Bronwen again, your resident reviewer of all things fun and novelty! This week, I’ve been having an absolute blast with this Photo Creator Retro Instant Camera, and I’m here to tell you all about it, having been very kindly offered a free review sample.
How could I turn this down?! Sincerely, dear Reader, it looked way too much fun to pass up. Also, as an artist who isn’t exactly in the target age range for this product, I did have a vague idea I could use this for some upcoming arty projects, too.
Packaging and presentation
When the box arrived, it felt a bit like Christmas, I’m not gonna lie! The packaging is fun, and really showcases all of this camera’s great features, including a full three inches of screen (wow!), three rolls of paper AND a sticky roll – totalling 250 potential photos! – a flash, selfie and video modes!
The camera also comes with colourful stickers and marker pens, so you can add a bit of fun and colour to your photos. What’s not to love?
Unboxing and instructions
Here’s everything you get in the box, including the USB-C charging cable, which you’re going to need to get started with your camera. The first thing I did was take out the instructions and had a read.
I instantly knew I wanted to take advantage of the micro SD option, so that I could keep the photos I took using the camera.
Luckily, I had my own micro SD, but the instructions say to format it – and don’t explain how, or which format is required. After trying out various formats in a PC, and getting really quite frustrated, I eventually stumbled upon a menu with the option to format, by doing a long press on the settings button.
So, that wasn’t the most intuitive, but that – and initially putting the paper roll in the wrong way – was the only real issue I had whilst setting up the camera.
Taking my first retro-style photo
Okay, this isn’t particularly exciting, but this is my partner’s fancy ink stash. It looks like maybe something out of a lab, which fits the October/Halloween vibe quite well.
I got a real rush the first time my photo printed, although I wish I could turn off the camera’s sound effects – because I’m one of those people who lives with their phone constantly on vibrate only.
Getting a bit creative
Now that I had a working camera, it was time to take my new instant retro photo toy into the studio, and get a bit creative!
Now, I will defend my choice here by saying it was October 1st – in other words, the 1st Frocktober, where I wear nothing but spooky/Halloween-themed dresses for the entire month – and I was already getting my spook on.
Cue the plaster cast finger that I’d found in the studio a few weeks prior, a sharp object, and some dark paint.
What a great opportunity to make something really fun that might initially look like something out of a retro horror movie! This is the result.
Time for some group fun
I wanted to capture the true heart of what the Photo Creator Retro Instant Camera could do, and of course, that meant getting people involved to mess around and have fun! It also meant trying out the filters, and introducing some colour.
Sometimes, we’d forget to press the ‘image’ button after taking a photo, and instead just immediately press ‘print’, leading to a 3-second panic to pose for an instant shot the camera was about to print for us! But that just added to the chaos.
The filters are very silly, and we enjoyed challenging ourselves with a mix of arty and silly shots. I think in the end we managed a nice range of images.
As you can tell, myself and my peers had a lot of fun with this camera, and now we have a lovely wall of photos to make us smile every time we come into the studio. And I think that’s really quite special.
Thanks, Photo Creator Retro Instant Camera!
Overall
Despite a couple of niggles, I had a lot of fun with the Photo Creator instant camera – especially when I got the rest of my class at college involved! Now, maybe even for the rest of the year, we have these fun photos on the wall to make us smile.
The camera isn’t always the most intuitive, and the instructions were a little vague when it came to using a micro SD – but luckily I worked out the hidden menu part for you!
It does give you a little of that retro-style experience, and watching your photo printing direct from the camera is very fun – it feels a little special, especially if you’re taking something silly. And with the amount of rolls, and stickers you get, it definitely seems good value for money.
I think I want to try using this more in my upcoming art projects, and getting really creative with it!
Like what you read? You can pick up your very own Photo Creator Retro Instant Camera from Argos for just £70.
What do you think of the Photo Creator Retro Instant Camera, based on my review – a good Christmas present for loved ones? Or do you prefer less tangible photos these days? Comment below!
