Polaroid announced in early 2008 that it would stop creating film cameras, apparently bringing to an end six decades of instant-print cameras from the company.
However, Zink, an American printing company, is ensuring the instant-print camera will live on … at least in digital form.
Zink has teamed with Japanese toy maker Tomy to create the xiao TIP-521 digital camera, which began selling in Japan in three colors—black, light blue, and magenta—this holiday season. The TIP-521 offers 5 megapixels of camera resolution, and it can create color prints measuring 2-by-3 inches, available about 60 seconds after you snap the photo. It will have a 2.4-inch LCD, so you can preview your photos before you print with Zink’s inkless technology.
Whether this digital camera ever makes it to the North American and European markets isn’t known yet. It would be a fun camera for kids and young adults who want a quick, small print. However, cost would go a long way toward determining whether this idea will be successful. Very early eBay results indicated the TIP-521 was going for $300-400.
Because printing digital photos from any digital camera is so easy these days, it’s difficult to imagine the TIP-521 ever becoming anything more than a novelty item, and $300 might be a bit much for a toy.
Photo courtesy Zink
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