The style of the Thrasher Edition of the Polaroid Now Generation 3 camera certainly makes it stand out – a lot – but this remains a slightly clunky and rather expensive way to capture your memories.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong retro vibes – this is just like using a classic Polaroid camera… | … but that’s not always a good thing, because it’s rather easy to take a bad photo |
| Thrasher style makes for a unique looking camera and eye-catching photo prints | I-type film is pricey – and the Thrasher exclusive styles even moreso |
| Rechargeable battery | Heavy in the hand with film loaded |
Score: 2/5
 |
Buy The Polaroid Now Generation 3 Camera! | Buy On Amazon |
If you buy a product using the link above, ART may earn a small commission.
In this review
Polaroid Now Generation 3 Design
Polaroid Now Generation 3 Performance
Polaroid Now Generation 3 Verdict
Ethical disclaimer: The Polaroid Now Generation 3 Thrasher Edition Camera used in this review was sent to me by Polaroid for the purposes of review. I don’t know if they’re going to ask for the camera back, but I did use a supplied roll of polaroid film in this review, which obviously can’t go back.
Either way, that’s the only influence that Polaroid gets on this review – making it feasible in the first place. All evaulations, opinions and statements in this review are mine without exception, and no external company has had influence over them. For more on ART’s Ethics position, see here.
Design
I very much am old enough to remember when Polaroids’ instant camera technology was the fastest way to see any photo you’d taken.
Yes, younger readers, there was an age when we didn’t have cameras built into phones, or indeed digital cameras at all, and we shot on film, because that was the style of the time. In recent years, the brand and style has enjoyed a resurgence, and I’m not really going to touch on whether that’s a younger generation taking on a retro chic feel, or older users wanting to reconnect to a simpler photo style, because everyone’s intentions can differ.
What’s clear, however, from the specific Polaroid Now Generation 3 – Thrasher Edition that was sent my way is that it is designed for a very specific crowd in design terms. That’s for folks who are part of the skater subculture, because it’s a branded effort based around Thrasher magazine, and its impact on the design of this camera is not at all subtle.
There’s a lot going on here — and that’s deliberate.
The Polaroid Now Generation 3 – Thrasher Edition is absolutely wrapped in skating iconography across everything but the very top of the camera, where you’ll find a small, classic Polaroid rainbow – but only if you peer rather hard, because this is a design best described as “busy”.
The claim is that the sticker style process used on each Polaroid Now Generation 3 – Thrasher Edition camera is unique to that camera; as I don’t have two to hand I can’t say just how unique, though my inner cynic suggests there’s going to be variances around angles of sticker placement more than a hand-tooled effort from skate artisans at play. Maybe I’m wrong there, but I doubt it.
I don’t intent to patronise anyone here; I’m not part of the skater subculture – the closest I come to that is playing a few too many Tony Hawk games back in the day – so I can’t speak to how well it’s laid out for folks who might appreciate that style.
This is a game that will never be developed.
Other variants of the Polaroid Now Generation 3 camera are available, and it is worth noting that the Polaroid Now Generation 3 – Thrasher Edition does carry a slight price premium.
The $269 price point of the Polaroid Now Generation 3 – Thrasher Edition is the same price you’d pay for the Polaroid Now Generation 3+ camera, but that’s a slightly specced-up version with Bluetooth compatibility, while the Thrasher Edition is just the regular, Bluetooth free Polaroid Now Generation 3 camera with flashier artwork wrapped around it.
Polaroid is also selling Thrasher-specific I-Type film at $34.95 AUD for an 8-shot reel; comparatively a plain frame design pack of 8 shots will run you around $29.95. That extra $5 buys you Thrasher artwork frames with a random assortment loaded into each pack. You’ll get a frame with some in-your-face artwork around it each time, but you won’t know what that framing will be. More on this later.
Physically, the Polaroid Now Generation 3 camera is a pretty chunky beast; with film loaded but depleted you’re talking about hefting around just about half a kilo of camera in the classic squared off Polaroid style. One big difference from classic Polaroid cameras is that there’s no need to load batteries into the Polaroid Now Generation 3 camera; it uses a rechargeable built-in battery with a USB-C port at the side for powering it up.
A core appeal here beyond shooting in an analogue style is simplicity, because there’s really very few controls at all. In the classic Polaroid style, it uses an optical viewfinder, but this doesn’t look straight through the lens; instead it’s more of an optical guide to the rough framing of your final shot. There’s a power button and flash control on the back, a button under the viewfinder at the front to control the inbuilt timer and the optional double exposure mode, and then a primary shutter button underneath the front flash. It’s simple and direct in terms of how you might take a photo.
I consulted with a family member who had a classic Polaroid camera back in the day for this review, because while I’m old enough to be of the film generation, I never had one of the classic models back in the day. Their comments on design – beyond its innate Thrasher-ness, which I can confidently say wasn’t the style they’d go for – is that it very much felt like one of the classic models, but they did appreciate the removal of battery requirements.
