If you’re looking to buy an instant film camera, there are only two serious names in the game: Polaroid, and Fujifilm Instax. While some manufacturers like Canon and Kodak offer digital instant-print cameras that use techniques like dye-sublimation to create instant prints of digital images on specialist paper, it’s not the same. For the true alchemical magic of instant film, you Polaroid and Instax are the big hitters.

Polaroid is undoubtedly the better-known brand name due to its long history, dating back to the 1940s (though hitting major popularity in the 70s). It spent a few years in the wilderness following a bankruptcy in the early 2000s, before being purchased and revitalised in 2017 by an analog film collective called The Impossible Project. All the proper Polaroid cameras you can buy new today have been released since this renaissance.

Instax cameras may not have the historical cachet of Polaroids, but they are massively popular — Fujifilm reported last year that its Instax line has sold more than 100 million units since its inception in 1998. I don’t have similar sales data on post-revival Polaroid, but frankly, I don’t think it’s anywhere close.

Ultimately, there are compelling reasons to choose either brand. The Instax mini 12 is TR's pick as the best instant camera, and I can see why — it's a great option for the majority of users. But for me personally, it’s Polaroid all the way.

Why I’ll pick Polaroid every time

It’s not a question of print size, as both brands have similar offerings. Fujifilm Instax Wide film is about the same size as a Polaroid I-Type (or SX-70) print, just rectangular rather than square. Polaroid’s smaller ‘Go’ film produces prints of comparable dimensions to Instax mini.

What it’s all about is vibe. Scoff if you want, but come on — you’re shooting instant film. You’re not here for accurate colors or pitch-perfect sharpness, you’re here because you love the tangibility of holding a print in your hands, the transportative lo-fi look of a format that’s been around for half a century. It’s all vibe.

I’ve shot Polaroid and Instax prints side by side before for comparison. Once, while I was viewing them, my partner made an astute observation that I have since stolen and made my own: the Instax catches your eye first, but you end up liking the Polaroid more. Instax prints are bright and vivid, with naturalistic colors and a decent level of detail, especially the Wide format. They’re fun and kitschy.

But Polaroid images just have that inimitable retro glow that instantly transports me back in time. The softer, more muted color palette makes images less immediately striking, but more satisfying the longer I look at them. There’s a richness to them, a greater sense of depth and subtle tonality. If I were embarking on an artistic project with instant film, there’s no question which format I’d choose. It wouldn’t even be a decision.

Instax cameras are easier to use for sure — most are just point and shoot. If I were recommending an instant camera for a family, or for someone who isn’t an experienced photographer, I’d go with Instax. But for me, as someone who knows my way around a camera, the depth of control offered by the top-end Polaroid cameras leaves Instax in the dust.

Connect to the Polaroid app, which works very smoothly and is highly intuitive, and you can completely program in your settings, taking total control over your images. Want to try your hand at creating long exposures on instant film? It’s straightforward on a Polaroid Flip or Polaroid I-2, and impossible on an Instax Mini 99.

Sure, Polaroids aren’t perfect. The ongoing cost of I-Type film is a sore point, with packs of eight shots costing the same as a pack of 20 shots of Instax Wide or Mini. This sucks. No way to pretend it doesn’t. Buying in bulk can help a little, though honestly not a lot. At least the smaller Polaroid Go film is much cheaper, and I prefer it to Instax Mini. Again, its subtler look is less striking, but richer.

Do you agree? Let me know which is your preferred instant-film format in the poll above. And if you’re looking for an instant-film camera to buy, see my explainer on why the Polaroid Go Gen 2 is the best buy you can make this Prime Day and click on today's best deals where you live using the links below.

• Polaroid's latest portable printer produces 3x3 prints through an app
• The device's unique built-in frame can house your prints
• It costs $119.99 / £99.99 and joins 2x3 and 4x6 versions in the Hi-Print range

Like Instax, Polaroid makes some of the best instant cameras, but today it revealed a different kind of product for instant photography fans — the Hi-Print 3x3 portable printer.

It's a unique rival to the Instax Mini Link series of portable printers — a smart alternative to dedicated instant cameras — printing onto Polaroid's Hi-Print 3x3 paper, and with a trick up its sleeve: it doubles up as a photo frame.

Printers can be pretty ugly, but the Hi-Print 3x3 is an altogether stylish alternative you'll want to display, with a slick all-white design that is essentially customizable by housing one of your smartphone prints, selected and edited from your phone's gallery / camera roll through Polaroid's free app (for iOS and Android).

The Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3 portable printer costs $119.99 / £99.99 (Australia pricing and availability TBC) and comes with a cartridge of 10 sheets for printing to get you started — a competitive price compared to Instax Mini Link alternatives.

A different kind of photo frame

I've been reviewing the best instant cameras and the best digital photo frames for years, and the new Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3 is, in a way, a unique hybrid of the two.

Unlike a dedicated analog instant camera, you get the freedom of choosing which images you'd like to print from your smartphone through the Polaroid app, with the option to add templates and stickers should you wish.

And this is not just a portable printer, but a frame too — those prints can snap onto the device within its lift-up frame.

Polaroid already has the Hi-Print 4x6 photo printer in its lineup, and an additional new Hi-Print 2x3 printer, which will easily fit into a clutch bag, but it's the new 3x3 version with its built-in frame that truly stands out to me.

Having never used a Polaroid Hi-Print device, I can't speak of the quality of the prints produced by the different paper types versus traditional Polaroid cameras such as the I-2, the Flip, or the Go 2, but I'm certainly interested in the 3x3 portable printer and hope to have a play with it soon.

• The Instax Mini 13 arrives around three years after the Instax Mini 12
• It keeps the same low price of around $94 / £79 / AU$139, with shipping expected from June 25
• The key upgrade is a handy new self-timer mode

Fujifilm has quietly unveiled the Instax Mini 13 — the latest model in its long-running series of budget instant cameras. It looks like a modest refresh of the Instax Mini 12, which has occupied the top spot in my best instant camera guide for three years, thanks to its excellent value and easy handling.

The Instax Mini 13 comes three years after the Mini 12, and Fujifilm has stuck with a winning formula — and, thankfully, a winning price. The Instax Mini 13 will cost $94 / £79 / AU$139 when shipping starts, which is expected to be on June 25.

Like the previous version, the Mini 13 has a playful design and comes in a variety in pastel colorways, which for this model are Candy Pink, Frost Blue (see above), Clay White, Lagoon Green and Dreamy Purple.

The Minis are fully analog instant cameras, shooting onto Instax Mini paper and equipped with automatic exposure, a built-in flash, a close-up mode and a selfie mirror. So how exactly do the two cameras differ? And what new features does the Mini 13 bring to the table?

Calling the new Mini a minor upgrade is fair, and the improvements are mainly around making selfies even easier. Let's take a look at what's new.

Me, myself and I

You'll notice from the images of the Mini 13 and Mini 12 above that Fujifilm has tinkered with the camera's design. The Mini 13 has a puffer jacket-like exterior, versus the bubble-like exterior of the Mini 12. Both have a smooth finish, and if the Mini 13 is anything like its predecessor, I suspect I'll find that the finish could do with being a little grippier. The new version is a fraction heavier and bigger, but those differences are negligible.

The key new feature is a self-timer mode, which makes taking selfies much easier, especially if you want to go hands-free for larger group shots. There's a 2-second or 10-second timer option, selected by twisting the lever that surrounds the shutter button.

The shutter button now has an LED trim too, which illuminates to indicate when the timer is active, and which looks like a really neat feature for such a low-cost camera.

There's still no tripod thread, meaning no easy way to support the camera for hands-free selfies. However, Fujifilm supplies the Mini 13 with a matching strap, which features an Instax-branded wedge on the end, which can be used to prop the camera up on surfaces and for micro adjustments to the angle of the camera (see below).

We again get a mirror next to the lens as an aid for composing selfies, plus a 0.3m close-up mode which will get you the best results for handheld selfies. Fujifilm says parallax correction for this mode makes composing close-up shots through the viewfinder easier.

That's just about all you need to know. In summary, the Mini 13 adds a useful timer mode with LED guide, but is otherwise very much the excellent budget instant camera the Mini 12 was and still is.

I would have preferred to see a switch to USB charging, but alas the Mini 13, like the Mini 12, requires 2x AA batteries. Perhaps the best news is that the price is unchanged, and potentially even lower than the Instax Mini 12, depending on where you live in. As such, I expect the Mini 13 to quickly become one of the best-selling instant cameras.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema: Two-minute review

The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema takes instant cameras in a new direction, and let me tell you, it’s heaps of fun. It’s a 3-in-1 digital ‘hybrid’ instant camera; being a stills camera, an instant printer and the very first Instax that shoots video.

We know the instant photography part already: the Mini Evo Cinema packs much of the same lo-fi tech as the Mini Evo – 5MP digital photos through a 28mm f/2 lens, which are saved onto micro SD, that you can select in the camera’s gallery or through a companion app to print instantly onto Instax Mini paper. In this case, the printing process uses an analog-style lift and twist lever.

But it’s the camera's design where things get really interesting. This is a nostalgic, slimline Super 8 camera-style body – which is supposedly inspired by Fujifilm’s ‘Fujica Single-8‘ from 1965 – that easily sits in the hand with the shutter button at your trigger finger.

And for me, it’s the video features that drew me in rather than the traditional Instax photography experience, even if each of the three functions seamlessly blend together.

Then there's the main event – the Eras Dial, with a look for every decade spanning the last 100 years. Fujifilm says these looks ‘pay homage to the characteristics, media and playback devices that defined that time’.

Starting with 1930 and running up to 2020, there's a distinct look for each decade, each with a scale of 1-10 for various 'expressions' of each decade, adjusting either the strength or the look of each style. So yes, that makes 100 styles, all of which work for photos and videos.

Fujifilm is no stranger to introducing never-before seen controls in its recent cameras, from the Film Mode in the fun X half to the aspect ratio dial in the serious GFX100RF, it keeps delivering surprising new features, and the Eras Dial, being at one's fingertips, is more than just a novelty.

Even videos can be shared through an Instax Mini print – the Mini Evo Cinema selects a frame from the video (or the user can manually select a frame) and prints it with a QR code for access to that clip through Fujifilm’s servers.

You can also check out and share photos and videos using the free Instax Mini Evo app, including making short video edits from your video clips (which are limited in length to 15 seconds each).

I've made my own video compilations using the Instax Mini Evo app, combining multiple clips into a 30 second montage (which is the maximum length), printed it with a QR code attached, which then seamlessly took me online to that reel. The editor is a little clunky, and the video length limitations are frustrating at times, but it's an OK experience overall.

Inside the box, you get the camera, viewfinder eye cup for the 1.5-inch 170k-dot LCD screen (see it in action, below), a grip extension and a strap.

The Mini Evo might look toy-like, but it is in fact a premium-feel product, everything from the grip to the dials, switches and buttons feel solid.

Performance, on the other hand, during my review was pretty sluggish. I've used the camera at a launch event and again during a two week review period, and with both units the Evo Cinema's wheel of death appeared almost every time I recorded a video or switched eras, taking a few seconds to be ready to use again. A little annoying, but arguably in the spirit of retro tech.

I actually think the Mini Evo Cinema is the most intriguing Instax camera to date – it feels like the Instax camera that the digital generation has been waiting for.

Its Super 8-style body is a perfect form to host Instax Mini printing, and the multi-media output makes this feel like a camera that'll keep my interest for much longer than a simple instant photography Instax. This is a proper good times camera.

Technically speaking, this is a poor camera. However, it already feels like the one Instax that appeals to me the most in the many years that I've been testing Fujifilm products.

If I was to sum the Mini Evo up in a single word, it would be fun. Fujifilm is having a real go at making cameras fun again with a string of quirky products, and the Evo Cinema could just top the lot.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema: price and release date

• Costs $419 / £329 / AU$599
• There's viewfinder, grip extension and strap accessories included
• Sales began on January 28, 2026

The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema went on sale globally from January 28 2026, with a price of $419 / £329 / AU$599.

In the box you'll also find the viewfinder attachment, grip extender, strap and USB-C cable. A purpose-made leather case will be available too, for $40 / £35 (about AU$65).

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema: specs

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema: design

• Fabulous Super 8-style body
• A pack of Instax Mini film slots inside
• Retro controls and a charming Eras Dial

Design is easily the strong side of the Evo Cinema – it's a charming, Super 8-style camera with versatile 3-in-1 skills; digital photos, video, and instant printing.

The body is particularly slimline and designed to be held vertically. With a pistol-like grip, your index finger naturally rests on the shutter button, like a trigger. You press it to take photos, or press and hold to shoot video, with a maximum clip length of 15 seconds. You can customize to a single press to record video too, but I preferred the authentic press and hold for video recording, not least of which to avoid accidental recordings.

Fujifilm provides a grip extension with the camera, but honestly I could take or leave it – because it hardly impacts the camera’s handling. What is a useful accessory, however, is the viewfinder eyecup, which comes included. It attaches magnetically and clicks into place over the tiny 1.5-inch LCD screen, which isn’t touch sensitive by the way, enabling a clear view in bright light, but again more for an authentic Super 8-like shooting experience.

There are several buttons and controls around the camera worth mentioning, one of which is a lift and twist lever used for instant printing – it’s easy to forget that this slim camera can hold a pack of Instax Mini film inside for instant photo prints. A single pack of 10 prints will set you back around $9 dollars or £8 pounds.

Another control is the digital zoom lever – I rarely used this because the Mini Evo Cinema’s image quality is sketchy at best already, but more on this later.

The 28mm f/2 lens is a moderate wide angle optic, with a similar perspective to the main camera on your smartphone, and it has a ring around it which can scroll through color profiles. Above the lens is a selfie mirror which is barely helpful, plus a tiny LED flash light which is useful for indoor party portraits, even if it’s not very powerful.

The Eras Dial starts in the 1930s with a grainy monochrome, the 1990s is the old school handicam look, while 2020 is a crisp quality like today’s smartphones. Gimmicky? Maybe for some, but not for me – this is such a fun feature that I kept coming back to.

It might appear toy-like, but once you get to grips with the Mini Evo, you realise that it's a well-made, well-thought out camera. I really believe Fujifilm has faithfully brought a fabulous concept into life.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema: performance

• 100 color profiles inspired by decades past and present
• Poor image quality and limited video clip length
• Sluggish operation

On the flipside to design, performance is surely the Mini Evo Cinema's weakness – and in that sense it is fully committed to its retro roots!

Having used the Mini Evo previously, I expected poor image quality, especially since the basic sensor hardware is essentially the same as the original Mini Evo. Put simply, don’t expect excellent photo quality – the camera shoots lo-fi five megapixel JPEG photos through that 28mm lens, which are then saved onto micro SD.

From the camera’s gallery, you can then select which images you’d like to print instantly onto Instax Mini paper, using that analog-style lift and twist lever.

Video quality is equally lo-fi at just HD 720p, unless you have the high-resolution option active specifically for the 2020 Eras Dial setting alone, where video resolution can be doubled to 1440p. A frustrating, needless limitation on quality? Not so – it’s authentic.

