An End… And A New Beginning

Like that other great American photo brand, Kodak, Polaroid wasn’t completely blind to the potential impact that digital imaging could have on its film business, and through the 1990s was actively involved in various digital-based projects, including the ZINK thermal printing paper mentioned earlier.

The Polaroid PDC-2000, launched in 1996, was one of the first serious digital cameras (complete with interchangeable lenses and ultrasonic autofocus) and there were a number of Polaroid film scanners, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the rapid decline in the instant photography business. In October 2001 Polaroid Corporation filed for bankruptcy protection in the USA and the company’s assets were subsequently sold off. The new owners regrouped – and again operated as Polaroid Corporation – but the product planning and