Polaroid Land Model 104

Polaroid Land Model 104 Overview

The Polaroid Land Model 104 is Polaroid’s first lightweight, plastic Land Camera (named after inventor and Polaroid co-founder Edwin Land). It belongs to the lower end of Polaroid’s 100-400 series of instant cameras which, despite sometimes wildly varying levels of affordability and build quality, all feature folding bellows, clearly labeled operating sequence, and automatic exposure.

This Polaroid features numbered buttons that show forgetful owners and first time users how to use the camera. Number one is on the bellows release / focus sliders located underneath and to either side of the viewfinder, the red shutter button is marked with the number two, number three can be found on the white shutter-cocking lever on the side of the lens, and number four marks the opening that exposed film comes out of.

The Model 104 comes with a plastic 114mm f/8.8 lens with an automatically controlled shutter capable of speeds from 1/1200 to 10 seconds. Focus distance aids can be found in the viewfinder and the DARKEN/LIGHTEN control on the lens barrel is good for -1 and +2 stops in exposure compensation.

The Polaroid Land Model 104 retailed for $49.95 in 1965 which is about $436 in today’s money. I actually own two of these; I bought the one pictured above at a thrift store for a couple of dollars (complete with carrying case) and the second one was purchased at an estate sale in St. Louis by my brother (who is also a photographer) and given to me as a gift.