iM1836
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Nikon takes first blood against Polaroid's knock-off J1
Remember when Nikon noticed that Polaroid's iM1836 looked a little too much like the J1 and lawyered-up? The case has arrived at the Southern District Court of New York, where a judge probably took 30 seconds to nod their head and say "Yeah, that's the same device." As such, Nikon has won a preliminary injunction preventing the sale and manufacture of the suspiciously-similar shooter. If you were in the hunt for a J1 knock-off, it looks as if you'll have to take your business elsewhere -- at least for now.
Nikon goes after Polaroid, says the iM1836 is a dead-ringer for the J1
If you glanced at the Polaroid iM1836 and thought "You know, that looks a bit like Nikon's J1," you're not alone. Nikon, you see, is suing Polaroid's owner Sakar, claiming that the Android-running ILC infringes upon Nikon's trade dress and design language for its own range of mirrorless shooters. After failing to reach an agreement behind-the-scenes, Nikon is now seeking an injunction that'll prevent Sakar producing or selling any more -- so, is anyone up for a game of spot the difference?
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.
Polaroid CEO: Android-powered interchangeable-lens camera will launch at CES
It looks like that Russian Polaroid social media advert may not be far-fetched, after all. In an email to Imaging Resource, Polaroid CEO Scott Hardy confirmed that "there will be an Android-powered, interchangeable-lens camera introduced by Polaroid at CES 2013." He didn't elaborate on specs, pricing or availability, but the earlier leak lists an 18-megapixel sensor, 3.5-inch touchscreen, 10-30mm lens and built-in WiFi -- all of which seem like reasonable inclusions for an entry-level mirrorless camera. The company's chief executive added that specifications would be confirmed at CES, at which point we'd also hope to see the new compact ILC in the flesh. The practicality of an Android-powered mirrorless model remains up for debate, but curious early adopters eager to open their wallets may now have but weeks to wait to add the world's first such device to their camera collection.
Polaroid IM1836 Android-based mirrorless camera appears on Russian site ahead of CES
It looks like Polaroid's betting big on Android. Judging by a product image and description leaked on a Russian social media site, the company is gearing up to launch an Android-based mirrorless ILC, perhaps as soon as CES. Specs are fairly light, but the compact camera does appear to include an 18-megapixel sensor, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, 10-30mm lens, a pop-up flash, HDMI output and built-in WiFi. As TechRadar points out, the camera looks very similar to the Nikon J1 and J2, and it also features a kit lens with the same zoom range. That's not to suggest that this shooter will share components with its pint-sized counterpart, but we wouldn't rule it out entirely, especially considering that Polaroid doesn't have its own inventory of interchangeable lenses. There's no release schedule suggested, but the timing is curious, especially considering that the company made its first Android announcement at last year's CES. Will your next mirrorless ILC be a Polaroid?
