Polaroid Automatic Land Cameras
First introduced in 1963, with the Automatic 100 model, the Polaroid Automatic Land Camera series succeeded the earlier rollfilm Land Cameras with several notable innovations. First and foremost, these cameras introduced the new Polaroid pack film, whereby the individual sheets of film were packaged into convenient and easy-to-use packs. These packs initially contained eight shots and were later expanded to ten. These film packs made both the loading, as well as developing, vastly more simplified and accessible to photographic audiences.
Additionally, the Automatic Land Cameras had a new, fully automatic, transistorized electronic shutter, capable of the precise exposures needed for the more restrictive latitude of instant film. While battery dependent, these shutters continue to work well, even half a century later and, more often than not, they continue to deliver accurate exposures. The Automatic Land Cameras also tweaked the folding design of the earlier Land Cameras, switching to a horizontal, double-strut, that still allowed the cameras to be expanded or collapsed quickly. A viewfinder assembly - and in some models, a rangefinder - sits atop the body of the camera and can be folded in when the camera is collapsed for storage.
The Automatic Land Camera series is divided into four groupings: the 100 models, 200 models, 300 models, and 400 models. Most of these cameras are largely very similar in appearance and function. All have simple exposure control, via a lighten/darken dial, and basic film speed selection that changes the camera's aperture. The differences between models can include the use of different quality of lenses, more or fewer film speed options, folding or non-folding viewfinders, and the inclusion of a rangefinder, built by Zeiss Ikon. These latter models are some of the most desirable.
These are reliable cameras that usually still work very well. Unfortunately, Polaroid discontinued pack film over a decade ago and the last manufacture of compatible film, Fuji, followed suit in 2016. While some pack film can still be tracked down on the used market, it has grown increasingly expensive and unreliable. Furthermore, these cameras require rather uncommon battery types that can also be tricky to track down, though converting them to use AA or AAA batteries is also an option.
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