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Polaroid's interchangeable lens cameras hands-on (video)
Interchangeable lens cameras from Polaroid? Yep. They're here at CES, and the company let us spend some hands-on time at tonight's Pepcom event at the MGM Grand. It's important to note, right off the bat, that these things are still firmly in prototype mode, so we'll hold off on passing any sort of judgement on build quality until the company puts something a bit more final in our hands. For the moment, however, they're buggy at best. And they certainly don't have the build quality of a, say Sony NEX, but that's to be expected in part due to the fact that these guys start at $299 as beginner level cameras. At the high end is the iM1836, which has WiFi and Android 4.1 built-in. We played around with the touchscreen a bit, and, as mentioned before, it didn't behave at all as intended, so we weren't able to play Fruit Ninja on the thing. In its final version, you'll be able to use third-party camera apps, if you're so inclined -- and play a bit of Angry Birds, of course. Of the three, the build quality is certainly the highest here. It feels on-par with a lower-mid-level point-and-shoot. And this camera, as with its cheaper siblings, has the sensor built into the lens, oddly, which Polaroid is convinced with cut down on dust and scratches. Click on through for a (somewhat noisey) video.%Gallery-175175%
Polaroid confirms iM1836 mirrorless with Android, adds three more cameras
Polaroid left little doubt that it was launching its Android-based, interchangeable lens camera at CES, and sure enough, it's here: meet the iM1836. It mates an 18.1-megapixel, 1080p video-capable mirrorless body with Android (which we now know to be Android 4.1) to quickly share imagery with social networks over WiFi, or directly to other devices through Bluetooth. Its 3.5-inch display won't put the Galaxy Camera's 4.8-inch panel to shame, but Polaroid is no doubt counting on the ability to swap optics (which includes Micro Four Thirds lenses, through an optional adapter) and a pop-up flash to clinch a sale. The iM1836 should arrive in the first quarter at a $399 price, with a 10-30mm lens included -- uncommonly cheap for a camera that could potentially outshoot its Nikon and Samsung opponents. That's not the only camera in the Polaroid brand's 2013 lineup, however. Non-Android parallels to the iM1836 are coming with both WiFi ( iM1232W, $349) and without (iM1030, $299) for cost-conscious photographers; those who don't mind a fixed-in-place lens can get the iS2433, a $199 bridge camera with a 24x (25-600mm equivalent) lens, a 16-megapixel backlit Sony CMOS sensor and a 3-inch LCD. One camcorder, the iD975, is joining the fray with 1080p video, 16-megapixel stills, a 3-inch touchscreen and a video-in-video mode that shows the person recording video along with the main footage. Polaroid hasn't provided launch dates for its more conventional shooters. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
