C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Polaroid 440 Land Camera, introduced around 1971, occupied the middle of Polaroid's plastic-bodied pack-film range. It used the same Type 100 peel-apart film packs as the rest of the folding lineup, offered fully automatic CdS-metered exposure, and employed zone focus for subject distance control. The 440 was a minor refinement over the 400 - sharing the same fundamental architecture but with slight improvements to the body finish and controls that positioned it above the entry-level 400 while remaining below the aluminum-chassis rangefinder models. It was aimed at consumers who wanted a slightly more capable instant camera without paying for the precision of the 250 or 350.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the pack-film format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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About this camera
Mid-tier plastic folding pack-film camera from the early 1970s, a step above the 400 without reaching rangefinder territory.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | Polaroid Type 100 pack film (peel-apart; 8 frames; ~3.25 x 4.25 in print) |
| Lens | ~114mm f/8.8, fixed |
| Focus | Zone focus (portrait / small group / landscape symbols) |
| Shutter | Electronic auto; ~10s - ~1/600s |
| Meter | CdS cell; auto with darken/lighten override wheel |
| Flash | Electronic flash only |
| ISO range | 75 - 3000 (manual ISO dial) |
| Battery | 3V (Eveready 531 or 2x LR44 adapter) |
| Weight | ~900 g (unverified) |
| Years | ~1971 - ~1976 |
The 440 emerged as part of Polaroid's ongoing effort to keep its pack-film lineup fresh through incremental updates during the early 1970s. By 1971, the pack-film system was well established and Polaroid was simultaneously investing in the SX-70 integral film project - a far more ambitious development that would eventually reshape the company's product strategy. In this transitional period, the pack-film folding range was maintained with minor refreshes rather than major redesigns.
The 440 represented one such refresh of the plastic-bodied tier. It shared the electronic shutter and CdS metering technology proven across the 200- and 300-series lines, and offered the same film compatibility, but with updated styling and marginal control refinements over the 400. The practical difference in shooting experience between the 440 and the 400 was small; the distinction was primarily commercial, giving retailers a stepped price point within the plastic-body category.
The 440's production life was relatively short. The introduction of the SX-70 in 1972 drew Polaroid's marketing attention away from peel-apart film, and the plastic folding cameras were progressively wound down through the mid-1970s. Fujifilm's continued production of FP-100C and FP-3000B pack film kept cameras like the 440 usable for decades after Polaroid ceased manufacturing them, sustaining a secondary market among film photography enthusiasts well into the 2010s.
The 440 is a practical rather than historically significant camera. It demonstrates Polaroid's ability in the early 1970s to extract commercial range from a single core technology platform: the same metered electronic shutter system, housed in bodies at several price points, created a lineup that felt differentiated to consumers even when the functional gap between tiers was narrow.
For contemporary photographers, the 440 offers an accessible entry into pack-film shooting. Zone focus limits precision at close distances, but at typical outdoor portrait ranges the depth of field from the fixed lens is forgiving. The camera's lower profile compared to rangefinder-equipped models of the same era means working specimens are generally affordable. It is a solid choice for anyone who wants to shoot peel-apart pack film without investing in a more expensive 250 or 350.
Polaroid 440
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