The Polaroid Camera

The Polaroid is a recognizable type of camera. What differentiates it from other cameras? Well, with a Polaroid you can print off a picture out of the camera as soon as you have taken it. The first Polaroid was created in 1947 by the American scientist Edwin H. Land. Before the Polaroid, when you took a photo you would have to wait until you filled up all the film on your camera then get it developed. This lengthy process was happily avoided as the Polaroid essentially has a tiny dark room inside of it and can print images out instantly.

But how do these cameras work? It’s all in the film. As soon as you press the button on your camera the shutter quickly opens and closes to catch the picture. It takes in the light and prints it onto a silver compound.  This is when the photo develops. On the film there are three silver compounds. These compounds are sensitive to blue green and red light. There are four chemicals waiting to react. The developer layer, the acid layer the timing layer and the image layer. The chemicals get set off by reagent. Reagent is a substances used in a chemicals to detect, measure, examine or produce other substances. After you take a picture and the image is captured on the silver compound the Polaroid film is sent out through two rollers. These rollers push the reagent onto the white plastic borders onto the silver compound.  The reagent then causes the four layers to react, this then causes the silver compound layers to process. Producing blue, green and red light pattern which turns into an image.

The Polaroid camera became less and less popular as digital cameras and mobile phones have become more popular. I think the Polaroid is a very interesting invention and I think it is interesting how they were invented in the 1940s and are still being produced today.

Sources:

http://cultureandcommunication.org/deadmedia/index.php/Polaroid_Camera

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2400059/Return-Polaroid-Fujifilm-resurrects-iconic-camera-print-card-sized-photos-instantly.html