if we never pass that way again--at least we have some fond memory. Hey, it's a fun camera, at a good price, which has practical uses and is sleek enough for first time users to the pickiest gadget-guru.
Rating:
Summary: Great gift idea for pre-teens
Review: My daughter (age 12) just got this camera for her bithday and she loves it. It's incredibly easy to use (although the accompanying directions are somewhat vague), the pictures are clear with bright color if taken in the right lighting. I think it works best for close-up portraits--about 3-4 feet--which is what kids this age like anyway. I think you can expect to *waste* the first couple of packs of film getting use to the camera and figuring out the lighting and/or use of the flash. My daughter loves the immediate gratification of seeing her photos and I like not having to pay to develop film. Because of the warnings about caustic paste on the film, I don't think this camera would be good for very young children. I also wonder how the color will hold up over time.
Rating: 
Summary: better than before but still needs improvement
Review: My friend and I just went to Italy and took this camera along with my 35 mm camera. We took the JoyCam for "just for fun" type pictures but it became a hassle. Because of the sleek design it was hard to hold on to. The strap is attached to the part of the camera used to pull the film out so you can't use the strap as a handle. And we kept accidentally hitting the button to take pictures because there is no safeguard against it. It is smaller than other polaroid cameras but still a bit bulky. I didn't find it very good for travel.
Rating:
Summary: better than before but still needs improvement
Review: My friend and I just went to Italy and took this camera along with my 35 mm camera. We took the JoyCam for "just for fun" type pictures but it became a hassle. Because of the sleek design it was hard to hold on to. The strap is attached to the part of the camera used to pull the film out so you can't use the strap as a handle. And we kept accidentally hitting the button to take pictures because there is no safeguard against it. It is smaller than other polaroid cameras but still a bit bulky. I didn't find it very good for travel.
Rating:
Summary: better than before but still needs improvement
Review: The concept is cool, and the camera is fun for kids/teens or parties. It is particularly suited to close-ups for the best picture quality.
However, I want to warn people that (unless they have changed the chemical makeup of the film over the years) the polaroid pictures do NOT age well. We have some pictures taken when we were kids 20 years ago with polaroid film. The pictures are ruined b/c the "paste" or whatever the picture is composed of turns brittle, and if you bend the picture even slightly, the image cracks all throughout the surface like a mini jigsaw puzzle. It's heartbreaking to lose irreplacable photos like these because the integrity of the film deteriorates over the years. Whether or not the film Polaroid uses today will do the same two decades from now, I guess remains to be seen. But **JUST IN CASE** I would NOT recommend using a Polaroid camera for photos that will be precious to you in the future!
In summary, if you want quick photo enjoyment, this will do fine but be sure to bring a "regular" 35 mm camera to that wedding, birthday, or family reunion in addition to this!!
Rating:
Summary: Fun but not for V.I.P. (very important photos)
Review: The concept is cool, and the camera is fun for kids/teens or parties. It is particularly suited to close-ups for the best picture quality.
However, I want to warn people that (unless they have changed the chemical makeup of the film over the years) the polaroid pictures do NOT age well. We have some pictures taken when we were kids 20 years ago with polaroid film. The pictures are ruined b/c the "paste" or whatever the picture is composed of turns brittle, and if you bend the picture even slightly, the image cracks all throughout the surface like a mini jigsaw puzzle. It's heartbreaking to lose irreplacable photos like these because the integrity of the film deteriorates over the years. Whether or not the film Polaroid uses today will do the same two decades from now, I guess remains to be seen. But **JUST IN CASE** I would NOT recommend using a Polaroid camera for photos that will be precious to you in the future!
In summary, if you want quick photo enjoyment, this will do fine but be sure to bring a "regular" 35 mm camera to that wedding, birthday, or family reunion in addition to this!!
Rating:
Summary: Easy Camera to Use for Fun Shots
Review: The JoyCam by Polaroid is one of the easiest cameras I have ever seen to use. All you have to do is drop the film in the bottom, choose whether you want the flash or not, point, push the button, and pull the tab to receive the photo. The tab can't be pulled unless a picture has been taken either, so you don't have to worry about having a picture popping out when you haven't taken one. One drawback is you have to be sure to pull the tab straight and quick or your picture will have splotches. Another drawback is the odd size of the picture itself. If you want to frame it, you have to trim the sides, which Polaroid doesn't recommend anybody doing. It also is not a very good camera for taking scenery pictures. The pictures do have great color quality though, and the close-ups are clear and sharp. If you think the film for the camera is kind of expensive, just remember, you don't have to pay for batteries and you don't have to pay for the cost of developing the film. All in all, it doesn't cost any more for the film for this camera than it does for film for a regular camera. So, if you want a camera to take fun pictures of friends, pets, etc., this is the camera for you.
Rating:
Summary: Sleek and easy
Review: The JoyCam is a nifty little camera, the picture size is just about right for instant photos. The handle to pull out your pictures does feel a bit flimsy, but it seems to serve it's purpose well. The photo quality is good but not great, although I took some indoor pictures, which usually turn out really dark, and the photos turned out really well. As long as you are not looking to be the next Mapplethorpe, the JoyCam is an ideal way to go. Not too spendy, either, which in my opinion is the best part of it!
Rating:
Summary: Sleek and easy
Review: The JoyCam is a nifty little camera, the picture size is just about right for instant photos. The handle to pull out your pictures does feel a bit flimsy, but it seems to serve it's purpose well. The photo quality is good but not great, although I took some indoor pictures, which usually turn out really dark, and the photos turned out really well. As long as you are not looking to be the next Mapplethorpe, the JoyCam is an ideal way to go. Not too spendy, either, which in my opinion is the best part of it!
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