Bring Out Party Camera and See What Develops

Even in this age of cheap digital cameras, there’s something cool about watching a Polaroid develop.

The company that popularized instant photography has made several attempts to remain relevant. The latest is the $100 mio, a snappy party camera that spits out handy wallet-size pictures.

Mio’s image is smaller than traditional Polaroid snaps, but bigger than tiny i-Zone pictures. Frankly, the pics are perfect for catching and sharing candid moments at a get-together.

The camera itself is fairly clunky, though. The buttons are awkwardly placed and the sleek shape offers very little to grab onto. At a recent holiday party, first-time users fumbled with the controls.

Picture quality is fine and the flash kept popping even after intensive use.

Perhaps the biggest drawback of the mio is the price of its film: basically a buck a shot. Two-packs of 10 photos cost $20. After just a few shots, the mio moves out of the price range of party favors.

Sure, it’s fun. But the cost adds up fast.

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Aaron Curtiss