Fuji Instax – Successor to Polaroid

The Fuji Instax camera and film line is the successor to Polaroid. Fujifilm and Polaroid had a working relationship that was the total opposite of Kodak with their ill-fated instant print cameras in 1976. Although Kodak manufactured Polaroid’s instant film products from 1963-1969 they had not licensed the Polaroid technology when they decided to branch out on their own. Had they done so they may have become the successors to Polaroid instead of Fujifilm. Fujifilm also had working agreements with Kodak while Kodak was developing their instant film technology. When Kodak lost their patent suit against Polaroid Fujifilm turned around and licensed Polaroid instant technology. Ironically, Fuji’s instant camera technology was closer in design to Kodak than Polaroid. They also licensed Kodak’s instant camera technology giving them access to both competitors.

Fujifilm first issued their instant print cameras and film in 1998 in Japan. They had launched both the Instax Mini 10 and Instax Mini film with the Instax Wide camera and film debuting in 1999. Partnering with Polaroid they released the Polaroid Mio instant camera using Instax Mini 10 film in 2001. Initially, the Instax line did not do well in the U.S.A. and was discontinued after a few years until its comeback in 2008. In 2016 they released a monochromatic Instax Mini film followed by the Instax Wide version. Polaroid officially withdraws from producing instant print film in 2008.

To read the rest of the article plus see the Instax photos just follow this link.

Randy Senna As A Boardwalk Icon

Randy Senna is a boardwalk icon with over forty years of running vintage arcade games. He is currently running his nostalgic arcade dreams in Wildwood, NJ at the Wildwood Mall. Since 2011, he has operated the “Remember When Retro Arcade” in the basement of the Wildwood Boardwalk Mall. “As a boy he was enchanted by one game — Fascination, a test of skill that pits players against each other in a race to roll rubber balls down an alley and into holes that light up the game board.” (Courier Post).  Fascination would be considered in the same family as skee ball and the game dates to the 1920s at Chutes at the Beach in San Francisco. Across town on Pacific Avenue is the future Randyland, which is to be a combined arcade game parlor and arcade heritage museum. This former Woolworth’s building preserves 21,000 square feet of vintage arcade games, boardwalk memorabilia and even hundreds of mannequins. “Discomfortingly, there are also hundreds of mannequins, all lined up in rows, each an eerily perfect reproduction of Randy. They have Randy's grin, Randy's haircut. The only way you can tell them apart is that each wears a different costume.” (Jezebel). This historic preservation of vintage arcade games and boardwalk memorabilia both as a arcade parlor and museum is extraordinary. 

Wildwood arcade owner seeks home for retro games

Randyland: Trash or Treasure? 

Meet Randy, the Man Who Hoards Mannequins That Look Like Randy 

VIDEO: Man Hoards Himself on Hoarders

Pinball wizard of Wildwood hopes to play another day

Will Senna’s ‘Randyland’ Ever Open?

Fascination (game)

Randy Senna@Facebook