Stories about the Polaroid brand are quite fascinating, but not too funny stories about business from among those who knew in their business both ups and downs. Today this topic is not discussed as actively as it was done before, but nevertheless, the brand and products of this type have not lost their popularity.
History
Now everyone knows that Polaroid is an American company engaged in the production of photographic equipment, sunglasses, as well as consumer electronics. But not everyone knows the history of this brand, although for product lovers this information matters.
The founder of the company was an American named Edwin Land, who was born in 1909 in the city of Bridgeport. His parents originally lived in the Russian Empire (in the territory of modern Ukraine), but due to unknown circumstances they were forced to emigrate to America.
Edwin Land did not know what poverty was, as his parents always had enough money to support a child and decent education. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that a boy who is fond of optics, as a child, had his first thoughts on creating things that would surprise the whole world.
At the age of 17, the young man came up with the idea of creating new polarizing lenses designed for car headlights. In his opinion, this could improve the illumination of the road at night without blinding oncoming cars at the same time. Having dropped out of the university and moved to New York State, Land was fully committed to creating polarized filters.
Edwin Land is the first person in the world to use the principles of polarization, which are now actively used to create table lamps, 3D glasses, and so on.
Startup
Only in 1937, the works of Edwin found commercial application. It was this year that the well-known Polaroid company was created. This production at the first time of its existence was not involved in the creation and publication of cameras, and the very first products were sunglasses, as well as polarized glasses, which have different purposes for military equipment and other devices.
The creator did not think about how much Polaroid costs as a brand, since he had more important tasks. The production site says that this company was directly related to the release of many night vision devices, X-ray films and more. To believe in this statement is not at all difficult, because Land has managed to patent a considerable number of inventions (more than 500) in his entire life. Modern historians claim that more innovation was created only by Thomas Edison.
Incredible success was promoted by scientific achievements and iron business acumen. Edwin managed the company for 43 years.
Photos per minute
According to legend, the creation of the Polaroid camera is the idea of the daughter of the founder of the company, which pushed him to such an accomplishment, being almost in his infancy. The baby just asked her father a question about why people can’t get ready-made photos immediately after taking the picture. At the same moment, Land seriously thought about this issue, and then his staff had to think.
In 1948, production introduced the first camera that takes snapshots. Each photo cost $ 1, which at that time was a fairly large amount, because the cartridges for the Polaroid were made using more sophisticated technology, significantly different from today's.
Despite the high cost, the products of this brand were in great demand. Already in 1963, Land was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The heyday of the empire
In 1972, a new Polaroid camera model appeared. The camera was the first fully "motorized" model that took color photos and absolutely did not require accurate aiming.
Since that time, there have been more and more models, and their cost is becoming less. Already closer to the 80s, Polaroid cameras (the old version and new modifications) have become a folk remedy for creating photographs. Even to this day, not only the whole of America recalls this production with nostalgia, but also most of other countries.
At the end of the 70s, clouds began to gather, as the Kodak production was able to surpass the Polaroid (camera). The new company announced its camera, also designed for snapshots. But Land was not stupid, so he managed to file a lawsuit in time for copyright infringement. The trial lasted about ten years, and in the end, Kodak was obliged to pay the victim more than $ 600 million.
Soon, the Kodak production itself fell, and the fame returned to Polaroid. The instant photo was again popular, but this time it was not possible to make a huge take-off.
Empire sunset
As you know, even great people can make mistakes, in which case Edwin Land was no exception. His main mistake was that in the 80s there were already prototypes of digital cameras in his production, but he decided that the company would not deal with electronics.
Already in 1996, the company released its first digital camera, but it was already too late. Young firms from different countries managed to seize the initiative much earlier and were ahead of American production.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Polaroid could not adequately withstand competition with other manufacturers of photographic equipment, so in 2001 a period of bankruptcy began.
How much is Polaroid today
Today, the price of modern snapshot cameras reaches 3000-5000 rubles. Cartridges for the Polaroid, although they are created using a simpler technology, still have a considerable cost - 1000-2000 rubles.
Anyone can buy a camera, since in many online stores this product is present.
Modern Polaroid Snap
The most popular model to date is the Polaroid Snap, which costs up to $ 100. It is a 10-megapixel camera where the popular Zink printer is built in, issuing a photo card with dimensions of 7.6 x 5 centimeters immediately after taking the picture. In addition to the fact that the device produces a finished photo, it also saves the image in electronic form.
Construction and design
The camera itself is enclosed in a rectangular plastic case. The device has dimensions of 122 x 76 x 28, and its weight reaches 400 grams. The camera is quite comfortable to hold even in a small hand when shooting. But still, to prevent the device from dropping, it is best to use a special strap that comes with the kit.
Initially, the camera was created taking into account all the amenities and maximum ease of use, so there are quite a few elements for control in it.
On the left side there is a slot for a memory card, as well as a port for a charger. It should be noted that the built-in memory is only enough for shooting and printing a single image, so you still have to purchase an additional memory card.
There is a tray on the back that holds 10 sheets of photo paper. Fingerprints themselves come out of a specially designed slot for this, located on the right side of the camera. And above the door there are three indicator lights showing the status of the battery, memory card and paper. Thanks to these qualities, modern users can not doubt the quality and convenience of the camera.