Home > Consumer Reviews > Polaroid i-zone 0.3MP Digital and Instant Combo Camera

We bought this camera to use as a digital. Installed the software and batteries- went to hook up the cable to the computer - the laptop only has a USB port - the desktop the corresponding port is the one for the mouse - so there was no way to use it - I certainly was not going to purchase an expensive USB connection for a [amt.] camera.

Also the film that came with it had an expiration date of 11/99. The company offered more film but no solution on the cable so we returned it.

Very disappointing. I guess it is the old story of you get what you pay for.

I bought this camera because I got an incredibly good deal on it (...a rebate from Polaroid brought the price down to "why not?")

It has turned out to be a fun little camera, but don't expect much.

The camera is basically two cameras joined at the hip, which makes it very bulky. The instant mini-photos are fun, especially with the sticker film, but the picture quality is abysmal unless the lighting is very good (i.e. outdoors). It's almost impossible to get a good close-up shot unless you get right in someone's face, but I still like the concept, and it's very fun to use.

As for the digital camera, it's about as basic as you can get (No zoom, no memory card, no USB) The picture quality is decent for e-mail use, but I haven't printed anything and wouldn't expect it to be very good. The colors come out true and fairly vivid for low resolution digital. One thing I like is that the camera responds instantly when you take the picture, so you don't miss the shot. The flash is a bit harsh on close-up shots (<3m), but works fine otherwise. The quality of the outdoor shots is much better than I expected.

The thing I like best about the camera is the software it came with. It comes with 3 applications: PhotoImpressions, for uploading and editing; PhotoMontage, for making those cool picture-mosaics you see on magazine covers; and PhotoFantasy, which lets you put your face onto the body of, say, a supermodel or basketball player, or even a knight.

If you want high quality photos, I'd buy something else. But, if you want a fun toy, and you can get a good deal, this isn't a bad way to go.

I've noticed a lot of people who wrote reviews here complained about the lack of features on this product as far the digital camera part of it... well did you honestly expect more than that from something designed for 10-15 year old girls? If you want "professional quality" photos then go buy a professional quality camera. But if you're looking for a cute present for a niece or something then this is it. It's fun, it looks cool and it's not impossibly difficult to operate (yes, even grownups can figure this one out too).

This is my first digital camera & love it! The i-zone instant portion compares favorably to other Polaroid products I've used in the past. The digital portion is easy to use and easy to connect to my PC (Compaq running Windows 98). I've experienced no problems using the camera except how to hold it - putting two cameras together at a 90 degree angle poses some ergonomic questions as to the proper way to hold the camera in use. As far as resolution goes, I'm happy with it - don't expect 35 mm quality - rather it's a fun toy to send snaphots through the net and to play with digitally using the supplied software.

I thought this would be a good, inexpensive way to explore the world of digital cameras for my son. Unfortunately the the first one was defective (the flash only worked sporadically). It was quickly and easily replaced. Then there were problems with getting the "right" type of batteries - which didn't last very long. When it was working it was fun but I thought I would have been much better off saving my money and buying a "real" digital camera.