I prefer the digital hybrid setup to a fully analog instant camera – where the camera prints immediately on capture, whether it’s a ‘good’ photo or not. With a Mini Evo you pick the shot you like for printing, meaning less wasted prints. Sure, it’s not one for analog purists, but I’d rather not waste my money on throwaway prints.

One frustrating experience using the Mini Evo Cinema is its slow operation. Every time you change a setting, or take a photo or video, a spinny wheel of doom pops up on screen as the camera makes those changes or processes images before it’s ready to operate again. The wait is even longer after recording video clips.

I’ve had two samples of the camera, and had the same issue with both. One time, the camera completely froze up, and the only solution was to leave it be until the battery fully drained. Once I charged it up and turned it back on, all seemed well again.

These issues could be bugs with the current firmware, that could be addressed in the future, but I’d be remiss not to mention them.

In one sense, using the Evo Cinema with all its performance-related issues is frustrating, but then I stop and think about the kind of camera that it is, and I can't help but embrace those flaws.

Sample photos – 1930 through to 2020

The 10 photos above cover each of the 10 settings in the Eras Dial, from 1930 to 2020. I kept the 'expressions' control to its auto setting rather than experiment with the 10 different looks available for each of the decades on the dial. Stills are recorded as JPEGs onto microSD, at 1920 x 2560 pixels.

Sample video – 100 years in a minute

I repeated the process for video, capturing each of the 10 Eras Dial looks. The lo-fi video quality is captured at 600 x 800 pixels for every setting except 2020, which is a higher quality 1080 x 1440 pixels.

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema: also consider

How I tested the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema

• I attend a pre-launch Evo Cinema event for an two hour session. Fujifilm consequently sent me the camera for a two week loan period
• I used it with the viewfinder and grip accessories, and I tried all the Eras Dial settings for photo and video
• I've printed Instax Mini prints and edited content through the app

I've spent two weeks with the Evo Cinema, which has given me plenty of time to get a feel for how it handles and performs.

At a two hour launch event, I recorded the same video in a studio of a model, using every one of the 10 Eras Dial settings, and repeated that process for photos, printing out each one.

I've since experimented with the various expressions of each decade, taken more photos and videos both indoors and outdoors, in good light and bad.

I've tried the Evo Cinema with and without its viewfinder and grip accessories. The optional case was not supplied to me for the review.

I also made video montages using the basic video editor in the free Mini Evo Cinema app, and printed the QR code for access to those clips.

• First reviewed: January 2026
• Read more about how we test

• Instax Mini Evo Cinema is a hybrid digital-instant film camera, styled to resemble the FUJICA Single-8 Super 8 camcorder
• The camera is equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and doubles up as a direct smartphone printer
• Currently only announced for release in Japan

Fujifilm Japan is wasting no time in making its mark on 2026, releasing what might be one of the most unusual cameras of recent years. The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema is a hybrid digital-instant film camera (I know, it took me a while to get my head around what that meant too), that aims to blend the very best elements of modern camera technology and nostalgia-inducing classic flair.

There are several headline-grabbing features to the latest addition to the Instax family, which are traditionally amongst the best instant cameras on the market, not least of which is its crown as the first Instax to be equipped with video. While Fujifilm made the curious decision to add audio-recording to the Instax Mini LiPlay+, this was still a purely photo-only camera, merely adding the option to pair sound with a slideshow of captured images.

The Instax Mini Evo Cinema captures both still images and videos, the latter of which it then converts into a QR code that can then be printed, along with an image taken from a frame in the clip. By scanning the code, viewers can revisit a video at any time along with related still images in print form.

The videos themselves can be edited using a dedicated mobile app, which allows the usual splicing and cutting of clips in addition to being able to introduce cinematic opening and ending templates. It’s an intriguing approach to keeping Instax instant cameras relevant in the video-centric era in which we live.

Speaking of eras, probably the biggest feature of the Instax Mini Evo Cinema, one that Fujifilm is going all-out to promote, is the ’Eras' dial. This physical control on the camera body allows the user to scroll through a number of preset image styles inspired by different decades. Beginning in 1930 and the very start of commercial film-making, the dial offers ten positions all the way through into the 21st Century, the last stop being 2020.

Standout eras that are likely to get most of the attention are the 1980s setting, which gives a 35mm color negative feel, and the 1960s era which Fujifilm explains is a recipe based on the look of Super 8. This one is especially relevant given than the body of the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema is itself styled around 1965’s FUJICA Single-8 camera, an 8mm model that used a similarly eye-catching vertically oriented handgrip.

For someone of my age, it’s the 2000 and 2010 positions that stir up the bittersweet pang of nostalgia, bridging the gap between the early days of digital photography and the smartphone age. Clicking the Eras dial to 2010 will apply a style based on the look of time-relevant smartphone editing apps. I’m hoping the 2000 detent doesn’t pixelate images or take what feels like an hour to process each shot, much like some of the compact digital cameras I experienced circa 2005, but we’ll have to wait and see as Fujifilm didn’t provide a sample of this notch in its press release.

A retro record

Fujifilm is no stranger to camera oddities – I’m looking at you Fujifilm X-Half – but the Mini Evo Cinema truly doubles down on the retro trend of the Instax family. Without seeing samples first hand, it’s too early to review the quality of the results, and we don’t even know what sensor size the camera will be equipped with. It’s safe to assume that it won’t be able to match the the best video cameras available today for absolute image integrity, but being able to “hand over a video” as Fujifilm puts it is undeniably a unique idea that the emerging Tik Tok savvy generation will love, given that these users also show an affinity for retro designs.

To round off the feature spec, the camera also functions as a portable smartphone printer thanks to the integrated Direct Print Function.

I’ll reserve judgement until the TechRadar team can perform a thorough review, but I’d be surprised if this didn’t prove to be another solid performer in the enviable line of successful Instax products. The caveat is that Fujifilm have, so far, only announced the Mini Evo Cinema for the Japanese market, with no mention of availability in other territories. The current information omits a launch price and full specification, but if you happen to be in Japan soon and want to pick up a unit, it begins shipping on January 30.

• Fujifilm unveils the Instax mini LiPlay+, six years after the original model
• The addition of a selfie camera is the main hardware upgrade
• It's available from October 30 in two colors, with matching cases

Fujifilm has unveiled a successor to the Instax mini LiPlay, some six years after the original hybrid instant camera – and it's called the mini LiPlay+.

The new hybrid model retains a similar design, with a larger rear LCD to compose images and the ability to produce Instax Mini prints. But it comes with one significant hardware upgrade and the ability to add audio clips to images through the Instax mini LiPlay+ app.

The mini LiPlay+ packs twin cameras, adding a selfie camera where the original model just has the front-facing camera. As well as making selfies much easier to create, these twin cameras unleash a new layered photo mode, which combines the front and rear camera images, with two Instax color profiles to choose from.

And if you have the new app, there are four ways to record short audio clips to be added to images, for multi-sensory albums.

There are two color versions of the mini LiPlay+ to choose from; Midnight Blue and Sand Beige. They are available from October 30, with a list price of $235 / £189.99 / AU$329, while a matching case costs an extra £29.99.

A new 'Soft Glitter' Instax Mini film is also being debuted and will be available on the same day as the mini LiPlay+, costing £8.99 for a single pack of 10. I'll update this page with additional US and Australia pricing when I get that info.

Instax for the smartphone generation

Supported by auto exposure, flash and a self timer, the hybrid mini LiPlay+ should be as simple as instant cameras come, even if it'll lack the analog charm of true instant cameras, like the wildly fun and creative mini 99.

No, the mini LiPlay+ is for the smartphone generation, for whom the accompanying app is as much a part of the experience as getting those instant prints.

There are perks to hybrid instant cameras, such as fewer wasted prints. However, they're not for analog purists who cherish the unpredictable nature of instant photography.

I've currently got my hands-on the mini LiPlay+ and will share a review soon. But what are your first impressions? Do you like the sound of a hybrid instant camera like the mini LiPlay+, or prefer the old school Instax cameras? Let me know in the comments below!

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Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo: Two-minute review

The Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo is instantly striking with its retro design and ultra-wide body. If you're after the best instant camera for hybrid photography (i.e. the ability to print film images taken directly on the camera or sent from your smartphone) and prefer to shoot on wide format prints, then this really looks like it's the model for you.

Although it doesn't come cheap, the Instax Wide Evo is very much the step-up from Fujifilm's other Instax hybrid, the Mini Evo, that was launched in 2021, offering most of the same great features, including an LCD display screen, 10 lens and 10 film effects that make 100 different creative combinations, and a microSD card slot, along with a few more new additions that I'll break down below.

A wider film print means this instant camera is a bit on the larger side, but it makes use of the extra real-estate by adding more physical buttons that let you quickly change settings. These include a dedicated wide angle button that lets you switch to a more standard field of view (FoV) if you don't want that cinematic look.

Speaking of, you can also switch between six different film styles, one of which puts black bars to give your pictures that IMAX feeling, using a button on top of the camera. There's also a dial on the left side of the camera to cycle through the 10 different lens effects, with another dial on the opposite right side to switch between the 10 different film effects. My favorite, though, is the crank that lets you manually print a picture by winding it, which is a nice design nod to the crank for winding back film on the best film cameras.

So it's a full five stars for all the creative photo editing options it offers, but what about the Instax Evo Wide's image quality? It's by no means as rich or dynamic as an analog instant camera can produce. Instead the picture quality of the physical print outs is more in line with what you'd expect from your phone's smartphone camera. Of course, the digital copies of these images when compared to those taken your phone can't compete.

The Instax Evo Wide will by no means replace your dedicated digital camera – and if you love the 'magic' of purely analog instant film cameras, then this might not be right for you either as your images will always be digital first – but it is a perfect piece of extra gear if you want to be creative with your photography and experiment with a larger field of view.

Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo: Price and availability

The Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo was launched on January 21, 2025 with a price tag of $349.95 / £319.99 / AU$599.

That makes the Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo one of the the priciest instant cameras of its kind, says TechRadar's cameras editor, Timothy Coleman. Indeed, for comparison's sake, the only other Instax camera that takes wide-format instant film prints is the Instax Wide 400 and that sets you back $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.99.

The Wide Evo is also almost double the price of Fujifilm's other Instax hybrid too, the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo, which retails for $199.99 / £174.99 / AU$299.99. Does the extra cost account for the more premium, larger features in the step-up model? As the brand's first wide format hybrid camera (and second hybrid camera overall), the Wide Evo does offer a premium package, which it's not great on value.

There's also optional accessories available for the Evo Wide, including a leather case that costs $49.95 in the US and £37.99 in the UK. Although optional, this might be a necessary additional cost to make sure to protect the LCD display screen (if this gets too scratched up, then you won't be able to take let alone see your photos).

Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo: Specs

Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo: Design

• A hybrid instant camera that can print directly or from your catalog of shots, stored on Micro SD
• Plenty of dials and switches to select various film effects
• Includes a mirror and switch to take selfies

When rumors started to circle about the Instax Wide Evo, there was talk that it would be "regarded as the best-looking Instax camera ever made" and that caught a lot of enthusiast's attention, including TechRadar's senior news editor Mark Wilson who said off the back of it that the "Instax Wide Evo sounded like my dream instant camera".

Now that the camera is out in the wild, we can officially say that it's a stunning piece of equipment. It has a relatively slim body to balance the camera's wide build, making the Instax Wide Evo one of the more sizable options on the market. This is offset by a stylish retro look that mimics those vintage cameras that had black textured bodies with silver lenses.

Considering that the only wide-format Instax camera alternative is the big and bulky Instax Wide 400, the Wide Evo's textured, minimal black design is definitely a lot more easy on the eye than the plasticky, dull green finish of its larger cousin. (Another alternative if you're set on a wide-format is 2024's Lomo’Instant Wide Glass – an attractive instant camera that we gave 4.5 stars in our in-depth review.) Indeed, I don't think many would be opposed to slinging the Wide Evo over their shoulder for the day.

The leather case that you can buy alongside the Wide Evo makes this very easy to do and might be a crucial accessory – not just for protecting it from nicks and scratches but – to make sure that it has a long life, as the LCD screen could easily get scuffed up over time. That's not great for a camera that doesn't have a viewfinder. Of course, I can't yet say that this will be an issue but it's worth considering.

It also helps that the Evo Wide is light – it weighs about half a kilo – making it very portable, but don't expect to be able to fit the Wide Evo in any pocket. As you would expect, because it takes wide-format instant prints, it's on the larger side.

Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo: Performance

• Plenty of scope to try different looks, with 100 creative combinations
• The widest-ever Instax lens and wide-format prints give extra breathing room for your subjects

The Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo's built-in film and lens effects make experimenting with different styles extremely easy. The fact that you can create 100 different creative combinations with these settings means there's plenty of room to play around.

Fujifilm has made the ability to customize all your images with various different effects a core part of the Instax Wide Evo. Indeed, if you're someone that likes to experiment with different effects such as lens flares, borders and color filters, then this camera is built for you.

The entire design of the camera is focused on making those photo editing tweaks simple, quick and easy. Both the lens and film effects each have dedicated dial buttons on the side of the camera. Even the top most prominent button on the camera (the placement of which is normally reserved for a shutter button) is for adding different film styles to your images.

The Wide Evo even has a dedicated button on the front of it that turns off the wide-angle, which is a nice feature that nods to its hybrid functionality. Another more less visible button is the lens of the camera itself, which can be twisted to adjust the intensity of the filter and film effects you're applying.

I had a lot of fun playing around with all the different film effects and styles because of these dedicated buttons, but my favorite physical feature of the camera has to be the hand crank on the side for printing images. It's a nice nod to the analog nostalgia that the Wide Evo embodies.

The shutter button is a lot different to the Mini Evo, which has a standard push button on top of the camera. Instead of this, the Wide Evo has a rocker style switch (like the ones you would use to turn on a light) that's situated on the front of the camera, beside the lens. I found this placement and style initially cumbersome, especially when taking a selfie as I couldn't immediately engage the auto focus by half pressing it down.

To be clear, this might be just be because I didn't spend a lot of time using it and could become more easier, but I will say it's not initially intuitive. That's also not to say that all the buttons are like this. The spin dials and crank for printing photos, for instance, are extremely tactile and easy to use.

On top of all this, there's even an Instax Wide app for more standard editing options, such as being able to crop an image or increase the brightness and contrast, as well as a 'Discovery Feed' for sharing and seeing fellow Instax Wideo Evo owners' creations. One thing to note about the app is that only printed images are automatically saved. Any photos you take on the camera itself won't just appear in your personal library in the app, which means you'll have to still transfer them of a microSD card.

Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo: Image quality

• Images are digital first, which loses the 'magic' of analog
• Picture quality of printouts appear flat but look fine digitally
• Not on par with pure analog instant cameras like the Instax Mini 99

There's a trade-off with every instant camera when it comes to picture quality that most of us are willing to accept. These cameras don't produce the same precision as newer dedicated digital cameras, but many people that purchase these type of cameras are more interested in the nostalgia that instantly printed photographs brings, so I appreciate that this isn't the most important component.

