Home > Consumer Reviews > Polaroid JoyCam 500 Instant Camera, Blue

The JoyCam by Polaroid is one of the easiest cameras I have ever seen to use. All you have to do is drop the film in the bottom, choose whether you want the flash or not, point, push the button, and pull the tab to receive the photo. The tab can't be pulled unless a picture has been taken either, so you don't have to worry about having a picture popping out when you haven't taken one. One drawback is you have to be sure to pull the tab straight and quick or your picture will have splotches. Another drawback is the odd size of the picture itself. If you want to frame it, you have to trim the sides, which Polaroid doesn't recommend anybody doing. It also is not a very good camera for taking scenery pictures. The pictures do have great color quality though, and the close-ups are clear and sharp. If you think the film for the camera is kind of expensive, just remember, you don't have to pay for batteries and you don't have to pay for the cost of developing the film. All in all, it doesn't cost any more for the film for this camera than it does for film for a regular camera. So, if you want a camera to take fun pictures of friends, pets, etc., this is the camera for you.

The concept is cool, and the camera is fun for kids/teens or parties. It is particularly suited to close-ups for the best picture quality.

However, I want to warn people that (unless they have changed the chemical makeup of the film over the years) the polaroid pictures do NOT age well. We have some pictures taken when we were kids 20 years ago with polaroid film. The pictures are ruined b/c the "paste" or whatever the picture is composed of turns brittle, and if you bend the picture even slightly, the image cracks all throughout the surface like a mini jigsaw puzzle. It's heartbreaking to lose irreplacable photos like these because the integrity of the film deteriorates over the years. Whether or not the film Polaroid uses today will do the same two decades from now, I guess remains to be seen. But **JUST IN CASE** I would NOT recommend using a Polaroid camera for photos that will be precious to you in the future!

In summary, if you want quick photo enjoyment, this will do fine but be sure to bring a "regular" 35 mm camera to that wedding, birthday, or family reunion in addition to this!!

I got the JoyCam and had a ball with it. My Nephew and I took pictures with the 'big silver camera' and he made a scrap book. The only caution I would issue is that the shutter button is not well protected. So it is not hard to take pictures of the inside of your bag. Beware. Those are some expensive all black shots.

I had always been told that Polaroid cameras gave lousy picture quality. Of course this advice came from my dad who had a Polaroid long before I was born. What a difference about 20 years makes! While this is a camera you might not want to use under rugged conditions, it makes a great first camera for the beginning photographer in your house.

I am usually not a fan of products that take styling cues from the iMac & the VW New Beetle, but the design is perfect for the market in which it is being targeted at (teenage market).

All in all, not a bad camera. Polaroid did a good with this one.

Instant gratification is the name of Polaroid's unique silver cased JoyCam's snap-snap-get-that-shot game. No, they are not full sized pics, or of the highest quality. But, you do get an inexpensive, sleek looking, fun shooter and an opportunity to catch those out of the blue, "oh I wish I had my camera" views.

A bit bigger and lighter than a cell phone, this zapper fits into small purses, teen boys' cargo pockets, and safely in an auto's glove box. I like to keep it handy while driving about town. You just never know what you might see. I have spied an alligator slithering down a neighborhood sewer drain, a famous QB at practice, not on the grid-iron, but at a golf driving range, and unfortunately, needed insurance pix of a fender bender, mine. (That alone did pay for the camera and loads more film)

Also, having a 35-mm SLR and dabbling in photography as a hobby--this high-tech instant camera is useful for taking what my husband calls remembrance shots; places we want to shoot again. We just pull the 'lil cord, note on the back where we took the subject & file them on index cards with any additional notes and keep them in an old recipe box. And if we never pass that way again--at least we have some fond memory.

Hey, it's a fun camera, at a good price, which has practical uses and is sleek enough for first time users to the pickiest gadget-guru.