Polaroid 2201968

History

The 220 belongs to the second wave of Polaroid's pack-film cameras, introduced in 1968 alongside a broader refresh of the 200-series line. Polaroid had established the pack-film system with the original 100-series in 1963 and used the subsequent years to differentiate the lineup by price and capability. By 1968 the hierarchy was well defined: entry models (104) used a simple fixed-focus or zone-focus arrangement and a basic automatic shutter; mid-tier models (220, 230) added a more refined zone-focus system; and the top-tier 250 and 350 provided a coupled rangefinder for accurate focus at any distance.

The 220 slotted into this hierarchy as a practical, affordable folder. Its plastic construction was lighter than the aluminum-chassis 100, 250, and 350, contributing to the cost reduction. The CdS automatic exposure system was identical in principle to the rangefinder models, giving users confident automatic exposure from portrait distance out to infinity without the additional optical complexity of rangefinder coupling.

The 200-series was progressively replaced by the 230 and 240, which updated the external styling and minor mechanical details while remaining functionally similar. The 220 itself was discontinued around 1971 as the lineup consolidated. The entire pack-film camera line eventually wound down in the mid-1970s as Polaroid shifted marketing emphasis to the integral SX-70 system, though pack-film cameras remained available and used in professional contexts for years afterward.

Why It Matters

The 220 is not a landmark camera in the way the Model 100 (first pack-film camera) or the 180 (professional manual control) are. Its significance is that it represents the mainstream of the pack-film era: a practical, accessible tool that brought Polaroid's automatic-exposure technology to ordinary consumers at a reasonable price.

For photographers working with pack film today, the 220 is a functional shooter. Zone focus is less precise than a coupled rangefinder, but at portrait distances and with the small apertures typical of the 220's lens, depth of field is forgiving enough that results are consistent. The camera's lower collectible status compared to rangefinder models means it can be found in working condition at lower cost - a practical entry point to pack-film photography.

The 220 also illustrates Polaroid's deliberate product segmentation strategy in the late 1960s: the company offered a tightly differentiated lineup at multiple price points, all using the same film, with the goal of capturing every tier of the consumer camera market.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• The 200-series pack-film cameras, including the 220, were standard issue in school portrait studios and real-estate offices through the early 1970s - contexts where automatic exposure and consistent print output mattered more than maximum optical quality.
• Law enforcement and insurance investigators used pack-film cameras of this generation for scene documentation; the instant print was admissible evidence and required no darkroom.
• Polaroid's own promotional photography for the US market used models from the 200-series lineup in advertising campaigns targeting suburban American families in the late 1960s.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Polaroid 220 - model identification and specifications.
• Wikipedia: Polaroid Land Camera - 200-series lineage and pack-film format overview.
• Christopher Bonanos, Instant: The Story of Polaroid (Princeton Architectural Press, 2012) - context on Polaroid's product-line differentiation strategy in the 1960s.