When it comes to the picture quality overall, I was most interested in testing out how the film prints compared to those taken on a non-hybrid instant camera as the images are digital first on the Evo Wide. This is a big deal for me because I'm split between analog and digital, and this in my opinion takes a bit of the magic away.

For context, I bought my first Instax in 2014 and of course quickly realized how expensive this style of photography is after discarding some duds, which made me even more selective with every picture I took. My boyfriend decided to buy me an Instax printer to solve this issue, but this for me took away what I loved about the style in the first place. I also found that picture quality from a printer wasn't on par, as the photographs appeared flatter and less dynamic than those printed on an analog instant camera.

With this in mind, if the image quality of the prints is really important to you then you're better off buying an analog Instax camera in my opinion, because the prints are much more rich in contrast due to the light passing directly though the sensor rather than being digitally scanned. They also don't tend to be as overexposed as those printed on a hybrid Instax.

In terms of the wide-angle prints themselves, the larger size makes them feel much more premium than the smaller rectangular formats that mimic your smartphone pictures and is much more akin to the classic square instant prints that were once more popular.

As for the digital images that are taken by the Instax Wide Evo, these by no means match up to the quality you'd find from one of the best cameraphones, which benefit from more advanced sensors and image processing algorithms. For this reason, outside of sharing the images you take on the Instax Wide Evo to social media, you most likely won't use these elsewhere.

How I tested the Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo

• A one hour hands-on session at the UK launch event
• Ad-hoc testing during the day and night over a week
• I tried various filters, two lenses and selfie mode

My time with the Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo was brief: following attending the UK launch event in London, I was able to test out the camera for less than a week around the office and home.

However, during this time, I had decent chance to get a feel for the camera; how it handles for regular photos and selfies, plus the various filter and film effects possible through the physical controls on the camera.

I used two packets of the Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo at the event, each of which had 10 prints, and a couple more packets during the week-long product loan

Polaroid is not in the business of perfection. Its photographs, going back many decades, have a somewhat indescribable look, a graininess and rough-hewn quality so iconic that Instagram copied it (along with the logo) when it launched almost 15 years ago.

That legacy of imperfection continues with the Polaroid Flip, the company’s most accomplished and accessible instant camera, which finally delivers the imagery and usability goods at a “yes, I can afford this” price.

Where the $599 / £500 i-2 was a pro-level shooter for those who knew the ins and outs of exposure and focus, the Flip is simpler and does that work for you and might deliver better images because of it.

In some ways, the Polaroid Flip, which I had a chance to play with, is a throwback. The instant camera – available in black or white – features a fold-up flash that might remind people of the once ultra-popular 600 series. However, this one is better integrated into the smooth body design and offers far more throw power (up to 15 feet).

Where the i-2 has a three-element lens system, the Polaroid Flip features four lenses. They’re housed in an internal dial that automatically chooses the right lens for a shot. The camera does this thanks to another critical choice Polaroid made for the Flip: it uses sonar instead of LiDAR for focus and lens selection.

Sonar, which uses sound waves, is accurate and more forgiving than LiDAR. Polaroid memorably used sonar with its first analog instant camera, the SX-70. In that attachment, though, the circular sonar screen was giant. It’s thumb-tip-sized on the Flip.

The company focused on ease of use for this consumer-friendly but full-sized Polaroid print camera. There are minimal buttons and controls, with just enough visual feedback to keep photographers engaged instead of confused.

Aside from the shutter button, there is another large button on the side to eject the film cartridge (the camera uses Polaroid I-film cartridges, which do not include a battery), a large red shutter button on the face, a flash control button, and a small settings button to control shot style. You can shoot on a timer or even do a double exposure. On the back of the flash housing is a small, monochrome LED screen that shows the number of pictures remaining in the cartridge and your other camera settings.

While there isn't a lot of feedback on how to frame or light your photos, the Flip does include a tiny red LED light in the rangefinder that lights up when you're too close to a subject or the image exposure is poorly lit (too dark and you need the flash or maybe too backlit).

It's child's play getting started with the Flip, which employs a familiar press-and-hold to set exposure and focus and then a full press to take the shot.

The photos slide out of the front and still take about 15 minutes to develop fully. There are 8 shots per cartridge, and a pack of two can cost $36. The Flip’s internal battery supports shooting up to 15 packs.

You can connect the camera to the Polaroid app, though I think the controls are limited and there is no direct way to get the images from the camera to your phone, but then why would you want to?

Polaroid reps handed me a Flip at a pre-launch event, and I quickly noticed that while I liked the curved and familiar-feeling body, it was a bit heavier than even the Polaroid i-2. It wasn’t bad, though, and I was soon shooting still-life images, people, selfies, and trippy double exposures. In other words, I was in my happy place.

The camera is fast and fun to use, and my resulting photos were sharply focused on the subjects (you can get as close as about 46 cm) with impressive bokeh behind them. The results still look like Polaroid camera photos, never as sharp, clear, or deeply colorful as what you might get with your best iPhone, but that’s not the point of a Polaroid instant analog camera.

I have all these photos on my desk. I can hold them, share them, let people leave with them, and tack them on their walls. I guarantee these are the kinds of images that will make people feel something.

And now, they can do it for $199.99 / £199.99. That’s a great starting price, and it even ships with a strap. The film will cost you, so that’s a concern, but you won’t shoot as much as you do with your smartphone and will likely consider each of these prints somewhat precious.

It’s a special camera, for special times. At least, that’s my opinion.

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Polaroid Flip: Two-minute review

Like many tech journalists and photographers of a certain vintage (aka born in the early 90s), I always remember there being a Polaroid at family parties when growing up. Later in my teenage years, when studying photography at university and trying my hardest to be cool, I bought a secondhand Polaroid Sun 600 on eBay, but finding decent film then was harder than it is now. Eventually, the cost superceded the cool, and I gave up.

Polaroid has come a long way since then, and has been revisiting its heritage with the aesthetic of newer releases. We had the Polaroid Go 2 in late 2023, similar in looks to the Polaroid 1000 Land Camera. In March this year, the brand refreshed its Now instant series with the Now 3 and Now 3+, cameras that I think share the character of the original OneStep SX-70.

I'm a Polaroid nerd, so I was excited to test the new Polaroid Flip before its official release. But given that the last camera I used was the flagship Polaroid I-2, in all its sharp lens, manual control glory, I was apprehensive about how a more affordable model could compete with the best instant camera for pros.

Polaroid's tagline for the Flip is that it's the camera for an analog life. For "instant photography over instant gratification." Presumably it means for people who appreciate physical prints over looking back through their phone camera roll. The Flip keeps things simple and easy-to-use; there are no filters or effects, and the main talking points include common instant camera features like double exposures and self-timers.

Despite lacking manual controls like the Polaroid I-2, the Flip feels like a camera that more advanced instant shooters can still appreciate and enjoy. A clever four-lens system is brilliantly effective at adapting to varying subject distances, meaning you get mostly sharp shots, even at dark parties.

And there are subtle but clever ways the camera uses 'scene analysis' to guide your images. A red viewfinder warning light alerts you to a shot being over- or underexposed, and an alert appears on the lid display when you get too close to a subject. Selfies are a tad tricky, though, and macro isn't a viable option given the camera's restricted minimum focusing distance.

Polaroid's signature tones shine with the Flip, though colors in my experience sometimes leaned unexpectedly toward green. Also, while the B&W i-Type film showed strong contrast on occasion, I found that highlights could easily blow out with Polaroid's most powerful adaptive flash yet.

It's always difficult to review Polaroid performance, because the expectations are so different from most other cameras. Part of the joy of analog lies in experimentation, and yet with Polaroid film being so expensive, you want to know that most of your shots will at least come out intended. Despite minor disappointments with the Flip, I loved the results overall. I think those willing to practice, learn and refine their shooting approach over time will too.

Polaroid Flip: price and availability

• Costs $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$399
• Early purchase for Polaroid members starts April 15
• On sale at Polaroid.com from April 29, retailers May 13

The Polaroid Flip is available from a few different dates depending on who you are. Polaroid members can purchase the camera on the official website starting April 15, and general access follows from April 29. It's destined for general camera retailers from May 13.

The Flip's price at release is $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$399. A year ago I would have thought this quite steep, but recent US tariffs and spiralling tech costs have made me reassess. Still, the Flip is at the serious end of instant cameras, at more than twice the price of the entry-level Instax Mini 12. It's more expensive than the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 model ($149.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.99) and the older, square-format Instax SQ40.

But then it sits below the Polaroid I-2 ($599 / £599 / AU$1,099) with its super-sharp lens and the hybrid Instax Wide Evo ($349.95.99 / £319.99 / AU$599) which has 20 film and lens effects and allows you to select what you print to save on film.

You're tied into using either Polaroid 600 or I-Type film with the Flip, and realistically this is more expensive per exposure than Instax. Prices vary a lot depending on what country you're in, and bundle packs can help to bring the cost down, but an 8-pack of I-Type costs roughly the same amount as 20 photos of Instax (Wide or Mini).

Polaroid Flip: specs

Polaroid Flip: design

• Heavier than the Polaroid I-2
• Flippable lid for lens protection
• Viewfinder LED and ‘lid’ display

The Polaroid Flip is a boxy, chunky camera. That much is obvious when you get it out of the box. It weighs 200g more than the Polaroid Now+ and 85g more than the Polaroid I-2, as well as being deeper and taller. But that’s because the design is so different from anything else in the current lineup.

Rather than having a lens cap to cover a protruding lens or the front face exposed, Flip has a (you guessed it) flip-up lid. This lid pulls up smoothly and clicks into position at the top when you want to take a photo. When the lid is down, the camera automatically turns off, and the most important parts of the camera are well-protected.

I really like the design, which gives the camera a clean, modern silhouette and means you can pop it in a bag without fretting about dust getting in the lens grooves. And I still felt it was distinctly Polaroid. The Flip comes in a subtle matte black colorway or white with a pop of orange for more daring users.

I found the exterior of the white model prone to marks, but the plastic casing is easily wipable. And twice when I was out shooting, two people stopped to tell me that I had “a really cool-looking camera”. Street credibility points to me.

According to the specs sheet, the Flip is made from four types of plastic, including acrylic and polycarbonate. These have all been chosen for properties that would make sense in a take-anywhere camera, and they keep the body as lightweight as possible but also strong and impact-resistant.

The build quality doesn’t feel brittle or cheap, the buttons are solid to press and flipping up the lid is super satisfying. That said, the handling is a bit awkward and I had to turn the camera around to get a good hold of the lid every time. It’s a two-hand job. You also get a strong rope strap in the box so you can wear the camera – comfortably, I might add – around your neck.

Controls are pared back, as is usual with Polaroid and most instant cameras. Two buttons at the back right let you toggle through settings such as flash, double exposure, self-timer, and exposure compensation. These show up as icons on the nifty LCD screen on top of the camera, and they’re easy to see even in bright sunshine. It took me a while to work out what button combo activated each mode, but the fold-out paper guide in the box – in itself another well-thought-out analog nod – gives you pointers.

There’s a USB-C power input on the right side of the camera for recharging, and an eject button on the left to open up the film door and pop in a pack. The big orange shutter button on the front is easy to find with your fingers and can be depressed slightly to focus and pressed fully to fire. The viewfinder itself is basic but easy to use, and I found that what you see through it matches closely with what’s printed, helping with composition.

Polaroid Flip: performance

• 4-lens system for different distances
• Sonar autofocus detects subject distance
• Adaptive flash for up to 4.5 meters away

Despite there being no option to focus manually as with the Polaroid I-2, I found almost all of my shots with the Flip were critically sharp. The camera uses sonar waves to detect your subject distance, then selects the best lens from its four-lens system (0.65m, 0.85m, 1.2m, 2.5m). It’s very clever, and even in a party marquee, portraits came out crisp.

When half-pressing the shutter button to focus, you hear a noise when one of the four lenses has been selected. What’s clever is that an alert on the lid display will flash if you’re trying to shoot a subject that’s too close and out of the camera range.

Still, it’s worth noting that the Flip’s minimum focusing distance is around 0.4m, which isn’t quite far enough to get a sharp, frame-filling selfie. I could just about hold the camera far enough away at arm’s length to trial it but ended up with unwanted empty space around my head and shoulders. If you’re into your flora and fauna, there isn’t yet a macro filter or attachment for Polaroid to make true close-ups work.

Exposure was a mixed bag. Polaroids like light, and it's recommended that you keep the flash on for all shots except bright sunshine. This is meant to be the brightest flash of any Polaroid, and the strength adapts based on the subject distance for anything up to 4.5m away. I experienced this power, but not always in a good way, and often my outdoor shots were overexposed to the point of losing details, even on a cloudy day. As with the Polaroid Go 2, the flash gets activated by default when you flip up the lid, and a few times I forgot this.

The tones you get from Polaroids have always felt distinctive, yet anecdotally the hues from my Flip shots felt a little richer and bolder than those from the I-2. On a warm spring day in the UK, the exposure of a pink blossom tree felt warm and well-saturated, while the vibe of a cooler sunset party was also captured effectively, if not tending towards more of a green hue than I’d have liked.

Of course, there’s no way to change the white balance in-camera. What you get is dictated by the film and the shooting environment. The B&W i-Type film I used showed great contrast, and I loved the amount of depth I could capture down a long, narrow street in my home city of Bath, UK. But again, it was easy to overexpose the bright Cotswold stone and lose that detail with the flash.

You can’t control the Flip’s exposure settings manually. For inexperienced users or people who just want to point and shoot, this is probably a good thing. The Flip does the hard work of choosing the aperture and shutter for you, meaning fewer wasted shots if someone decides to grab the camera at a party. But if you’re a more advanced photographer, as I am, you may find Flip’s setting choices creatively limiting.

As far as battery duration and charging times go, I couldn’t find any official specs from Polaroid. When I first got the camera I left it plugged in overnight to ensure it was full of juice for the start of testing, and it still hadn’t passed the halfway mark when I’d finished three packs. I tended to shut the lid after every shot, though, so each user’s mileage may vary.

During testing, I loaded up my second pack of color I-Type film only to find it wasn’t ejecting from the camera after each exposure. Polaroid makes loading film into the Flip so quick and simple, and it's something I've done with other Polaroids hundreds of times. I want to suggest it was a camera and not a user error, but either way, it does highlight how much film and money you can waste should things not quite go to plan. That’s the same with many instant and film cameras and not a unique flaw to the Flip, of course.

The prints aren't quite as instant as Instax, and need a while (I found at least ten minutes) to settle away from the light to develop properly. For me, this is a great metaphor for Polaroid in general. Despite being designed for ease of use in terms of operation, the Flip still requires a bit of time to learn its ways, exposure tendencies and to hone your craft. Do that, and you'll be rewarded with sharp retro results more times than the Polaroids of the past.

Should I buy the Polaroid Flip?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Polaroid Flip

• Over a week, I took photos indoors and outdoors, day and night
• I tested based on decades of Polaroid experience
• I shot a double pack of colour I-Type and 8 exposures of B&W film

I tried my first Polaroid camera back in the nineties, and since then I've reviewed many instant cameras including the Polaroid I-2 in 2023. I had one of the first review samples of the Polaroid Flip and tested it for over a week before its official launch date. Needless to say, it was always in my bag or around my neck during that time.

