Polaroid Go Everything Box (Gen 1) Review

Polaroid Go Everything Box (Gen 1) Review

Buy it at Amazon: Polaroid Go Everything Box (Gen 1) [Affiliate Link]

Takeaway: Compact & light camera, print quality is just ok.

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In the Polaroid Go Everything Box you’ll receive the camera and two film cartridges for a total of 16 photos. The Gen 1 Go camera comes with a microUSB charging cable, wrist strap, quick start guide, and a set of stickers. The film cartridges are sealed in foil bags and stamped with a production date, so you’ll know their age and they should be used within 12 months. Each contains 8 photo sheets.

The camera body is made from a durable yet light plastic that measures 3-1/4” wide, 4” long, and 2” tall. There are two buttons on top, the red shutter button and white flash button. On the back are the viewfinder on the left and LCD and power button on the right. In the bottom right corner is the attachment point for the wrist strap. Underneath towards the front you’ll find the release slider for the film compartment. Inside you’ll see the mirror that will reflect the image in the viewfinder onto the film for exposure, just like a classic Polaroid camera would. At the front is the flash, lens, and viewfinder window and photo ejection slot.

Before you get started, be sure to plug in and charge the camera. On a full charge, the battery should last for about 15 cartridges. To load the film cartridge, carefully open one of the foil bags. Inside you’ll find a set of double-sided mounting stickers and a plastic tray that has the film inside. The darkslide on top prevents the film from being exposed to light prematurely, so you’ll want to leave that in place. After opening the compartment, you’ll notice matching arrows on a yellow sticker towards the front of the slot. All you need to do is insert the back of the cartridge closest to the door hinge and press down the front side so that it clicks into place. The two yellow sections with arrows will be lined up and pointed towards each other.

When you close the cartridge door, the darkslide should automatically eject. The plastic shield on top is meant to prevent your prints from getting overexposed, but will retract on its own once you remove the sheet. The LED displays how many photos are remaining in the cartridge and the dot underneath the lightning bolt indicates that the flash is charged and ready to fire for the next photo. Press the flash button to toggle on/off the flash for your next shot; though note that it will automatically re-enable after each photo is taken.

The camera has a built-in selfie mirror on the front side of the viewfinder to help you frame up your shots when taking them from in front of the camera. It’s usable but in bright conditions can be hard to see your reflection. The built-in flash is really bright but its reach is limited, so needs to be within 3-6 feet of whatever you’re trying to illuminate. This camera supports double-exposure and self-timer modes. You’ll have 9 seconds to position yourself in front of the camera with the timer. Remember, there is no threaded mounting point on the camera, so it cannot be attached to a tripod. For double-exposure mode, double-press the flash button and this mode allows you to superimpose two images interesting and artistic combinations.

Polaroid photos take a while to develop and aren’t exactly instant. For best results, place them face down or in a dark place for 15-30 minutes as the image develops, otherwise your image may become overexposed and blurry. The focal range of the camera is 1.5 feet and greater as it has an aperture range of f/12 to f/52, so close up shots will look blurry. These photos measure 1-3/4 inch square and with the frame, the prints are 2-1/8W x 2-5/8H. The photo quality was not as good as I expected though, and I felt all the prints turned out undersaturated with a soft focus and low contrast. However, if you’re looking for a washed out vintage look, that’s pretty much what you’re going to get, not filter required. While they’re a cute size, at $1 per print, you may as well go with the full-sized Polaroid at the same price point.

Overall, I did find taking photos with the Polaroid Go fun and nostalgic. Once you know how the film behaves and what sorts of prints to expect, you can get creative. It’s currently the smallest version of a Polaroid and comes in white or black, though there is already a generation 2 version available which reportedly produces better looking photos.

Buy it at Amazon: Polaroid Go Everything Box (Gen 1) [Affiliate Link]