Performance
Setting up the Polaroid Now Generation 3 Thrasher Edition camera is a relatively simple process. The included setup sheet suggests you download the Polaroid app for it first, but this is genuinely a optional kind of deal, precisely because this is the Bluetooth-free variant of the Generation 3 cameras, which means it’ll never actually talk to the app at all. For that, you’d want the Polaroid Now Generation 3+ camera, and there’s no Thrasher edition of that model as yet.
As such, the main benefit of the app would be using its “scanner” to capture your photos digitally after taking them. This is just a basic camera app, and my own experiences with it pretty quickly drew me to the conclusion that I could do better with a solid background and my phone’s native camera app.
App aside, the appeal here remains simplicity; loading film into the Polaroid Now Generation 3 involves snapping open its front jaw and inserting a camera shutter into it.
I AM HUNGRY FOR FILM. FEED ME FILM.
TASTY TASTY FILM LOADED. OMNOMNOMNOMNOM.
Taking photos is likewise simple, basically not much more than point, snap and watch the still-processing shot chunk out of the front of the camera.
Here there is one big difference with these newer Polaroid cameras and the classic style.
Obligatory at this time, no?
I-Type film requires darkness for its processing, so shaking it around in the Outkast approved method isn’t a good idea. I had intended to give the Polaroid Now Generation 3 Thrasher Edition its own retro styling by testing out the 8 shots I had to shoot at the Newcastle Pinfest, but quickly abandoned that idea.
Not, to be clear because accessibility issues, but simply because the nature of taking a photo this way does rather require that you’ve got somewhere still to store each shot for the 10 minute exposure time, and I very much didn’t out in public to speak of. That will be contextual to your situation, but it meant that I cast my eye elsewhere to see what the Polaroid Now Generation 3 could do.
First thing, let’s get some classic portrait photography out of the way, with thanks to my helping camera person in this case. Here’s how a simple portrait photo turned out:
That’s definitely me, and the retro style of the shot does match up to how classic Polaroid cameras tended to expose their subjects.
We live in a selfie age, and you can take selfies with the Polaroid Now Generation 3 camera:
Am I about to go out an thrash on my skateboard? No.
There’s definitely a retro style to the Polaroid Now Generation 3’s output, but that doesn’t always equate to producing actually good photos – and one of the real perils here is that you can end up with rather expensive duds.
Not the worst photo, far from the best — but either way, is it really worth $4?
In keeping with my retro theme for a retro styled camera, I tried to take a shot of a classic Famicom:
It’s a bit too easy to get the framing slightly wonky. Is that “artistic”? Discuss below.
So I tried again…
Better framing, but not a great photo for showing off my intended subject.
How about the one true King of the Monsters?
I guess he’s kind of creepy — but this does highlight an issue with any kind of semi-low light scene. It wasn’t even that dark!
The Internet exists for cat photos as we all know, so can it take a good cat photo?
Neko has been framed. Literally.
You can see through all of these photos that they’ve printed using the Thrasher-specific frames. Once again, not quite my style, though they can produce some… entertaining, if accidental outcomes:
Nyssa is far more sweet than her frame might suggest.
Polaroid Now Generation 3 – Thrasher Edition: Alex’s Verdict
I ATE ALL THE FILM. CAN I HAVE MORE?
This particular model of the Polaroid Now Generation 3 cameras is very specific; you’d have to like Thrasher’s specific style for it to make much sense, given that for the same price you could get a more functional Polaroid camera, first and foremost.
Then there’s the question of whether there’s a real value in analogue shooting like this, given the limitations of framing, shooting and the higher-than-typical cost of printing as well. Honestly, for most people, I don’t really see it being entirely worthwhile once the novelty factor wears off.
Admittedly, only having 8 shots to test with doesn’t give me a long and wide testing scope, and there’s perhaps the argument that you treasure those photos more because you really do want to stop and think about whether they’re worth taking in the first place when they’re costing you $4 each simply to take, but my counter to that would be that at this price you can get a far more functional digital camera and put money towards getting those shots printed even if you don’t own a photo-capable printer yourself at a lower cost over time.
There is something kind of cool about pulling an actual film print that has still to develop from a camera, but unless you’ve got super-strong nostalgic vibes about that kind of process, the limitations of the technology are, I feel, more of a barrier to creativity than they are a way to express new photographic visions.
Was this review useful to you?
Support independent media by becoming a sponsor or buying me a coffee!
[kofi]
Donate via PayPal
Find out more about how you can support Alex Reviews Tech here.
Polaroid Now Generation 3 – Thrasher Edition: Pricing and availability
The Polaroid Now Generation 3 – Thrasher Edition retails in Australia for $269. 8-shot rolls of Thrasher framed film retail for $34.95.
|
Buy The Polaroid Now Generation 3 Camera! | Buy On Amazon |
If you buy a product using the link above, ART may earn a small commission.
Was this review useful to you? Support independent media by dropping a dollar or two in the tip jar below!
[kofi]
About the Author