I took it out on countryside dog walks in the sunny British springtime, on day trips in the Cotswolds, to an evening festival for my company's 40th anniversary and to brunch in the city. The idea was to try it in as many lighting conditions and real-life scenarios as possible.

I went through a double pack of Polaroid I-Type color film (16 exposures) and a pack of B&W Film, taking shots with and without the flash, using the self-timer and the exposure compensation option. The Polaroid app wasn't available for use with the Flip for most of my testing period (as the camera was under embargo) but I had a day to try the functionality and add notes to this review once it was.

First reviewed April 2025

• Polaroid's Now instant cameras get a refresh with new third-gen models
• Now+ model can connect to Polaroid's app for wireless control
• Available from March 4 in new colors and made from 40% recycled materials

Polaroid has refreshed its Now instant camera series with third-gen Now 3 and Now 3+ models. They are the latest in the line of low-cost instant cameras that shoot onto Polaroid's gorgeous (and largest) square film, like the premium I-2 does. Consider them super-sized Polaroid Go's.

Little changed between the original Now and Now+ from 2020 and second-gen models that came two-years later and, truth be told, these latest models are pretty familiar too.

That's no bad thing, we really rate the Now+ and it has featured in our best instant cameras buying guide for several years. But what exactly is new in the Now 3 and Now 3+?

New features are neatly summarized by Polaroid, who describes its latest Now 3 and Now 3+ as, "a refined instant camera with an upgraded two-lens autofocus system, improved ranging sensor, and better light metering for sharper images, even on the sunniest days."

In other words, upgraders should expect sharper focusing and better-exposed prints, whatever the weather, wherever you are.

What's also new is that both cameras are made with 40% recycled materials – kudos Polaroid for that – and come in a range of new colorways. They are available immediately (from March 4, 2025) at the Polaroid website and select retailers, with prices starting from $119.99 / £119.99 for the Now 3 and $139.99 / £139.99 for the Now 3+ (Australia pricing TBC).

+ = ?

There has always been two coexisting Polaroid Now models; the regular Now and the Now +. So what's the difference between the two versions? Well, they are identical in every way save for one thing; the Now+ version can connect to your smart device for wireless control.

The Now 3+ can be controlled through the Polaroid app, with creative tools such as double exposure, remote timer and an aperture priority mode. Combine those skills with colored lens filters (available separately and in various bundles), and there's much creative fun to be had.

It's also possible to scan and share prints through the app. Naturally, the plus model costs a little extra, but not by much and we think it's worth the extra outlay over the standard version.

As cameras, both are excellent value, but when considering an instant camera you need to factor in the running costs of buying film, and Polaroid's premium film is costlier than Instax (and with good reason – it's stunning).

We are yet to get our hands on the new versions, but we'll conduct a full review when we do. Our expectations are tempered – we don't expect to see much difference between the Now+ and Now 3+ but, again, that's no bad thing. We'll let you know soon.

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• Polaroid Now+ review

• The new Instax Wide Evo shoots onto wide-format film and features the widest lens of any Instax yet to fit more in your photos
• It's a hybrid instant camera, meaning you can select which photos to print
• It costs $349.95 in the US and £319.99 in the UK (Australia pricing TBC)

Fujifilm has unveiled its second hybrid instant camera, the new Instax Wide Evo, which will sit alongside the Instax Mini Evo. As its name suggests, the Wide Evo prints onto wide-format paper just like the Instax Wide 400, which is the largest Instax print size available, only this is the super-stylish model that I've been waiting for.

As a hybrid instant camera, you get a large 3.5-inch LCD display to compose your photos, with the option to shoot-first-print-later using Fujifilm's app, complete with an array of lens and film effects – a total of 100 combinations – plus a further selection of film styles.

A true first for the Wide Evo is the new ultra-wide angle 16mm f/2.4 lens, the widest of any Instax camera, which means that you can fit more in your shot – this will come especially in handy for those selfies and group shots, all of which can be stored onto a Micro SD card (sold separately).

I love the look of the Instax Wide Evo, but it is a pricey package – the priciest of all Instax cameras at $349.95 / £319.99 / AU$599. There's also the optional leather case, which costs $49.95 / £37.99 (Australia pricing TBC).

Do looks matter?

I review cameras of all kinds, shapes and sizes, and it is perhaps instant cameras where style matters to people the most – that for me is why the Instax Wide Evo looks like a winner in the race to be the best instant camera.

Not that it has much competition. The only other Instax camera that shoots on wide-format instant film is the Instax Wide 400 – a monstrous hunk of plastic that I struggle to see resting by someone's side as they take a city walk. It's too bulky and toy-like to be taken too seriously. Thankfully, we now have the Instax Wide Evo as an alternative.

The premium Fujifilm GFX100 II medium-format flagship comes to mind when I look at the Instax Wide Evo. Not a style to everyone's taste, but undeniably stylish. Even better, the Wide Evo is properly slimmed down from the Wide 400, fitting better in the hand, plus it's a hybrid type meaning you shoot first, print later – that's less wasted paper.

The hybrid concept of Evo instant cameras makes sense over dedicated models. And in the case of the Instax Wide Evo, so too does its ultra wide-angle 16mm f/2.4 lens that fits more into your photos, being ideal for group photos and selfies. You want your subjects close in instant photography to fill the frame, and a wide angle lens allows for that more easily.

For me, it's love at first sight, but we'll share more thoughts when our in-depth review, that's currently being carried out, is published soon.

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Fujifilm has been tipped to launch several mirrorless cameras in 2025, including the X-E5 and an intriguing medium-format compact called the GFX100RF. But if you're looking for a cheap sidekick that's built for pure fun, then the rumored Instax Wide Evo could be the most exciting of the bunch.

According to Fuji Rumors, the Instax Wide Evo will launch "soon," and the formula sounds pretty simple. Take the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo (a hybrid instant camera that blends digital and film snapping), cross it with a Fujifilm Instax Wide 400, and you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Promisingly, the Fuji Rumors' sources claim this Instax Wide Evo will be "regarded as the best-looking Instax camera ever made." That's subjective, but I think the Instax Mini Evo is still the most stylish instant camera out there.

Yes, it's made out of plastic, but the leather-and-chrome, rangefinder-style design is the closest thing to an instant version of a Fujifilm X-Pro camera.

Right now, rumored specs are thin on the ground – we don't yet know if it'll inherit the Mini Evo's 35mm equivalent lens, automatic flash, self-timer, and other features. But one added detail in the rumors is that there'll be a "film rewind knob" on the body, which you'll turn when you want to print your photos.

That all sounds very fun, but it's the overall concept of a stylish, versatile Instax Wide camera that I'm looking forward to...

Why I want the Instax Wide Evo

Instax film comes in three sizes (Mini, Square, and Wide), and I've always preferred the Wide format because it's the closest thing to a real photo rather than a little souvenir sticker. Wide is basically the size of two Mini prints with a photo size of 8.6 x 10.8cm (or 3.4in x 4.2in).

The problem is that Fujifilm only has one Wide camera – and as our Instax Wide 400 review shows, it's not the most fully-featured or handsome of things. An Instax Wide Evo could fix these issues nicely while solving one of the main drawbacks of the Wide format – mounting film costs.

The benefit of a 'hybrid' instant camera like the Evo series is that, because the images are captured digitally and then printed, you can choose which ones to print out – which is helpful when 20-shot packs cost $24.99 / £16.99 each. Sure, it isn't quite the pure experience of exposing film directly and waiting for it to develop, but it is much more practical, particularly if you're a parent.

I recommended the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo to a friend who wanted an instant camera for their kid, and they love it. The experience is still fun and intuitive compared to simpler Instax models. And there's the added benefit of being able to connect the camera to other smartphones so that it can act as a Bluetooth printer at parties.

The cherry on top would be if the Instax Wide Evo could also print directly from my Fujifilm X-T5 camera, but that's not guaranteed. For some reason, Fujifilm has restricted direct printing to a few camera models, with the rest needing to use the smartphone app.

Still, that wouldn't be a deal-breaker and I'd almost certainly buy an Instax Wide Evo if it lives up to its rumored billing. And it seems we won't have to wait long to find out.

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I'm a '90s kid, meaning I narrowly missed the two-decade Polaroid craze of the '70s and '80s, but this Christmas my partner gave me the gift of analog photography in the form of the Polaroid Now+ and I couldn't be happier.

I caught the wave when instant cameras returned to popularity in the 2010's and Fujifilm's more affordable models were all the rage with us then-teens, but after a few years, I found the photo size and lack of creative control of my Instax Mini 8 too limiting.

However, that's not to say it's been all sunshine and roses since I started dabbling with my new Polaroid. In fact, quite the opposite; it's been a glorious trial by fire that has me yearning to reimmerse myself in the frustrating, challenging but undeniably satisfying world of analog technology once more.

Still, I wouldn't recommend rushing to make the rookie errors I made while setting up and taking my first few shots, so here are my tips, tricks, and common errors to avoid.

1. Inserting the cartridge incorrectly

Given that my nickname amongst friends and family is Calamity Jane, it will come as no surprise to those who know me that I am unfortunately doomed when it comes to most things in life that involve hand-eye coordination.

So I managed to mess up inserting my first film pack. In my defense, it's not made clear in the instructions just how easy this is to do; for fellow first-timers, I'll save you some heartache.

To clarify, the instructions are correct; you'll need to power up the camera, hit the eject button on the right-hand side to open the film door and slide in the cartridge darkslide up with the tab facing towards you. If you're more used to contemporary tech, you might be afraid, as I was, to put too much force behind this; don't, it takes a fair bit of gumption the first few times you use the camera.

What the instructions don't mention is that if you take too long investigating every nook and cranny in admiration of how this beautiful piece of tech works, the camera might just power off. Should that happen, the darkslide won't eject once you close the film door and you'll have to remove the cartridge to start again.

2. Removing the tab

There are reams of Reddit users bemoaning just how many newbies mess up their early Polaroid experience by removing the tab from their film pack.

The tab, you see, is how you remove the film pack from the camera when used (or when incorrectly inserted), requiring a firm tug to dislodge the film from its slot.

I maintain the moral high ground in that I didn't intentionally remove it, but it instead ripped off as I tried to pull the aforementioned stuck cartridge from my camera. It happens.

Pro tip; whether you're just struggling to get some traction or you've lost your tab altogether, use some packing or duct tape (carefully!) to create a new, wider tab with which you can remove jammy cartridges.

3. Taking low-light photos

Polaroid cameras love light, so naturally the first thing I tried to do is take a low-light picture of my Christmas tree.

The Polaroid Now+ has a lot more manual control than other instant cameras on the market, which is why I even attempted this kind of shot to begin with. In my head, a slightly adjusted aperture and longer shutter speed was going to result in this romantic shot of an ethereally glowing tree, making for the first artistic shot for my new photo album.

Wrong, wrong, and wrong again. While the results aren't horrible, it's just not sensible to try and take low-light photos with these cameras, broadly speaking, and certainly not until you understand how it works a little better. If you do want to try, definitely use the flash, increase the exposure, and consider introducing more ambient light to the scene if you can.

4. Accidentally shooting with the app

This one is just dumb and highly specific to the Now+ model I have, but I implore fellow Now+ owners to heed my warning; close the app when you're done shooting.

I know, it warns you, and you think you'll follow it. But one day you won't, and it'll be the day you jump scare yourself with a phantom photo being taken against your will.

For me, I walked away from my tripod-mounted camera with my phone in my pocket and accidentally triggered the shutter button, netting me another version of the exact shot I'd just lined up, which would be great if it wasn't a terrible one.

5. Impatiently trying more advanced setups

As highlighted above in my low-light learning, I'm fairly ambitious when it comes to testing the boundaries of new gadgets. In the particular case of the Bluetooth-connected Polaroid Now+, there are a host of settings and photography within the companion app that allow you to try different shots for varied results.

It's tempting to dive straight into these and see what results you might get, but I'd recommend a more scientific approach based on my experience so far. If you flunked out of science at school, here's a basic principal of experimentation; change one variable, and note the differences in results.

Don't, on the other hand, do what I did and change the lighting, exposure, shutter speed and camera positioning to try and achieve the desired effect and then leave yourself with no idea which factors gave the results characteristics you like versus those you don't.

6. Fearing film waste

As highlighted in our Polaroid Now+ review, the film for my particular instant camera is pretty pricey - much the same can be said for most devices in its class, too. Film photography in any form is not a cheap hobby, but there's a huge emotional and sentimental payout that makes it worthwhile.

While that doesn't mean you should be wasteful, it does mean you have to be prepared to kiss a few frogs before you meet your prince.

Keep an eye out for sales and discounts on film, and stock up when these arise to ensure you're getting the best value possible, but remember film is there to be used!

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Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: One-minute review

Lomography has released an updated version of its popular Lomo’Instant Wide camera, with a new glass lens replacing the previous plastic one. The Lomo’Instant Wide remains one of the few and best instant cameras on the market that makes use of Instax Wide format film, but many Lomo fans will be glad that Lomography has listened to customer demand in launching the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass model. It's a direct rival to Fujifilm's Instax Wide 400 camera, which has also been given a modern upgrade and fresh design, (but which doesn't offer as much creative control).

The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is being marketed as the sharpest instant camera on earth, and as a long-time fan of instant cameras, I was very eager to test this claim. Lomography sent me an early prototype of the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass for this review, and I've been hugely impressed.

Lomography has made only very minor design tweaks with the new model, and it's easy to see why – if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I love the retro suitcase-style design of the camera, though it's a shame that it still has the offset viewfinder, which has been a bugbear since the original Lomo’Instant Wide was first released in 2015. This can cause issues with framing your subject, though the viewfinder parallax markers do help.

In short, this camera takes beautiful and sharp photos with the 90mm glass lens (35mm equivalent) when focused correctly. It allows for creative shooting with a multiple-exposure mode, flash control, exposure tweaking, and bulb settings, while accessories like the splitzer and colored gels add to the instant fun. The remote-shutter lens cap is genius (just be careful not to accidentally trigger it), and the camera can be used in a studio setting too with external flash thanks to the PC sync port and tripod mount.

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: Price and availability

The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is available for $279 / £249 / AU$299, which I think is a very reasonable price given the image quality it produces and its gorgeous design – I'd buy this camera purely for it to sit on my camera shelf.

It's more expensive than Fujifilm's recent Instax Wide 400 model ($149.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.99), but isn't quite as premium-priced as other wide-format glass competitors like the Polaroid I-2 ($599 / £599 / AU$1,099), which uses i-Type film, or even the Mint InstantKon RF70 (approx $900 / £999 / AU$1,200), which has been considered for some time as the GOAT of instant cameras (sorry).

Anyone who's looking to buy an instant camera should know that film costs are still quite high, and you aren't guaranteed the same quality that you get with one of the best cameras for photography, or even from using a camera phone in most cases. Instant photography should be more about experimentation and having fun, rather than outright image quality. That said, Instax Wide film is one of the more affordable formats, and it's also very accessible and easy to source for most people.

