When digital cameras first came out, everyone thought the days of Polaroid had come to an end. The original “click and print” Polaroids had led the market for years prior to the introduction of digital cameras, and it looked like they were doomed for the museums. The opposite has happened. Polaroid has adapted digital technology, and it still does instant prints.

There are new upgraded Polaroid 300 film cameras on the market, still doing what Polaroid is famous for, printing quick snaps. These cameras are very advanced versions of the original Polaroid cameras with similar picture quality to digital cameras, scene setting and instant print pictures.

The revolution, however, is the new Polaroid Two, which is a hybrid of the basic Polaroid camera with integrated printer and digital technology. The Polaroid Two can print pictures on its own without a computer link, like a normal Polaroid. It can print up to 20 pictures on a typical battery charge. The big differences are in the new configuration. The Polaroid Two is a true digital camera.

It includes:

• USB cable connection for computers to transfer pictures
• On-screen edit functions on the camera
• Rechargeable batteries

In effect, Polaroid has combined the best of both worlds in the Polaroid Two. These very simple alterations to the basic Polaroid model have effectively reinvented Polaroids for digital photography.

What Polaroid has done is to reclaim the strongest features of its original design in the digital camera context. Polaroids are famously very easy to use. They’re the true “point and click” cameras. The Polaroid Two has a 4x zoom on it, and that’s about the only bit of new technology it needs.