Polaroid Spectra
Polaroid introduced the Spectra system of cameras in the early 1980s. It was intended to be an all-new line of cameras, and had a corresponding new film. Spectra, or Image, film is different from 600 integral film in that it has a different image format: a rectangular 9.2 x 7.3cm rather than 600 film's square format. The Spectra also sports a better lens and takes higher-quality pictures than a conventional 600 Polaroid camera, due to the camera's higher build quality and larger print area.
Over time, Polaroid has introduced many variants of the Spectra, but most include a glass lens, self-timer, automatic exposure, and sonar autofocus; in many cases the addition or removal of user control is the only distinguishing characterisic between models (eg Spectra 2 has only exposure adjustment; Spectra 'E' only has AF, flash and lighten/darken controls and the original Spectra has these plus LCD display, self-timer and volume controls). The Spectra also has many optional accessories, such as closeup kits and law enforcement kits.
Contents
Spectra Variants
Spectra Onyx
Sports a semi-translucent grey body
Spectra 1200FF
Different folding mechanism, including plastic bellows.
ProCam
Sideways folding mechanism, shorter focal-length lens for wider field of view, time/date stamp capability
Macro 5 SLR
Single-lens-reflex designed primarily for medical and forensic work. Five preset magnifications: 0.2×, 0.4×, 1.0×, 2.0×, and 3.0×. Three optional supplementary lenses provide 0.67× and 5.0× (contact and non-contact) magnification. Though the Macro 5 has true SLR viewing (with a grid for alignment), focus is achieved by aligning two light beams on the subject. Twin electronic flashes can be used together, separately, or shut off. A PC socket permits use of external flash. An optional polarizer attachment reduces glare from non-metallic surfaces. The image can be stamped with a time or date.
Spectra Pro
The camera itself is THE warlock of all Spectra cameras.
This camera was first introduced in the year 1990.
The key features of this camera:
- Manual Focusing
- Time Exposures
- Programmed Time Exposures
- Manual Time Exposures
- Back-lighting
- Sequential pictures
- Self-timed sequential pictures
- Variable sequential pictures
- Multiple exposures
Before Polaroid produced the Spectra pro, Minolta licensed and marketed the same camera under the name of the Minolta Instant Pro.