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: specs

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: design

• Lots of manual controls
• The built-in flash can be on/off
• Viewfinder is a bit of a mess

The design of the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is one of my favorite things about it. I've seen some pretty ugly instant cameras come to market in the last few years, *cough, Instax Wide 400*, but I love the retro-style design of this Lomo, and the glass lens makes it look much more premium than its predecessor.

It's easy to see why Lomography hasn't changed much in the way of design from the Lomo’Instant Wide to the new Wide Glass model. Although, I did question why the selfie mirror has disappeared from the front of the camera with this latest model. I asked Lomography for some clarification, and a spokesperson told me: "We developed this camera more for professional, studio use in mind and less so for selfie shooting, which is why we didn't feel the need for this feature in this instance."

It's a fair point, and the camera does admittedly look much smarter without it. I managed to still take a selfie with this camera despite the lack of a selfie mirror, which you can see in the sample images section, and I'll talk more about how I captured it in the performance section below too.

In terms of build quality, the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass does have a fair bit of weight to it, and it feels incredibly sturdy and premium thanks to the metal lens barrel and glass element. There are two buttons on the back of the camera, one for toggling the flash and the other for multiple-exposure mode, plus a switch for selecting the level of exposure compensation and a dial at the bottom for selecting modes.

I think it's great that the flash can be turned on and off, although be aware that it's always-on by default when you turn on the camera, so if you don't need it remember to turn it off once you're ready to shoot. There are two LED lights above the flash button, one to let you know when the flash is charged (it will light green or blue) and another to tell you it's on.

The shutter button is the striped rectangular button on the front of the camera, and I love that it not only looks cool but has a nice clicky feel to it. The viewfinder is a bit of a mess, though. I often had to triple-check that what I could see through the viewfinder actually lined up with the direction in which the lens was pointing. Inside the viewfinder there are close-up frames to help you compensate for parallax and get a more accurately composed shot, but you still need to keep an eye on this.

The only real gripe I had with the design in terms of handling was the lack of grip, and the width of the camera, which made it hard to carry around at times (Lomography doesn't include a camera strap accessory with this camera, and I didn't have a spare). I understand that instant cameras, and especially wide-format ones, tend to be on the large side, and this is something that can't really be helped.

I found it slightly annoying that the print counter on the back of the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass counts up from 1 to 10 once a new film had been loaded, and that when it shows 10 that means you have one print left to shoot. I'm used to instant cameras counting down from 10, so this took some getting used to.

However, I really like that Lomography included another little window on the back of the camera for you to see the yellow stripe on the film cartridge, as a quick way to tell if film is loaded. Not many film cameras I've used have this, and it's a nice touch.

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: Performance

• Can capture super-sharp shots
• Selfies and portrait shots are tricky (use a tape measure)
• Remote shutter-control lens cap

Testing the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass was my first experience of using a Lomography camera, and it took me some serious trial and error to get used to the zone-focusing modes for close-up shots. There are four zones – 0.3 m, 0.6m, 1-2m, and infinity – and you can switch between these by twisting the lens. The original Wide’s closest focus zone is 0.6m. I've used manual instant cameras before, like the Instax Mini 99, and had no issues. So I'm not sure why this particular Lomo camera was so tricky to shoot with – maybe it's just me.

I ended up wasting a ton of film during the testing process with the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, but I learnt plenty. Pro tip: take a tape measure with you on shoots if you want to gauge the exact distance from the lens to your subject, and measure from the film eject slot, and not from the front of the lens.

Lomography says it plans to release an official camera strap with distance markers soon, to help with assessing the distance for zone-focusing, and this will be available from the Lomography online shop (it's not available at the time of writing).

Speaking of accessories, the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass comes with possibly the coolest camera accessory I've ever used: a remote shutter-control lens cap. You just need to put in 1 x CR2025 (3V) battery, and you can click one side of the lens cap to act as a remote shutter, while the other side offers an additional button with a timer feature. It works really well, although you do need to be relatively close to the camera for it to pick up the signal, as I found when using it to take a selfie in 0.6m mode.

The Lomo also comes with colored gel filters to place over the flash, as well as a splitzer lens attachment for more control over multiple exposures. I wasn't sent these extra accessories with the prototype camera, only the lens cap, so I didn't get to test them unfortunately. I would have loved to use the splitzer for creating multiple exposures, which came out beautifully in most cases using the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, and this kind of creativity paired with the unknown element of instant analogue photography gets very addictive.

The mode dial on the back of the camera has options for A (automatic), B (bulb), f/22 (for manually setting exposure – the prototype I was sent has an f/6 marking but just ignore this), and 1/30 (shutter speed) which is primarily useful for shooting in the studio or when using a tripod. I stuck with using 'A' a lot of the time, and switched to 1/6 (f/22) whenever I wanted a super-sharp shot.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, although I didn't manage to get a single clear macro image, despite many many attempts. With that said, for every blurry and out-of-focus macro shot I got a perfectly crisp landscape shot, so maybe this balances out.

I also found that the prints produced exhibited a lot of vignetting, even when the exposure compensation was set to zero. A bit of research has told me that this tends to be a common theme with Lomography cameras, and it's considered one of those love-it or hate-it aspects of instant photography. Not every print came out like this, and in a lot of cases it occurred when I didn't use flash, so perhaps this contributed to it.

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: Sample images

You'll be able to see from the sample images below just how many tries it took for me to get a clear image of my dog surrounded by autumn leaves. What I thought would be within the 0.6m zone was actually sharper using the 1-2m mode – it was all very confusing. This is not an easy-focusing point-and-shoot instant camera like some others I've used, and you'll really need to work at it to get the focus right.

Should I buy the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass:

• I used five packs of Instax Wide film (50 shots), including one pack of the black-edition Instax Wide film (10 shots)
• I shot with the camera in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations, and in cloudy, overcast, and sunny weather conditions
• I experimented with self-portraits, landscape shots, multiple exposures, and closer subjects (which I didn't have much luck with).

I used the new Lomo’Instant Wide Glass instant camera for a few weeks, and I fell in love with it pretty quickly (it was hard to give it back) after putting in so much time and effort to get to grips with it. This involved learning how to master the focusing zones by shooting the same subject using different focus points, using a tape measure to accurately measure distances, and physically moving both myself and the subject to determine what worked at which distances.

I put the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass through its paces in most areas and settings, excluding studio use (I sadly didn't have access to one). I tested the performance of this camera by venturing around my home city of Bath in the UK to capture landscape images, and shot portraits and still lifes, using my dog and house plants as my primary test subjects. I got an all-around feel for the camera's handling and user-friendliness too, with the biggest pain point being the viewfinder.

First reviewed November 2024

Fujifilm Instax Mini deals can bring the prices of these popular instant cameras way down, and some discounts also include additional film packs to boot. The latest release, the Instax 11, has been on the shelves for a considerable amount of time now, and record-low $59.99 costs are becoming more and more frequent (this model launched with a $79.99 MSRP). Not only that, but older models still represent excellent value for money as well.

These fun cameras are always sought after during the summer months for outdoor holiday snaps, and their popularity shoots up as fun Christmas presents, too. We're rounding up all the latest Instax Mini deals right here so you can find the lowest prices going on the best models.

We're here to help you compare all the best Instax Mini deals on the most popular instant cameras, running through everything from the budget Mini 8 or 9 to retro-themed lenses like the Mini 70 and 90. Prices alone might not be enough to make your decision, though, so we've given each of these Instax Mini cameras a rundown of information to help you choose the one that's right for you.

Best Instax Mini prices and deals

Released in March 2020, the Instax Mini 11 price is not dissimilar from its predecessor. In fact, you'll only pay around $10 more for the latest release and still reap the rewards of the new features installed. With automatic exposure you no longer need to remember to set individual lighting settings, no doubt saving countless shots, and a new focus on close up shooting will allow you to expand your instant photography portfolio with a new range of subjects.

Aside from these nifty features, you're still picking up the recognisable plastic camera shell we've come to recognise, as well as a new selfie lens barrel that does away with the clip-on attachment of yore.

There's really only one difference between the Instax Mini 8 and the Instax Mini 9 and it's a tiny little mirror. The Instax Mini 9 has a small mirror next to the lens, making lining up selfies much easier and ensuring a more accurate picture. The newer Mini 9 is slightly more expensive than the Mini 8, but consider this: if you're likely to be taking a lot of selfies, the mirror could save you a small fortune on film costs as you'll have fewer wonky, poorly framed snaps. If the price is right for the colour you want, this is the one we'd go for.

The Instax Mini 9 requires two AA batteries and is available in cobalt blue, flamingo pink, ice blue, smoky white and lime green.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 is one of the most popular instant cameras on the planet thanks to its super cheap price and bold, cheerful and colourful design. Simple to use and with brightness controls, built-in flash and cool 1.8-inch x 2.4-inch images printed straight from the camera, this really is a bargain. But could you be tempted by the newer Instax Mini 9?

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 requires two AA batteries and is available in black, grape, raspberry, pink, blue and yellow.

If you're looking for something with a more retro feel then it's hard to beat the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 and its traditional leather-style binding. As you can see in the price comparison chart below, it's also the most expensive of the Instax Mini cameras in Fujifilm's range.

You're not just paying for the old-school vibe though. Bulb modes ensure you won't get pictures that are too blurry or dark. On the other side of the scale, this is the first Instax Mini camera that allows you to turn off the flash, meaning you won't get any images with way too much white light. A double-exposure mode allows you to put two images on one piece of film too.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 instant camera is powered by a rechargeable NP-45A lithium battery making it the only rechargeable Instax Mini camera from Fujifilm. Colour options are much more modest than the other Instax Minis as the only differences are in the leather-style wrap finishes where you can choose between brown or Neo Classic (black).

There's certainly an argument that the Instax Mini 8 and 9 are aimed towards a younger or more casual market with its bright pastel colours and chunky build. But there are some slicker options available for not much more - namely the Fujifilm Instax Mini 70.

The Instax Mini 70 features more technical control options and shooting modes than the Mini 8/9 and takes better pictures in the dark. It comes with the selfie mirror as standard too. With a smoother metallic paint job, it loses the toyish vibe of the above models for something much more professional looking while maintaining the compact instant camera vibe. If you'd feel silly holding the Instax Mini 8, but want a similar design, this is your best bet.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 70 runs off two CR2 batteries and is available in moon white, canary yellow, island blue, passion red, stardust gold and midnight black.

If the SQ10 is a bit more than you were thinking of paying but you're still a fan of the Square Fujifilm Instax series, then let's take a look at the SQ6. Both print in the square format, but have some notable differences elsewhere. The SQ6 is an analogue camera like the cheaper Instax models, so images are printed straight away when shooting. This model lack's the SQ10's extra shooting modes and flash options too.

We do prefer the physical design of the SQ6, as the SQ10 sometimes reminds us of a divers camera, while the former has a classic retro feel. When all's said and done though, it depends on if you want the stylish camera or the digital camera/printer that allows you to judge an image before printing it out. If you know you're prone to maybe taking a few poor pictures you may end up saving a lot of money with the digital camera instead of paying for extra film sheets.

Fujifilm's Instax Square SQ10 camera sits somewhere between its Mini and Wide range, using new-fangled square-format film and boasting digital camera functionality that the Japanese manufacturer hopes will appeal to a younger, more tech-savvy audience.

The most notable feature of the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 is the ability to review and edit your shots via a small LCD display on the rear of the camera. Unfortunately, the digital camera element lets the SQ10 down a bit, as the image quality can't rival other digital cameras – or smartphones. A fun piece of kit, and if you'd like more control over images and the ability to adjust and edit in-camera, it's a good fit.

Instax Mini Film and Instax Square Film packs

Looking for some extra Fujifilm Instax Mini film packs? We've compared the best deals from multiple retailers in our price comparison charts below. The cheapest packs usually have 10 or 20 Instax Mini film papers to print out your latest photos. Take a look at the options further down the chart and you'll see prices for larger packs too.

These first set of film packs are compatible the Instax Mini cameras on this page. If you're picking up film for one of the Square series (SQ6 and SQ10) you'll need to scroll down a bit more and pick up the Square Film packs instead.

• Be sure to take a look at our deals guide for cheap cameras
• Take a look at our buying guide for the best instant cameras

My favorite camera simply for looks is the Polaroid SX-70. I love how this cult-classic instant camera pops open from its hip flask-like state into its ready-to-go position. If a camera was a Transformer, this is it, and it even predates the popular Hasbro / Takara Tomy franchise. 

Sadly, over the past few years, my SX-70 has been exclusively just that – a camera to look at. The reason is that it was consistently churning out over-exposed instant prints, especially from Impossible Project’s black-and-white film stock.

In the early days of the Impossible Project (the outfit that kept Polaroid alive after the instant camera giant went bust in 2001), I put my SX-70’s unreliable prints down to the instant film itself. Back then I was getting maybe one in eight usable prints, and the results were wildly inconsistent. It was like burning money, especially when a pack of eight sheets of instant film costs around $25 / £20 / AU$35. So I stopped trying, and the camera took its place on a bookshelf at home, a relic. 

Today’s latest film for the SX-70 – which is still made by the Impossible Project, now operating under the Polaroid name – is supposed to be more reliable than the early batches. However, the latest film stock still rendered disappointing results. I wrote about how today’s film let my beautiful Polaroid SX-70 down, but after the event, I had this nagging feeling that my camera itself could be the problem. 

I wanted to be sure either way and, while looking into solutions, came across Retrospekt – a US company that specializes in customizing and fixing retro gear like the Nintendo GameBoy and, you guessed it, the Polaroid SX-70. Could Retrospekt work its magic on my vintage camera? Shortly thereafter, my beloved vintage Polaroid was packed up and on its way to Retrospekt’s experts, with the hope of a new lease of life. 

Getting to the root of the problem

Weeks later my Polaroid SX-70 was back in my hands, arriving in a plush customized box along with a new soft carry case that I can sling over my shoulder. 

Retrospekt did a complete teardown of the camera, getting to the root of the problem and replacing several parts. You can see the process carried out by the Milwaukee-based team in the video, above. 

There were a few fixes that needed to be made. The major one was the removal of lens fungus, and the camera’s mirror cover and fresnel carrier were also replaced as they were cracked. The comprehensive report from the workshop listed a few additional minor issues too.  

Lens fungus is a pretty common issue with analog cameras as old as the SX-70, which dates back to the 1970s, and it can cause a severe reduction in contrast in photographs. That could explain the particularly washed-out feel of my SX-70’s prints.

An SX-70 teardown requires the leather coverings to be removed, so I was given the option to swap the original tan-colored coverings for ones from a huge range of custom replacements from the Retrospekt site. As much as I was tempted by an outlandish new look, I opted to keep the classic tan aesthetic.

On the outside, it didn’t look like anything was new in my refurbished SX-70 – it was exactly the camera I know and love. Pulling it open revealed that the viewfinder's lever mechanism had been fixed – it was a little loose before after being mishandled by someone else, but now it was properly secure.

It was great to have the camera back, but could it take decent instant photos again? Armed with one pack of color film and one of black-and-white film, I took a walk while on a family break to find out.

