The Polaroid Impulse AF has long been one of my all-time favorite cameras. It has sat on my Polaroid buying guide for well over a decade as one of the best bargains for discerning photographers who want to shoot vintage Polaroid cameras without breaking the bank.
The reason why the Polaroid Impulse AF is so excellent is a built-in autofocus system that provides sharp images roughly on par with the far more expensive SLR 680. It also rocks a large, bright viewfinder that’s worlds better than other box-type 600 cameras like the Polaroid OneStep Closeup (I’m going to pick on this particular camera a bit in this review, but it’s no worse or better than the thousand fix-focused box type 600 cameras floating around out there with slightly different names).
But that’s the Impulse AF. This isn’t a review of that camera. This is a review of the Polaroid Impulse… not AF.
As the cheaper contemporary alternative to the Impulse AF, the Impulse lacks the autofocus feature (hence, the name). Polaroid did this quite a bit back in the day, releasing multiple variants of the camera with slightly different features. If you’re not careful, it’s easy to get them confused.
Today, the Impulse Non-AF is one of the cheapest cameras out there. So I was wondering, is the twin brother of the Impulse AF any good? Is the Impulse a hidden gem?
Not really. But it does have some perks when compared to other vintage Polaroid fixed-focus cheapies.
Features
The Polaroid Impulse shares an almost identical body to the Impulse AF, which means it shares one of my favorite plastic box-type vintage 600 designs. It’s compact, comfortable to hold, and doesn’t feel cheap. Personally, I think it’s one of my all-time favorite Polaroid camera bodies and is the pinnacle of a certain kind of 1990s era gadget. There aren’t any cut corners here, with all the same rubber grips and design flourishes as the more expensive AF model.
The camera turns on and off by pushing down on the flashbar. When it’s popped up, a plastic lens protector retracts. This clever design means the lens is still protected while also being smaller than the large flashbar box-type designs like the OneStep CloseUp and its cousins.
There aren’t a ton of controls on this camera. You have a big shutter button on the back and an exposure compensation switch below the lens. There’s no way to turn off the flash, but it’s easy to cover it with tape if you don’t want to use it. However, just know there’s really not much of a reason to turn flash off on a camera like this since a fixed-focus lens is going to need all the light it can get. One of the few missing features is a timer button that’s on the AF, but there are much, much better cameras for tripod selfies (though this still has a tripod screw hole in it!)
The one major feature that the AF and non-AF share that makes it a way nicer camera to shoot than most box-types is the big, bright viewfinder. Many cameras like the OneStep Closeup (and even modern Polaroid cameras like the Polaroid Now) have teeny tiny viewfinders that are difficult to see through. There’s no info or indicators in the viewfinder though. Also remember this isn’t a SLR-type camera, so you’re not looking through the actual lens but through a hole next to it. But all things considered, it’s not bad.
In this comparison the advantage of the Impulse AF’s lens is clear, with the subject in sharp focus with a pleasingly out-of-focus background.
However, if your subject steps back far enough, the differences between the lenses become much less stark. You can still get great pictures with the Impulse non-AF, but you have to keep the camera’s limitations in mind. (Big thanks to Ramona Romance for modeling for these photos!)
Image Quality and Autofocus
So what does autofocus mean when it comes to Polaroid cameras? Well, two things – one: autofocus Polaroids have a more advanced lens system that can actually change focus. To go along with that, they carry a sonar-based autofocus system to control that lens. It works really well as long as you’re not shooting through a window.
Non-AF box-types are not just manual focus variants of the AF cameras. They’re actually much cheaper than that. Like those disposable 35mm cameras of yore, the Impulse non-AF is fixed focus, meaning focus can’t be changed at all. The lens has a wide angle and small aperture that gets most stuff sort of in focus… enough.
As you can see above, the closer your subject is to the camera, the more obvious the limitations of a fixed-focus system. Polaroid clumsily tried to fix this on cameras like the OneStep Closeup by adding an extra plastic ‘closeup lens’ but honestly, it sucked. I don’t miss it here.
Is the Polaroid Impulse not-AF so bad as to be unusable? No, not at all. Especially if you’re shooting subjects far from the camera or landscapes, it’s perfectly fine. It’s just as good as the many, many other fixed-focus box types like the Closeup OneStep. But know there is a noticeable jump in quality with an AF-type vintage Polaroid camera, whether that be something like the Impulse AF or SLR 680. Once upon a time, I would’ve included the Spectra System cameras as an alternative as well, but those sadly are no longer supported.
Film Usage
To use the Polaroid Impulse you’ll need to purchase new 600 type film from Polaroid. The camera itself does not contain a battery, so you won’t even be able to turn it on without a fresh pack of film. With a new pack of film, the camera will light up an LED by the shutter button to let you know that it is on. Red means the flash is charging and green means it is good to go.
SX-70, Spectra, I-Type, and Instax will not work with the Impulse. You’ll need new 600 type film. I often purchase my film directly from Polaroid. Modern day Polaroid needs to be stored properly (and for not too long), so I buy from Polaroid for peace of mind.
Recommendations
I wouldn’t seek out the Impulse non-AF, but if you stumble upon one for free or cheap, it’s a perfectly competent vintage Polaroid camera. If you understand its limitations, you’ll be able to have a lot of fun with this camera. However, the Impulse AF is so good, and Polaroid film is so expensive, that I think the extra money is more than worth it to step up to the nicer version of the camera.
If you’re interested in picking up a Polaroid Impulse you can often find it on eBay for cheap – that’s where I got mine. I also recommend picking up film for your camera directly from Polaroid’s online store.
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