Save Polaroid

The Polaroid Corporation has stopped all production of film for polaroid cameras as of February 8, 2008. Polaroid has stopped creating instant film because there has been a steady decrease in profits since 2004. This choice has left many polaroid camera enthusiasts outraged, displeased with the recent extinction of their beloved instant film.

The polaroid camera, invented by Edwin Land and brought to market in 1948, had been a household name for many years. With a simple push of a button, you would have the picture printed and in your hand in mere seconds, becoming a convenient and fast aid to a photographer. Instantly you could have in your hand a picture of the moments you want to capture and keep for a lifetime.

Polaroid has released a statement saying, “Marketplace conditions, a lack of availability of raw materials and consumers' transition to digitally based products made it impossible for the company to sustain the manufacturing of the instant film line.”

Many people are transferring over to the use of digital cameras, abandoning polaroid pictures, and thus spurring Polaroid into making this decision. There are still a few companies, like Fuji, who produce instant film, though it doesn’t work with several of the polaroid camera’s out there.

For those instant film enthusiasts, there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. At savepolaroid.com there are petitions you can sign, either to ask Polaroid to reconsider, to persuade Fuji and various other companies to buy the license manufacturing rights from Polaroid, or you could print off a pre-made postcard and send it to Fuji or Polaroid, as well as many other things you can do to help. Hopefully they’ll see that there is a large market for instant film still, and return Polaroid Instant Film to us.