In retrospect

Retrospekt sent me before and after photos illustrating the difference that removing the lens fungus made on the quality of the prints my SX-70 can produce (see above). There’s more contrast in the print on the right, which was taken after the refurbishment. Naturally, I expected to get the kind of instant prints I’d hoped for, as opposed to the overly washed-out look I was getting before.  

I used up a pack of color film, comprising 8 sheets, in a mixture of cloudy and sunny weather, and the improvement was plain to see. It’s not packing the kind of contrast I’d expect from digital tech such as a mirrorless camera. No, the SX-70 makes vintage-looking prints, so there's a softness to them, in any case. But now there is tonal detail in the prints that wasn’t there before. Again, not to digital standards, but more like the classic instant camera look so many people love.

To get the best quality prints with an SX-70, you also need to understand how it calculates the brightness (exposure) of your photos. Polaroid recommends you stop down one notch on the lighten/darken wheel (the exposure compensation dial) because the camera is calibrated to meter for ISO 100 film but the film is ISO 160. However, you might want brighter results, so there's no one-stop formula.

Also, exposure is calculated by averaging the light reflected from the scene. In even light with little contrast – say a street scene on a cloudy day – you can’t really go wrong. But when there’s high contrast in the scene, such as a bright sky backdrop and dark subject, you might need to use up multiple prints to get the result you want.

It doesn’t help that Polaroid prints take a good 15 minutes to fully develop, time you might not have to assess your settings when taking portraits, for example. There’s no problem seizing such moments if you’re prepared to shoot two or three photos of the same scene with slight variations in the lighten/darken wheel to ensure the correct brightness in at least one of them, but the film is seriously pricey.

I’m glad I didn’t give up on my SX-70 and for outfits like Retrospekt that restore retro tech. It’s such a lovely camera to use and there’s a pleasing vintage quality to its prints, provided all is well with the camera and your shooting technique. 

I retract what I said about today's SX-70 film in the aforementioned article, to a degree. I still found consistency issues with the black-and-white film compared to the color film, but overall, I'm getting better results than before. 

Refurbishing the camera to its former glory instead of it being dumped in a landfill has proved the sweetest outcome of all.

Interested in film cameras? Check out our best instant camera and best film camera guides. 

You might also like

• Best film cameras 2024: the finest classic and new analog cameras you can buy
• Film photography in 2024: the latest analog cameras and what's next for film
• How to shoot film on a budget

Sometimes, you just want the tactile fun of printing Instax photos without the hassle of actually using an Instax camera. If that sounds like you, the new Instax Mini Link 3 printer for smartphones could be your next impulse buy for birthday parties and weddings.

The successor to the Instax Mini Link 2, which arrived in 2022, works just like its predecessors. Connect it to your smartphone via Bluetooth then choose a photo in the companion app, and you'll be able print out a little souvenir copy. That takes about 15 seconds, followed by the 90-second fun of waiting for it to develop.

But the Mini Link 3 does also bring a few new tricks to the Instax party. It finally has USB-C charging, for a start. There's also a new photobooth-style twist for creating collages – you capture a series of shots at three-second intervals in the app, then combine either two, four or six of them into a collage print.

The Mini Link 3 can also print from videos and has been launched alongside a new 'Sprinkles' Mini film stock, which packs in some saccharine charm for youngsters including an "eye-catching sprinkle pattern reminiscent of cake toppings, ice cream and sweets". One to keep on hold for birthday parties, then.

Like before, you can also add what are optimistically called "3D AR effects" to your photos before printing them out. That involves choosing a background in the app and adding some effects including confetti, spotlights and sprinkles – again, you can see who the target audience is.

One other interesting upgrade for older Instax fans, though, is an update to Fujifilm's Instax Up app. This app lets you scan, import and organize your Instax prints, and now has a new 'Instax Days' function that automatically dates and adds your scanned snaps to a calendar. 

If that all sounds up your street, you can pick up a Mini Link 3 in green, pink or white from August 28 for $99 / £115 (which converts to around AU$225).

Go Wide or go home?

Given how expensive Instax film is, it's worth spending a bit of time deciding which of the three formats you prefer the most.

The diagram above is a handy comparison of how their sizes compare. The credit card-sized Mini format is the smallest, which makes it great for little souvenirs that'll fit in a wallet or purse.

If you want some photos that are a little bit more generously-sized, though, we're big fans of Instax Wide. Despite being twice the size of Mini film, the Wide format isn't a lot more expensive to buy – and as our Fujifilm Instax Link Wide review concluded, that printer is "a dedicated instant camera, being far more portable and customizable via its dedicated app – it's our new favorite instant printer".

We're looking forward to taking the new Instax Mini Link 3 for a spin when it lands later this month, but it's got a job on our hands to tempt us away from its Wide sibling.

You might also like...

• The best instant camera 2024: top retro prints from Polaroid, Instax and more
• Fujifilm unveils the Instax Wide 400 – the big print instant camera for big occasions
• Meet the adorable digital Fujifilm Instax Pal, a tiny golf-ball-sized camera

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: One-minute review

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 is one of the best instant cameras for casual photographers who like the appeal of wider prints. It's ideal for landscape photographers and camping trips especially, with the wider format able to capture much more in the frame than other popular Instax Mini cameras, although be prepared to compromise when it comes to portraits. 

Unlike other Instax cameras the Wide 400 doesn't have a built-in selfie mirror, and instead comes with a fiddly mirror attachment that doubles up as a macro lens. This can be clipped onto the Wide 400's lens when you want to take a selfie or portrait of a subject, or anything that's roughly 40-50cm away from the end of the lens. 

During testing, I found the focusing process takes a bit of getting used to, but once you grasp it, and with the help of the enhanced viewfinder and target marker, it can capture pretty sharp shots. The biggest pain points with the Instax Wide 400 are the design and lack of features. Not much has been tweaked from the Wide 300 model other than the addition of the self-timer (which is admittedly very handy) and enhanced viewfinder, but otherwise, it has no modern digital elements like the Instax EVO or Mini 99. 

As for the design, the Wide 400 can withstand a lot thanks to its rugged and textured build, and it's very grippy too. With that said, it does feel larger and heavier than necessary, and what was Instax thinking with that color? I think it's one of the worst-looking instant cameras on the market (sorry Instax), and frankly I felt a little embarrassed to shoot with it in public. However, if you can get past the basic features and 'army-green' finish, it could be a worthwhile addition to your analog camera collection, and the print quality is good. 

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: Price and availability

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 is available for $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.99, which I think is a fair price compared with other Instax models. The Instax Square SQ40 retails at the same price, and other models are only marginally more affordable with similar features – you can check out more options in our best Instax Mini prices round-up .

However, a wide-format competitor such as the Lomography Lomo'Instant Wide (priced at $169 /£149) might offer more for your money in terms of creative control, with options for multiple exposure and optional flash – and it takes Instax Wide film too. There's also the retro Instax 500AF to consider if you can find one, which Redditers seem to be raving about lately. 

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: specs

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: design

• Better looking than the Wide 300
• Very rugged and sturdy build
• What's with the green?

The Instax Wide 400 might not be the prettiest Instax on the market, but the design has certainly improved since the Wide 300 model, with the sticky-out viewfinder ditched in favor of a more appealing and clean-cut build. The body is still made from a smooth plastic, which doesn't help it fit in very well among its more premium-looking Instax cousins, and while the textures around the lens barrel and battery compartment are great for grip, I think it makes the camera look a little juvenile. 

As for the general design, the Instax Wide 400 is rugged, heavy, and bulky. It's not until you get this camera in your hands and lay eyes on it that you realize just how big and wide it is. I would say that my hands are medium-sized, so I'm not sure if the hands-on images in this review are doing it justice. Or maybe it's because I'm used to handling my Instax Mini 40 and Mini 99 models that this camera feels so abnormally large to me. 

There's no built-in selfie mirror but, like the Instax Wide 300, the Instax Wide 400 comes with a clip-on macro lens attachment that has a mirror poking out of the side. With this camera being so large I don't think it would have taken much to include a built-in selfie mirror on the lens itself, but it's better to have one as an accessory than not at all. 

Speaking of accessories, there's also a new angle-adjustment accessory that comes with the Wide 400. This comprises two black plastic wedges of different sizes on a separate strap (i.e., not the main camera strap) which you can place under the camera to tilt it upwards when it’s placed on a surface for selfies or group shots. This worked quite well when I tested it, and it's a clever method that saves you from having to look for handy objects on which to prop the camera.

Possibly my biggest gripe with the design of the Instax Wide 400 is that it's only available in a single color option, at least for now – and what was Instax thinking with that awful green shade? It's worth mentioning that a lot of the promotional images make this camera appear more teal, but in reality it's green, and a slightly dull 'army green' at that. Yet, despite the green finish, the Instax Wide 400 could also pass as a kid's camera from a distance. 

I've never been self-conscious walking around with a camera before, but the Wide 400 is so large and unappealing that it draws a lot of attention to itself, and to whoever's holding it, and I felt a little embarrassed taking it out to my local seaside town during testing. I guess if you think of the Wide 400 as a camera that's intended for outdoorsy types, landscape photographers, and camping trips, then the green color choice makes a bit more sense than say, bright pink. 

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: Performance

• Can capture very sharp shots when used correctly
• Selfies are tricky (unless you have long arms)
• The self-timer is the perfect feature for group photos
• Lacks other modern features

I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing the new Instax Wide 400 camera, and I certainly get the appeal of wider-format film (which is double the width of two Instax Mini prints) when it comes to landscape photography and capturing group selfies. The camera takes really nice-looking photos in normal mode, as well as in landscape mode, and you can expect the usual Instax quality in the prints produced. 

However, I found that using this camera for self-portraits and with close-up subjects is where its performance faltered. The included clip-on lens attachment shortens the focus range of the camera to 40-50cm, and is intended for taking photos of closer subjects as well as self-portraits at arm’s length. With this in mind, I used my dog Tilly as my test subject for a few shots, and found that it was very hit-and-miss with the focus (see the sample images below).

I tried to capture the same shot a few times by switching up the distance between me and Tilly, while using the upgraded viewfinder and target spot to keep her center frame. It was difficult to estimate the distance between myself and Tilly, and I took a photo in normal mode without the lens attachment for comparison, but all that was in focus was the background behind her. In short: when used correctly, the camera plus lens attachment can produce very sharp results, but it will take some experimentation, and a fair few failed prints, before you get the hang of it. 

As for selfies, these were again very tricky to master using the selfie mirror and close-up lens attachment. I also found during testing that my arms just weren't long enough to hold the camera in front of me and press the shutter while keeping my face in frame, which in hindsight, is probably why Instax chose to add the self-timer feature, and has heavily pitched the Wide 400 as a camera for group selfie shots using some kind of stable surface or tripod. 

The self-timer is definitely the most useful feature on the camera, and the only 'modern' upgrade. The one-button camera design with automatic exposure is great for beginners and very user-friendly, although it doesn't offer any real benefit for photographers who like to take control of the shot and make adjustments to manual exposure. This is a little disappointing, given that most new products from Instax allow for some creative control and experimentation. 

For example, the latest Instax mini 99 camera is the most advanced Instax to date, with fancy new exposure control dials, a double exposure feature, and unique light leak filters. The Instax mini EVO, meanwhile, is an excellent hybrid instant camera, blurring the lines between digital and analogue. 

I was hoping Instax might bring these new tools to formats other than the Instax Mini series, but that's not the case here. Even adding a bulb mode, or the option to toggle the flash without having to cover it with your finger, would have been useful. 

I also found that this camera didn't perform as well in darker conditions, even when subjects were well-lit and when using the flash. I shot a photo of some sunflowers in a vase in my conservatory when the room was still very light, and the print came out dark. I took the same image the following morning and it was much brighter. I didn't realize this would have such a big impact, as shown in the images below. 

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: Sample images

It's important to recognize that this is not a camera for serious photographers, so if you're looking for high-res studio-quality images then look elsewhere. But if you're just after a bit of fun, and an affordable way to share physical memories and keepsakes with others, then the Instax Wide ticks a lot of boxes.

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400:

• I used two packs of Instax Wide film (20 shots) and one pack of the black edition wide film (10 shots)
• I used the camera in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations, and in cloudy, overcast, and sunny conditions
• I experimented with self-portraits, group portraits, and closer subjects

I used the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 for a few weeks, and I felt that I really put this camera through its paces. I aimed to test out the quality of the prints produced in a variety of conditions, including different lighting setups, alternating weather conditions, varied subject matter, with and without flash by covering it with my finger, and for both selfies and group photos. 

I mainly tested the performance of this camera by venturing around my local high street and seaside resort in the south-west of England, capturing a mix of landscape and portrait images. It wasn't all about the print quality though, as I also wanted to test the camera's handling and user-friendliness. 

Fujifilm has unveiled its latest instant camera, the Instax Wide 400, which is a straight up replacement for its 10 year old Instax Wide 300. The new model shoots onto Instax Wide paper, which is the largest of three Instax formats, the other two being Mini and Square.

Instax film formats are identical in height, but vary in width: the image area of Instax Wide prints measures 99 x 62mm (3.9 x2.44in), while Square is 62 x 62mm (2.44 x2.44in) and Mini is 46 x 62mm (1.8 x2.44in). Being twice the width of Mini, you can comfortably grab larger group photos with the Instax Wide 400. 

We think the Instax Wide 400 is a logical choice for events and can imagine it being super popular with guests at weddings and the like. However, bigger prints means a bigger camera. The Instax Wide 400 is a positively gargantuan device better suited to big occasions, and if you want a walk around camera you might consider smaller format options, like the Instax Mini 12. 

The new camera is available in sage green only and costs $149.99 / £129.99 (Australia pricing TBC). Packs of Instax Wide film start at $18.99 / £16.99 for a twin pack of 10 regular color sheets. You can also buy black and white wide Instax film from $13.99 / £9.99 for a single pack of 10 sheets.  

I was at the launch event of the Instax Wide 400 and I had enough time to formulate  first impressions, so what did I think?

Bigger, wider, nicher

A new Instax Wide camera is a rarity – this is a niche format. You get the largest Instax print size available, in landscape format, suitable for vistas, group shots and perhaps travel selfies. I prefer Instax Square, which strikes a healthy balance between size and intimacy, with prints that are easily displayed in groups. 

There's also no getting around how big the Instax Wide 400 is – you are holding a printer with a lens on it, after all. Yet despite its chunky proportions, this is a pretty simple and automated device, unlike the recent Instax Mini 99 for creative photographers.

The camera offers two focus groups: 0.9m to 3m (2.95 to 9.85ft) and 3m to infinity, a self timer crank with a countdown light that indicates how long until the shot is taken. There's also an always-on, built-in flash. 

The Instax Wide 400 has a lovely and bright optical viewfinder that gave me an idea of perspective, although for accurate composition I'd place my central subject towards the bottom left hand corner of the viewfinder. If I line up my shot as seen  through the finder, subjects appear in the top right instead.

There's no selfie mirror – a clip on accessory – like you find on most of today's other Instax cameras, but here the mirror is superfluous. Holding the camera at arm's length and pointing it back in my direction was enough.

