Polaroid Land Camera Automatic 100, era (1963-1966)

The Camera

Name: Polaroid Land Camera Automatic 100
Manufacturer: Polaroid Corporation
Date: 1963–1966
Type: Packfilm instant camera (first in the “100–400 series”)
Lens: 114mm f/8.8 three-element glass lens
Shutter: Automatic exposure, shutter speeds from ~10 sec to 1/1200 sec
Film: Polaroid Type 100 packfilm (peel-apart film, discontinued in 2009)

About the Camera

The Polaroid Automatic 100 was the very first model in the Automatic Land Camera series, introduced in 1963. It marked a huge innovation for Polaroid, as it used packfilm — easier to load than the earlier rollfilm cameras.

It featured a folding bellows design, metal front panel, and an automatic exposure system powered by an electronic eye (a CdS light meter). The user only needed to frame, focus, and press the shutter, making instant photography faster and more accessible than ever.

This camera was marketed toward families and hobbyists in the booming postwar consumer photography era, and it set the stage for decades of Polaroid instant cameras to follow.

Why That Date Range

• The Automatic 100 was produced between 1963 and 1966, before being replaced by the Automatic 101 and higher-numbered models.

• The metal body and chrome faceplate are specific to the early models; later cameras often used more plastic in construction.

Collectability & Value

The Automatic 100 is significant as the first in Polaroid’s long-running Automatic series, giving it historical weight. However, because Polaroid packfilm was discontinued, these cameras are mostly collected as display pieces unless modified to accept modern film backs.