Why You Should Travel With A Polaroid Camera

Above, a Nagasaki streetcar. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the advent of digital cameras, cell phones with built-in cameras and Wi-Fi, I fail to see the practicality of bringing along a Polaroid or other instant print cameras on vacation. Especially since most hotels have Wi-Fi service where one can instantly email their downloaded photos to family and friends.

But, a writer for Condé Nast Traveler feels that having an instant camera is still practical in this day and age.

She wrote:

Cameras are often at the top of travel packing lists when venturing off to see a new destination—for me, anyway. These days, we’re living in a digital world of Facebook photo albums and documenting travel destinations with hashtags. But that's why it can be nice to take a break every once in a while with good old-fashioned print photos. 

In particular, instant film cameras (first created by Polaroid in the 1940s) may just be one of the best suitcase staples ever.

She then goes into the reasons why an instant camera would be useful and some sample of different instant cameras.

Unless the quality of instant print photography made big strides over the past 40 years (I had a Polaroid camera and the photos always seemed muddy or washed out), I would personally stick with a digital camera. But that's just me.

To read the article, go here.