Polaroid Studio Express Camera

Polaroid 403 Miniportrait Studio Express

Polaroid Studio Express Cameras are not exactly well-known Polaroids because those were used as passport photo cameras rather than personal instant photo cameras in their peak. Basically these cameras were hand health photo-booths and used everywhere in USA for take Passport photos and photo IDs. Since USA stopped using Polaroids for drivers license photos and passport photos most of these cameras were sold to other countries where they still use Polaroids for this type of jobs. So now it’s not easy to find one in working condition unless you buy it online where someone from other country selling it.

It used Polaroid type 100 pack film. Since those are long gone if you find a camera in good condition you can try using Fujifilm FP-100c or similar films which these used for type 100 pack-film cameras. These are several types of film in Fujifilm instant film line like, Fujifilm FP-3000B which is black and white. Fujifilm FP-100c film pack cost you around $15 for 10 photo paper pack. But there are no other options or alternative film out there so we have to be grateful for Fujifilm about keep producing these film packs. But sooner or later they will stop the production too because not too many people have pack-film cameras or buying those.

The camera in photo above is a Polaroid 403 Miniportrait Studio Express which has four lenses. You can control how many lenses fire each time the shutter button is pushed because the 403 let you switch between lenses 4, 2, 1 etc. Also it has some features you hadn’t seen in other Polaroid cameras in same period of time. Options such as a PC socket, a development timer, Sonar rangefinder with distance lights, a built in flash etc. There is also Polaroid 203 Miniportrait Studio Express camera which has only two lenses.

These Polaroid Studio Express Cameras are beautiful collector items since they are rare to find. But for if you just want a nice instant photo camera for daily use this is not the one for you. Those alternative film packs are expensive and hard to find and camera is for special tasks rather than normal photos. So if you want a nice but economical Polaroid camera then check new models like Polaroid Z340 or Polaroid Socialmatic Camera. But since those are bit expensive you can get a cheaper instant cam from Fujifilm. They have some really cheap and cool models like Fujifilm Instax Mini8, Fujifim Instax Hello Kitty Mini (A very cute one) or Instax 300 which gives you 3 x 4 format photo prints. All these Fuji cameras cost you less than $150 these days.