description Polaroid Big Shot Overview
The Polaroid Big Shot is an instant camera designed by industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss and sold from 1971 to 1974. Built specifically for portrait photography, it uses a fixed-focus lens and requires the photographer to move the camera back and forth until the subject appears at the correct distance. Its narrow purpose, molded body, and use of peel-apart Polaroid pack film distinguish it from general-purpose instant cameras.
help Polaroid Big Shot FAQ
What film does the Polaroid Big Shot use, and can you still get it?
It takes Polaroid 100-series peel-apart pack film, such as Type 667 or 690. Fujifilm's FP-100C, the last widely available pack film, was discontinued in 2016, so today shooters rely on expired stock or revival projects like OneInstant.
How do you focus the Polaroid Big Shot?
You don't rack a lens — the Big Shot is fixed-focus, so you physically rock back and forth until the subject looks sharp in the viewfinder. This shuffle became so associated with the camera that it's often nicknamed the "Big Shot shuffle."
Why is the Polaroid Big Shot famous?
It is the camera Andy Warhol used extensively in the 1970s to shoot his portrait sessions. It was designed by renowned industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss and sold from 1971 to 1974, built specifically for making instant portraits.
Is the Polaroid Big Shot valuable to collectors today?
It remains an affordable collectible, typically trading at modest double-digit prices depending on condition. The bigger barrier to actually using one is the scarcity of compatible peel-apart film since Fujifilm's exit.
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