Are there other instant cameras and film I could use? Sure, but they won’t be the Spectra and they won’t have the same look and feel. If you’re wondering why I chose the Spectra for the Mis.Steps projects, read my article Why Polaroid Spectra? Of course, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit sad or worried about this change. For now, the Mis.Steps project is moving ahead as planned, but will the film and camera hold up for another two and a half years until I reach the 739th set of city steps? Only time will tell. It’s now living in the refrigerator, and while I have encountered some problems with the film and camera, it’s uncertain if those problems are due to the cold Pittsburgh weather or because of the unfixable “random faults” identified by Polaroid. Head of Global Manufacturing, Polaroid OriginalsĪ few days later, the USPS delivered a generously-sized box to my house with 50 packages of Spectra film. ( Perhaps what you mean to say is that Polaroid isn’t interested in spending the additional funds to support the Spectra as other cameras like the OneStep are clearly more popular with the general public and likely have a greater financial return for the company.) This fault is completely random and depends on many variables with each pack of film and the configuration of the camera circuitry. We also carried out multiple battery tests with different voltages and currents from different suppliers. We optimized the dimensions and deflection angle of the ejecting film, reduced the pod weight, and lowered the mask friction through different coatings. Our manufacturing team led an intensive, 6-month testing and improvement plan on Spectra cameras and our film. Thank you for your continued belief in analog instant photography.ĬEO, Polaroid Originals A note from our factory. ( Oh, fabulous! Thank my lucky stars I’m gainfully employed and have a relatively empty refrigerator.) If you are one of the lucky few with a fully working Spectra camera, you can still purchase the final batch on sale now for the next few months. We look forward to working with our community to test new products and to keep analog instant photography thriving well into the future. ( OH NO!!! I still have almost 350 stairs to photograph!)Īs we share in the sadness about Spectra with our community, we continue to focus on the future of analog instant photography through enhancing our core range, and through continued work on our film chemistry. So today, with a heavy heart, we are announcing the end of production for Spectra film. ( Really? I’ve taken close to 400 photos with my Spectra and can count the number of problems on one hand.)Īfter extensive testing, we have concluded that we cannot support these cameras any longer. Jamming and frequent breakdowns are now affecting the majority of these cameras, and unfortunately, this is not something we can influence with our film.
With three decades behind them, these wide-format cameras are now coming to the end of their useful lives. Since 1986, Spectra has played an important part in Polaroid’s film offering and in the world of analog instant photography. Here it is in its entirety (my comments are in italics). In early October of 2019, this email message from Polaroid Originals about the fate of the Spectra camera arrived in my inbox.
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