I got super lucky a couple of weeks ago and scored a Polaroid Big Shot at the local antique shop for around twenty dollars. It was buried under a shitload of older more common cameras. Try to imagine my surprise and pleasure when I pulled this mint mofo out of the wreckage of torn apart Polaroid 200 series. Still in the box with the manual. What a score. Shoots great. Takes Fuji packfilm FP-100C (BTW- Fuji is discontinuing the film but I suppose someone will pick it up and charge three the price for a less superior product. Alas – I guess that’s how analog rolls nowadays.
Here’s a nice photo of Hannah taken with the Big Shot.
The consistency of its fixed focal point and exposure made this camera a favorite of Andy Warhol for planning out art projects. It was one of Polaroid’s cheapest cameras ever made. Featuring a plastic lens, refracted dual image focusing system and sans battery for instrumentation to measure light made the production costs low. One thing though to know if you want to pick one up – this camera is only meant for portraits that are chest high. Must be shot indoors. Must use a magic cube flash. The film and cubes are all in limited quantities on the market right now. I’d move fast if you want to try one out. More about The Big Shot can be found here.