Alert readers will remember that back in June I purchased a Polaroid 1200si from Amazon. I chose this camera because I like the vintage look of Polaroid photos and I have a fascination with obsolete technology.

After using the camera for a few months now, I am happy to report that it takes appropriately bad photographs most of the time. The built in exposure metering seems to work fine under decent lighting conditions. Autofocus is excellent, however glass will fool it. In contrast to my Olympus Stylus Verve, the flash is supremely powerful and often blows out highlights, which adds to the vintage feel of photographs produced by the 1200si.

Like all Polaroids, this one is extremely easy to use. Camera controls are placed on the back of the camera and labeled with clear icons. Film is easy to load, as it comes in a self contained cartridge. Conveniently, the aforementioned film cartridge includes a battery to power the camera.

The unique charactaristics of Polaroid film are essential for achieving the groovy old-fashioned look this camera is capable of. Due to poor color rendition under artificial lighting conditions, my favorite way to achieve the vintage effect is by shooting indoors.

The following example photographs were taken with the Polaroid 1200si on various dates:

• Remains of a BMW Z3;
• Clothing Warehouse in Little Five Points; and
• The Star Community Bar in Little Five Points.

I recommend this camera for taking vintage photographs of the modern world.