Despite spectacular advancements in digital photography, instant cameras will always hold their own, due to the unique, lo-fi instant snapshots they produce. There’s something about the aesthetic, including the iconic Polaroid-style snap that people love, and that’s why they’ve made such a big comeback in recent years! And unlike with digital cameras and smartphones, you’ll have lasting memories you can hold and treasure, rather than losing them amongst hundreds of photos in your camera roll or laptop.
Polaroid is the brand that first gave the world instant photography and its name is now widely associated with instant photos. Despite being pioneers of the instant camera, modern times have seen other brands swoop in and build a name for themselves on the instant photo scene, such as FujiFilm’s Instax. Today, we’re going to look at six fun instant cameras from these two brands and what makes each of them unique!
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Best for Beginners - Instax Mini 12
The Instax Mini has been a crowd-favourite for some time, largely due to being an affordable, easy-to-use instant camera that won’t overwhelm anyone. It recently got better with the release of the new Instax Mini 12! Taking photos with an Instax is easy. An auto-exposure system takes out any guesswork, meaning you just have to point and shoot to get an instant snap. A high-performance flash means you can get snaps even under bad light conditions. While it doesn’t have advanced modes or controls, that’s a big part of the charm. It’s simply there to get instant snapshots of a moment in time, that you can treasure for years to come. If taking selfies is your thing, the tiny built-in mirror on the front of the camera, and the pop-up lens barrel will help you take the perfect instant selfie.
The Instax Mini 12 prints cute credit card-sized photos that fit perfectly into a purse, wallet, or mini photo frame. They measure at 54mm × 86mm, with a photo area of 46mm × 62mm. Not only is it a fun item to have for your own use, but it is also a great gift idea. The affordable price makes it easily fit within more budgets, and the range of fun colours means you can choose one to suit different styles and personalities. Unlike the Polaroid Go, the Instax Mini doesn’t have a rechargeable battery and takes 2x AA batteries.
Best Classic Polaroid - Polaroid Now+
Polaroid is the classic instant film camera brand and the Polaroid Now+ is their top choice! This analog instant camera boasts superior image quality, thanks to its dual-lens autofocus system and improved flash, which help capture sharper photos with ease. Additionally, it comes with 5 lens filters (and a zip-through pouch for storage), including starbust, red vignette, orange, blue and yellow, so you can get creative with your shots! The ability to connect to the Polaroid App via a smartphone, will also give you full creative control and allow you to use settings such as Aperture priority, light painting, double exposure, self-timer, manual mode and more!
Other notable features include a self-timer mode and a double exposure mode, which lets you get two frames in one Polaroid photograph. This can add some drama to your photography and help with creating dreamy or artistic shots. Photos will print as beautiful full-sized square prints. If you’re into the retro aesthetic, you’ll love the design of the Polaroid Now+. It’s certainly not compact, and you’ll enjoy the tactility of holding a big, boxy, Polaroid in your hands as you take photos. The unique design comes with the modern convenience of a rechargeable battery. The Polaroid Now+’s built-in battery is easily recharged with a USB cable plugged into a power source. It uses Polaroid’s i-Type film which measures 10.7cm x 8.8cm, with a photo area of 7.8cm x 7.6cm.
Best Hybrid Camera - Instax mini EVO
Our next hot pick is the Instax mini EVO Hybrid Digital Instant Camera. This camera bridges the gap between the classic instant camera experience and a digital camera. You can capture and print photos on the spot, or save them digitally to an SD card for later printing or sharing. Additionally, once you've connected it to the instax mini EVO app on your smartphone, you can save the app to your print gallery or adjust the crop, rotate, tweak the brightness, contrast and saturation, add a filter, and then print directly from your phone!
There are also a number of on-camera features that will help you capture the perfect shot. You can adjust the exposure, adjust white balance, turn the flash on or off, and even select macro mode when you're shooting a close-up. You can also choose from a range of efects. The lens dial offers 10 different effects, including soft focus, fisheye, and light leak. The film dial provides 10 film effects, including monochrome and retro. This allows for a total of 100 unique combinations to customise your photos. Additionally, choose between Instax-Rich Mode for vibrant colors or Instax-Natural Mode for a more classic look.
Best Creative Control - Instax Mini 99
The Instax Mini 99 offers a level of control often not seen in instant cameras. It's designed to deliver precise light and colour control, so you can unleash your artistic flair and create unique image for a true analog experience. Choose from five shooting modes, including Normal, Indoor, Sports, Double Exposure, and Bulb, to optimise the camera for specific scenarios. If you feel a particular scene would benefit from additional highlight or shadow detail, you can choose from five levels of adjustable brightness.
This camera also has a zone focusing system, allowing you to adjust the focus for landscapes, selfies, macro shots, and everything in between. This, combined with the manual vignette switch and adjustable flash control, provides the ability to fine-tune shots for a more artistic look. Additionally, you can experiment with six different colour effects, including vintage and sepia, to add a unique touch to your photos. Photos are printed on a 2 x 3" Instax Mini instant film (sold seperately).
Best Compact Camera - Polaroid Go
The Polaroid Go is the ultimate cute and compact instant camera that is perfect for taking on the go. Being such a small camera, it sacrifices some image quality when compared to the Polaroid Now, but it still produces pleasing pictures and delivers that classic lo-fi instant photo aesthetic. That being said, the latest generation has been upgraded with a larger aperture range, precise light sensor, and on-point-exposure settings so your pictures look even better.
The Go has a double exposure feature that allows you to layer two photos, and the self-timer makes it perfect for taking group selfies with your friends. The camera has a fun and funky design that’ll stand out amongst competing products. After snapping endless memories in this pocket-sized camera, it can easily be re-charged with a USB. If you’re thinking of purchasing a Polaroid Go, make sure to pick up a pack of Polaroid Go instant film too! Polaroid Go film measures 67mm x 54mm, with a picture area of 47mm x 46mm.
Best Instax Square Photos - Instax SQ1 Square
If you're into the classic square polaroid, the Instax Square SQ1 is Fujifilm's take on it. It's considerably cheaper than Polaroid's option and more straightforward to use, making it a popular option for the average square film lover. It incorporates a Fujinon 65.75mm f/12.6 lens, which offers intuitive zone focus control, with a minimum focusing distance of 11.8". Like the Instax Mini, the SQ1 Square has straightforward auto exposure that takes away any guesswork and helps ensure shots are properly exposed. However, the SQ1 is packed full of filters and modes that take these instant shots to another level!
The SQ1 features a host of creative shooting modes (including automatic, selfie, macro, and landscape mode), and coloured flash filters that allow you to have more creative control over your photography. It also allows you to manually adjust the exposure with Lighten and Dark modes, or even use the Double Exposure mode to superimpose two images into one. The SQ1 Square produces large prints that measure at 72mm × 85.6mm, with a photo area of 62mm x 62mm. All in all, this is the Instax camera to go for if you want brighter, larger, and more creative shots! It comes in three cute colours: Chalk White, Glacier Blue, and Terracotta Orange.
Everyone loves a good instant photo! Head over to PB Tech to check out the entire range of Instant Film Cameras.
