New Polaroid-Style Camera Combines Analog and Digital Features

Digital photography may have killed the Polaroid camera, but now, thanks to The Impossible Project, the classic instant camera is making a comeback. CNET reports that The Impossible Project is launching an updated version of the old school camera that adds new digital features to the analog device.

Called the I-1, the camera will retail for $299. While that’s a hefty price tag, the I-1 will have plenty of special features including auto-focus, flash, rechargeable batteries, and a companion iOS app that lets users further adjust their settings. The app will come with a whole toolbox of effects and settings that will give users control over shutter speeds, flash settings, exposure, and more. The camera will be compatible with the type 600 film created by The Impossible Project and original Polaroid film (if you can get your hands on it).

The I-1 is just the latest effort by The Impossible Project to preserve and promote the tradition of instant photography. After Polaroid filed for bankruptcy in 2008, The Impossible Project began producing instant film compatible with its cameras. Now, the company not only produces self-developing film, but restores classic cameras and designs innovative cameras of their own. Check out the brief history of The Impossible Project below, and keep your eyes peeled for the I-1 coming to stores in May.