If you like the Instax Wide format but don't like the idea of this beefy camera, the Fujifilm Instax Link Wide printer is a solid alternative. You can connect to the portable printer via Bluetooth using the Instax app on your phone, with the advantage of being able to choose which photos you print. However, you lose the immediate experience that comes with an Instax camera.

As with all Instax cameras, prints have a lovely vintage quality to them, while the cost of paper beats pricier Polaroid rivals. We'll be sharing a full review of the Instax Wide 400 soon.

You might also like

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Fujifilm Instax mini 99: One-minute review

The Instax mini 99 is the latest addition to the ever-growing and evolving Fujifilm Instax family. It's a delightful addition to the range, too, and likely to seduce photographers beyond the ‘typical’ Instax crowd, along with anyone with a keen interest in instant photography. Its design, vibe and feature set feel inherently more ‘photographic’ and less ‘toy-like’ than some other Instax cameras. 

Not only does it look more serious than its brightly colored cousins, but its range of extra controls and funky effects add to the creative possibilities. You have the option to tweak exposure using the Brightness dial, along with a modest selection of shooting modes such as Sports Mode, Bulb Mode (for long exposures) and even Double Exposure, and the Instax mini 99 really comes into its own with a palette of cool color effects, adding funky hues to your prints by exposing the Fujifilm Instax mini Film to LED lights in the camera.

However, while initially seduced, I can't see a compelling reason why I wouldn't plump for a digital hybrid instant camera, such as the slightly more expensive Fujifilm Instax mini Evo, or even the comparatively priced Fujifilm Instax LiPlay. While the Instax 99 might tick the analog box for ‘purists, it’s the tangible-ness of the print that entices me to the Instax cameras, and not necessarily how I got there. The digital hybrids allow for a little less guesswork and, as such, are a more economical option in the long run.

Fujifilm Instax mini 99: design

• Classic retro look
• Lens with a macro mode but no selfie mirror
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

The overall design, aesthetics and ergonomics of the Instax mini 99 are lovely. It feels slick and stylish, and it will appeal to ‘photography’ folk more than some of the youth-oriented lollipop color palettes of other instant cameras in the Instax family. It's solid but not too heavy, and it feels well made and balanced in the hand.

You switch on the Instax mini 99 by twisting the lens, and the camera’s three shooting modes – Landscape, Standard, and Macro Focus – are also accessible by twisting the lens. Landscape Mode focuses on subjects positioned at a distance of 3.0m to infinity; Macro Mode is perfect for close-ups and selfies taken at between 0.3m to 0.6m, and Standard Mode covers everything in between. Once the camera was on, I repeatedly forgot to change the lens settings; fortunately, defaulting to Standard seemed to cover most subjects well enough.

The Fujifilm Instax mini 99 is powered by a 680mAh lithium-ion battery, unlike some other Instax models, which use AA batteries. Annoyingly, though, the battery can't be charged through the camera, and you’ll need to remember to take the small charger and USB-C cable with you. This isn't necessarily a hassle, but it is yet another charging accessory to potentially forget, and you’ll be in a real pickle without it.

While I’m no stranger to being aware of and dealing with parallax, it seemed harder to calibrate my eye/brain with the Instax mini 99. I guess with more time this would become less of an issue, but the difference of view between the lens and viewfinder seemed especially displaced. The viewfinder, too, felt strangely awkward to look through at first.

The Instax mini 99 is not aimed as directly at the ‘selfie’ audience as other members of Fujfilm Instax family, such as the brightly colored Instax Mini 12; that said, it wouldn’t have been a stretch for Fujifilm to have included a front-facing mirror to help users compose and pose for some more accurate naval-gazing. 

Fujifilm Instax mini 99: Performance

• Manual control over brightness
• Fun shooting modes including multiple exposure and color effects
• Handy Instax UP! app to digitize your prints

Unlike other cameras in the Instax range, the Fujfilm Instax mini 99 gives you considerably more control over image brightness, which is great. The Brightness Control dial, which looks and feels like a typical exposure compensation dial (it’s even in the ‘right’ place on the top plate), offers five levels of dark and lightness: the Light (L+) setting selects the brightest exposure; the L, D, and N settings offer a normal range of brightness; and the Dark (D-) setting represents the darkest available brightness level. However, you’ve got to wait 90-odd seconds to see and to assess exposure, which can be frustrating. However, this is really just part of the slow, mindful, creative experience, which is fundamentally a good, albeit a relatively expensive, thing. Generally, in ‘normal’ conditions, I found ‘underexposing’ by one value to work best.

The Instax mini 99 comes into its own with some fun and funky shooting modes, with a wide variety of options to enhance the shooting experience. Indoor Mode is designed for low-light situations, Sports Mode increases the shutter speed for action shots, Double Exposure Mode lets the user combine two images into one, and Bulb Mode increases the amount of light let in when shooting a night view, for example. I gravitated to Multiple Exposure as the most potential fun, but I ran out of Instax mini color film before I’d nailed the technique.

When you want to really flex your creative muscles, the Instax mini 99 features a cool creative palette of fun and funky color effects, which are accessed via the Effects dial on the top plate. You can select from one of six snazzy looks: Faded Green, Warm Tone, Light Blue, Soft Magenta, Sepia, and Light Leak. Light Leak was my favorite. 

Unlike the Instax mini 99’s hybrid digital cousins, the effects are cleverly driven by LED lights inside the camera; the Colour Effect feature exposes the chosen color onto the Instax mini instant film, creating the desired effect on the print. It's pretty clever, and very cool. The effects are marginally cooler than similar ‘emulated’ effects on some of the Instax digital hybrid cameras; it's only a small margin, but you will bag more analogue kudos points.

The Vignette switch is an interesting new function. Located on the lens housing, it can darken the corners and edges of the frame for artistic purposes. It’s a nice touch.

Making instant prints will always be more expensive, period. That said, Instax mini prints do offer the best value for money. A twin-pack of Instax mini color film, each containing 10 exposures, costs $20.99 / £14.99 / AU$28, and in this digital day and age it’s making an actual physical print that makes Instax such a delight. However, if you want to digitize your instant photo print, you can scan and share on social media platforms using (another) new app released by Fujifilm called INSTAX UP! The smartphone app most usefully allows you to scan your work, crop to the corners, and even remove reflections. It also has a bunch of album features, enabling users to organize, store, and share their digital Instax photos. I found the scanning feature the most useful.

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax mini 99?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Fujifilm Instax mini 99

• I used two packs of Instax Mini film
• I tried all the creative color effects
• I experimented with the Shooting Modes

Using the Fujifilm Instax camera for a week with two packs (20 shots) of Instax mini film, I carried the camera with me on several walks in and around my local area - South-West UK. Unlike its digital hybrid cousins, such as the Instax Evo, I had to be more considerate, mindful, and measured in my shooting, as every click of the shutter cost money. This slightly discouraged the spirit of experimentation, and every action was tinged with economic anxiety. Just like life! That said, working on location and waiting 90 seconds to see results was also a refreshing and exhilarating way to work in the field. It encouraged a slow and considerate approach to photography, which I think is good.

First reviewed May 2024

Nons SL660 two-minute review

As TechRadar’s Cameras Editor I see all kinds of weird and wonderful devices for capturing stills and video, but just when I thought I’d seen it all, the Nons SL660 popped up in my YouTube feed and piqued my curiosity. It’s an instant camera, but not as we know it, being an angular hunk of metal – an SLR with passive Canon EF lens mount, that captures to readily available Fujifilm Instax Square film.

Nons makes two lenses that are directly compatible with the SL660’s Canon EF lens mount – a 35mm f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.8 – plus a range lens adaptors for other popular SLR lens mounts, including Nikon F and Pentax K. When I requested a loan sample from Nons for this feature, I asked for the Canon EF to Nikon F adaptor because I own a few excellent Nikon lenses, including the full-frame Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AF.

There’s also a Nons SL645, camera, and the key difference between that model and the SL660 is that it records onto Instax Mini film instead. Personally, I much prefer the size of Instax Square prints (and the larger-still Polaroid film even more), so the SL660 was the obvious choice for review. 

Unlike most simple point-and-shoot instant cameras that only offer auto exposure, the Nons SL660 is SLR by design, and entirely manual in operation. You’ll need to select the shutter speed and lens aperture, with an exposure meter above the lens telling you what aperture to use with the selected shutter speed. Your frame is viewed through a pentaprism viewfinder, focus is manual, and you even have to manually eject the print when you’ve taken the shot – a feature that enables multi-exposure shooting. 

This is truly a photographer’s instant camera, and to that end you can swap lenses to mix up the type of shots you can make. It’s also one of, if not the most, expensive instant cameras available. It’s pricier because it’s made of tough metal and in smaller batches versus the standard plastic used in most other mass-produced instant cameras like the Fujifilm Instax SQ40; the Nons SL660 is an altogether different camera to those, and the high-end build quality goes some way towards justifying the significant outlay. 

The SL660 is a bulky and heavy instant camera, and the image quality it's capable of producing is ultimately limited by the Instax Square film it uses – you will, for example, need an ND filter in bright light. Despite its constraints, I'm charmed by it, and I suspect that of all the best instant cameras you can buy, the Nons SL660 is the one that photographer me will come back to again and again. 

Nons SL660: price and release date

The Nons SL660 camera alone costs $599 / £603 from the Nons website or from Amazon, and with its passive Canon EF lens mount it's best suited to manual-control Canon EF lenses. If you use modern Canon EF lenses you might sacrifice aperture control (if your lens doesn't have an aperture ring) and even manual focus control ('STM' lenses). You can also purchase the SL660 as a bundle with the 35mm f/2.8 lens for $709 / £717, with the 50mm f/1.8 lens for $649 / £660, or with any one of a number of lens adaptors for $609 / £615. This high-end pricing pits the SL660 firmly against the Polaroid I-2 – the two cameras are in a different league to point-and-shoot instant cameras. Pricing for the Nons SL645 starts at $539 / £541. We'll update this review if and when pricing and availability for Australia are confirmed.

Nons SL660: design

Images of the Nons SL660 online didn’t prepare me for what I set my eyes on when unboxing the gear – this looks like no other instant camera. It’s a love it or hate it brutalist block of aluminum with defined features: a genuine wooden grip, a crank to engage the viewfinder, a pronounced shutter button, and striking shutter speed dial. 

There’s an optical viewfinder with through-the-lens display, so the perspective is correct to the attached lens. The display is dim, but I like its grainy filmic quality. There’s a portion of your instant print that you don’t see through the viewfinder display – when shooting with the thick border at the bottom of your Instax Square print, the unseen section is to the left. It takes a couple of shots to get used to this, and thereafter you can factor this in to make the best possible composition.

To shoot the ‘correct’ way, with the thicker border positioned at the bottom of your print, you need to flip the camera 90 degrees with the grip at the top – vertical if you will – otherwise the thick border will be on the left-hand side of your print, which looks weird unless that’s your intention.

The Nons SL660 is powered by an internal battery topped up via USB-C (using the supplied USB-C to USB-A cable, not just any USB-C cable) and is rated for around 100 shots on a full charge. A tiny top LCD displays battery life along with the number of prints remaining in the inserted film pack (the shot counter failed in my review sample after a couple of packs of film), plus the aperture setting needed on your lens to get the correct exposure for the selected shutter speed, based on the camera's exposure metering.

If you're shooting in bright light you'll need an ND filter for your lens, or else your shots will be overexposed – a 3EV to 7EV variable ND is perfect. The Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens I had has a 52mm thread. Because the exposure meter is separate to the lens (ie., not TTL), you'll need to calculate the exposure settings based on the strength of the filter, or place it in front of the meter to get the reading first, and then attach it to the lens. The 'reflective' exposure meter calculates an evaluative reading for the whole frame.

By today’s standards the Nons SL660 is awkward to hold, and by heck is it chunky, primarily because it needs that extra depth for the Canon EF-mount flange focal distance. This is no pocket camera. It’s also a paradox – a custom-made one-of-a-kind feel, yet it captures onto the most popular and accessible instant film. I had several packs of regular Instax Square film for this review, and there are a few readily available alternatives, like a monochrome film, too.

Stylistically I like the pronounced shutter button. However, it’s all too easy to press it unintentionally, which results in a wasted print. I almost lost that screw-on button, too, as it unthreaded itself more than once. The reason that the button is detachable in the first place is to allow you to swap it out for a cable release for hands-free operation, which is neat, but a tighter thread is needed for a secure fix.

Nons SL660: performance

Long before I'd received the Nons SL660 or taken any shots with it, I had formed a certain expectation regarding the quality of instant prints it could make. After all, it comes with a proper Nons lens, plus, in my case, I can use it with some excellent Nikon lenses. Rival instant cameras like the Instax SQ40 are restricted to a built-in, low-cost lens. 

Surely, then, the instant photos made with the Nons SL660 would be superior to anything else before it? Well, yes and no. Despite the superior optics, we’re still shooting onto the same film type – an ISO800 stock with limited dynamic range. Also, the print area of Instax Square film only measures 62mm x 62mm, and so it’s hardly big enough to really show off lens quality. 

Rather than outright image quality, the real appeal of the SL660 over cheaper and simpler rivals, besides its unique design, is that you can swap out lenses and therefore mix up the focal length and perspective of your shots. Unfortunately, my telephoto macro lens for Nikon F-mount lacks an aperture ring, and I was unable to get a good shot with it. Get the right manual lens, however, and great fun can be had.  

Almost all the instant photos I took with the SL660 for this review were taken with the Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens. For full exposure control when adapting an alternative lens, like I did through the Nikon F-mount adaptor, you need a lens with aperture control. That counts out most modern DSLR lenses from Canon, Nikon and Pentax. When using a Nikon lens without an aperture ring, the aperture is automatically set to its smallest setting, while some Canon lenses are set to their widest aperture setting. (I also had a great struggle removing the adaptor ring from my Nikon lens after use.) Besides Nons' own lenses, an old Canon EF lens with aperture ring makes the most practical sense. 

To get prints with the correct brightness, I needed to experiment a little to understand the behaviour of the SL660’s auto-exposure metering. If you follow the suggested aperture settings to a tee, then prints tend to come out a little dark for my liking, but when I increased the exposure by around 1EV, by opening the aperture up or halving the shutter speed, the results were better. 

Apply this knowledge about the camera's exposure metering and most your shots will come out fine. However, alternatives like the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ40 shoot in auto-exposure only, with a built-in auto flash, and with those cameras you'll get fewer wasted prints. 

You also need to understand the limitations of Fujifilm Instax film. It has an ISO 800 sensitivity rating, which is bang on with the fastest possible 1/250 sec shutter speed and f/4 aperture (approx) when shooting in cloudy weather, but when the sun comes out you need to stop the aperture right down, to nearer f/22 or even beyond the limit of the lens.

I prefer the look when shooting with a wider aperture, not least to make subjects stand out better, but also in this case for a brighter and clearer view through the viewfinder (it gets dimmer as you reduce the aperture size), and so a ND filter is a must-have accessory – otherwise the SL660 is practically unusable in bright light. 

There’s also a hard limit on the dynamic range of the film – if you shoot scenes with high contrast, like a backlit portrait or a white overcast sky, you’ll need to choose between a brightness for highlights or shadows; you can’t have both. An ideal scenario is even lighting: soft sunlight on your subject and background, or at least a darker background so the subjects pops.

There's a standard hotshoe to attach an optional flash. Nons doesn't sell its own flash, nor did I use the SL660 with a flash for this review – that's a whole other creative technique I look forward to exploring with this camera. I’ve complained about certain Fujifilm Instax cameras with built-in flash in the past because some models auto-fire the flash for every photo you take, whether you need it or not. However, that’s a better option than the SL660, which has no built-in flash at all – at least you can cover an Instax camera's flash with your finger when it’s not needed. 

Once your shot is ready, you hard-press the eject button and out pops the print. This manual-eject control also enables a multi-exposure function. You’ll need to recalculate the correct exposure for each shot depending what’s in each frame, and the results can be excellent if you know what you’re doing, or at least be prepared to waste a print or two experimenting. For example, I shot a self-portrait silhouette against a bright sky in one exposure, and then another one of closeup details of flowers that visibly populates the silhouette –  a classic double-exposure effect. 

Overall, if you’re using the Nons SL660 with the 35mm f/2.8 lens without ND filter or flash, it’s fairly limited as to what scenes it's suitable for. But if you're equipped with accessories and willing to experiment, great results can be achieved. 

Should I buy the Nons SL660?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Nons SL660

I had the Nons SL660 SLR instant camera for a couple of months, and I went through a fair few packs of regular Instax Square film. For the majority of the review I used the Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens, although I did adapt a couple of my Nikon F-mount lenses with mixed success. 

Testing the camera in a variety of lighting conditions that ranged from sunny weather to indoors, I experimented with various shutter speeds and lens apertures, and took both single-shot and multi-exposure photos. I've not used the Nons SL660 with a hotshoe mounted flash, nor used the bulb mode or attached a cable release. 

First reviewed April 2024

Fujifilm Instax Mini instant cameras such as the popular Mini 12 are typically point-and-shoot beginner-level fun – everything is on auto, even the flash. That's changed in the new flagship model, the Instax Mini 99, which offers more creative control than ever. 

It takes design cues from the Instax Square 40, but as its name suggests the Mini 99 uses the smaller Instax Mini film, plus it features a host of creative controls that you can use to enhance your instant prints, such as color effects and a vignette.

Fujifilm labels the Instax Mini 99 as a flagship model, and at $199.99 / £174.99 / AU$279 it isn't cheap – most Instax Mini models, like the Mini 12, are around half that price. However, the Mini 99's 'first-of-a-kind' creative effects utilize advancements in instant photography technology to create what could be one of the best instant cameras yet. 

If you take a look at the Instax Mini 99 photos below, you can see various dials on the top of the camera – these are manual controls for exposure and new creative color effects. A camera like the Mini 12 has a photo button and that's about it, but the Mini 99 allows you to manually adjust exposure to suit the brightness levels of the scene, while the new color effect mode offers six different looks.

Fujifilm says the color effect feature is "Driven by LED lights within the camera, the feature exposes the chosen colour onto the Instax Mini instant film, for a one-time-only unique photo." You can choose between Faded Green, Warm Tone, Light Blue, Soft Magenta, Sepia, and Light Leak effects.

• Available in the US from Adorama for $199.95
• Available in the UK from Jessops for £174

A switch on the front of the lens can add a vignette effect that darkens the edges of your print to make the central subject stand out more, and there are three focus modes to help you focus on subjects more easily, which you select by twisting the lens dial: Macro Mode focuses on subjects between 0.3 and 0.6 meters from the camera, Standard Mode focuses at between 0.6 meters and 3 meters, and Landscape Mode focuses at 3 meters and beyond.

On the camera's rear is a simple shot-count monitor, plus three buttons: shooting mode, flash mode, and self timer. The latter is handy for selfies, especially as the Mini 99 comes with a useful grip that doubles up as a tripod mount for hands-free shooting – you will need a tripod though. Shooting modes include double exposure, which combines two photos into a single print, plus various scene modes that set a suitable shutter speed depending on your subject – for example, sports mode freezes the action.

The Instax branding on the camera includes the words 'Image Control'. Indeed, the Mini 99 has plenty to sink your teeth into – a healthy mix for users of all skills levels, from quick color effects to manual exposure and focus control. This could be the instant camera that keeps calling you back for more, where other simpler offerings often start gathering dust once the first pack of film is used up. 

We've been enjoying some hands-on time with the Instax Mini 99, and we'll be sharing our review of the camera after seeing what the latest flagship model is like to use. It's not quite the Polaroid I-2, but the early signs are good – there's more depth to the Mini 99 than its low-cost siblings.

Alongside the Instax Mini 99, which is available from April 4, Fujifilm has launched two accessories – a black camera case that's purpose-built for the Mini 99 and costs £21.99, and a black photo album that holds Instax Mini prints and costs £11.99. There's also a new Instax Mini 'Photo Slide' film, which costs £8.99 for a pack of 10 prints

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One of the great things about instant cameras, besides the fact that they fire prints out in seconds, is that they do a lot of the hard work for you. Because they're user-friendly, they usually have automatic exposure and focus settings that adjust to a scene. While automatic modes simplify the shooting process – especially if you don’t have much technical knowledge – the main downside is that you get less creative control, so you can’t always change the exposure based on the lighting conditions or your artistic ideas.

Unless you’re using an advanced manual instant camera like the Polaroid I-2, all you need to do is point, shoot, and perhaps add a filter or two to liven things up. The best instant cameras aren’t just for beginners, though. I’m a semi-professional photographer, and I still love the simplicity, and the nostalgic, spontaneous nature of instant film photography – especially when you try experimental films like Polaroid’s Reclaimed Blue.

Whether you've got a Polaroid or Instax camera, framing your subject more carefully, or using modes that you’ve previously ignored, can improve your hit rate. After all, instant film is expensive, and you want as many shots as possible to be sharp, dynamic, and well-exposed. Here are five tips to help you boost your instant camera photography, with some fun and creativity along the way.

1. Choose the right distance

Most instant cameras have a close-up focusing distance of around 30cm, although the Leica Sofort 2’s macro mode can get up to 10cm. It's important to understand the focus capabilities of your camera, as you'll get blurry images if you're too close. For selfies, hold the camera at least an arm's length away and if your camera has a mirror on the front, use this to help you gauge the distance.

You don't want to be too far away, though. Instant prints can be tiny, especially if you're using the Instax Mini format. If your subject is too far away, it’ll be hard to see it in the print, so aim to keep it within about 6-7 feet for the best results.

2. Use exposure adjustments

On some instant cameras, you can use exposure compensation to control the brightness of your photos and overcome difficult lighting conditions like high-contrast sunlight. Compensate for situations where the camera's automatic exposure might produce overly bright or dark images; a positive value (+) increases brightness, while a negative value (-) decreases it.

On the Instax Mini 90, the little LD button lets me toggle through three settings: L (light) L+ (very light), and D (dark). On the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo, you can tweak the exposure up and down in numbered increments. The Polaroid I-2 has an exposure compensation dial on the lens. Check your camera manual if you're not sure what's possible.

3. Add in extra light

Instant film needs plenty of light to come out well. If the environment is too dark, say you're at a low-lit party or an ambient restaurant, turn on the camera's built-in flash to brighten things up. You can typically toggle between on, off, auto, or red-eye reduction. I usually keep my flash on whenever I'm indoors or if I want to add fill light outside. Keep it off when there's enough natural light, as it can be harsh on skin tones and make colors look washed out.

The fundamentals of photography apply in just the same way with instant cameras. Light is everything, so pay attention to the direction and intensity of natural light in your scene. Soft, diffused light – the sort you get from a window – reduces harsh shadows, while direct sunlight creates strong, interesting contrasts.

4. Consider contrast

Instant cameras don't handle dynamic range – the difference between the darkest and brightest parts of an image – as well as the best mirrorless cameras, and shooting in even light or on cloudy days can yield the best results. If there's too much contrast between the highlights and shadows, you could end up with a muddy photo that's too dark, so need to be clever about when you photograph, what you include in the frame, and the direction you face.

It's limiting to only take instant pictures when the light is even, like on cloudy days. But if you're taking portraits, could you ask your subject to step into a shaded area? Alternatively, could you make dynamic contrasts an intentional part of the composition? Try shooting into the sun for a dramatic silhouette, or splitting the frame into clear sections of light and shade.

5. Try creative modes

Instant cameras are designed to be fun! And any shooting modes they have are there for a reason. I used to stick the camera in auto and crack on. However, I recently experimented with the party mode on my Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic and found that it adjusts the flash output to reveal the background instead of keeping it dark. Neat. Then there's the "Kids" mode, which is designed for capturing fast movements with quicker shutter speeds and produced sharp prints when I used it to photograph my dog during a walk.

If you've got an array of modes and filters that you've been too scared to explore, I say give them a go. If your camera allows you to take double exposures, why not try overlaying a portrait with natural textures for a creatively expressive photograph? Or using macro mode for detailed shots?

It’s such a cliche, but the best way to improve your instant photography - as with any genre - is practice. Once you’ve gleaned the advice above, why not experiment with the best Instax and Polaroid films and accessories? Take advantage of deals on instant film, grab a big batch, and keep learning from your successful (and less successful) shots.

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In our click-and-share digital photography era, it can be refreshing to be reminded of a time when making prints was more physical – and when creative experimentation involved more than tapping filters on an app. As a tech journalist, I’m no Luddite, and I’m not suggesting we all ditch our professional cameras and hide away in the darkroom again. But occasionally, I think it’s important for amateur photographers like me to refresh our practice, finding new approaches, new forms, and maybe even new films.

Earlier this year, I went hands-on with the Polaroid I-2 and was transported back to an analog world I’d almost forgotten. While the best instant cameras (like the I-2) make physical prints, they’re designed to be quick (clues in the name) and easy to use. You get some degree of tinkering over how your images are printed, but it’s only when you change the raw ingredients themselves that you delve into fun territories. Call me old fashioned, but adding a sticker to a photo before printing it just doesn’t spark that same magic as trying a film and wondering how it’s going to turn out.

Instant prints are made via a clever chemical process involving positive emulsion, liquid developer, and dyes. The film gets exposed when you fire the shutter and develops as it gets ejected from the camera. Makes sense. We’re used to having a choice of color and black-and-white films, but what happens when a company like Polaroid makes its own experiments? And when one of those experimental flukes becomes a cult success?

I’m talking about Polaroid’s Blue 600 Film (Reclaimed Edition), my favorite instant film of the year and a product which inexplicably (because it’s just got a blue hue, right?) ignited my love of instant photography again. Reclaimed Blue was born out of the type of fiddling that only belongs to Polaroid, made in the R&D lab from waste materials while its scientists tried to improve the standard color film. That’s the story from Polaroid anyway, and I don’t mind whether it’s true or a clever marketing gimmick. What I do care about is when Reclaimed Blue is going to be back in stock because I need more – and I want others to try it for themselves, too.

Reclaimed Blue is constantly sold out on the official Polaroid store, only to be found for a premium on eBay, but I was lucky enough to grab some from Polaroid earlier in the year along with the Polaroid I-2. Like all 600 Film packs, you get eight exposures, and the iconic square format is compatible with the Polaroid 600, Now, Now+, and Lab, as well as the I-2.

If you’ve ever tried making cyanotypes – a photographic printing process that produces blue-tinted images – the rich cobalt/cyan/teal hues from Reclaimed Blue prints will be familiar. When I made my first two exposures, I was slightly baffled at the film’s popularity. The images were too dark – my own underexposure mistakes – and it was hard to make out the subjects properly. Determined not to waste film, I did some more research into Reclaimed Blue. Through that, combined with testing, I found that the film was either best for deliberate backlit subjects to get strong silhouettes, or in even lighting without about 3 stops of dynamic range.

Instant film – least of all Polaroid film – is expensive, and you could argue that the cost of having to waste it only to get some decent photos is a reason not to use experimental films. But I think that’s missing the point of why many people love using Polaroid cameras. You see, as I made my way through the modest 8-pack, I began to consider my settings carefully, creatively adjust the composition, and determine how I was going to use these last, precious teal-colored exposures. The images aren't yet masterpieces, but that's not the point. The process and photographic experience were different from how I snap away thoughtlessly on my iPhone or mirrorless camera, rarely even looking at the images again.

I love Reclaimed Blue from an aesthetic point of view, because the highlights are bright and sharp, rather than just being a lighter area of a colored dye as with Polaroid Duochrome film. You get a full range of tones from almost-black blue to near-white and an incredible level of contrast that I’ve not seen before from a Polaroid film. Reclaimed Blue isn't Monochrome, it's not Duochrome, and it's not designed for any particular subject. Polaroid is calling it #TheReclaimedExperiment, and hoping that its creative audience can shape its potential.

Of course, you don’t need a Polaroid camera to experiment with new films. You don’t even need a film camera, although I’ll never discourage anyone from getting into analog photography as a side hobby. To improve your instant photography, you just need an open mind and a desire to be curious. To try new things, and if they don’t work, to learn from them and take a different course.

While it’s easy to become obsessed with higher resolution, better autofocus, and stabilization with the best mirrorless cameras of the day, do we always want to pursue “perfect” image quality? Maybe there’s something to be said for injecting a little more play into your photography. Something more human. After all, if Polaroid is happy with an imperfect, experimental fluke, you and I can be too.

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Polaroid I-2: One-minute review

Polaroid has a long and winding history. Founder Edwin Land launched the world's first instant camera (the Model 95) and film in 1948 at a Boston department store, and it was an instant success. The company managed to endure throughout the film era, but it filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and again in 2008 – when the production of its instant film stopped.

A whole host of bizarre products were then created under the Polaroid brand, from cheap DVD players to the Polaroid Snap Android smartphone. It wasn't until 2017 that Polaroid received backing from a shareholder of The Impossible Project, first becoming Polaroid Originals, then in 2020 going back to the original Polaroid name. Quite the tumultuous journey.

Polaroid has been making a steady comeback in the last few years, launching the Polaroid Now, Now+ and tiny Polaroid Go, which are some of the best instant cameras around today. By contrast, the latest Polaroid I-2 is more grown-up, more expensive and more advanced – in fact, it's the first instant camera to offer fully manual exposure controls. It’s also well connected, working with the Polaroid smartphone app via Bluetooth to enable remote shooting.

But that doesn't mean it's lost its retro charm. When Techradar's Lance Ulanoff tried out the Polaroid I-2 before me, he says he was instantly transported to a simpler, happier time. And I have to say that I agree. It's a well-crafted camera that Polaroid says is "designed for craft", but it won't suit everyone. 

Its price is enough to put off amateurs, but for true Polaroid fans, or those who want to take their instant photography more seriously, the I-2 is a joy to use – as long as you're prepared to experiment, and to shell out for Polaroid film.

Polaroid I-2: Price and release date

The Polaroid I-2 was launched on September 7, 2023, and is available now directly from the Polaroid website, as well as from photography retailers for $599 / £599 / AU$1,095 at the time of writing – a talking point in itself. 

For the same money as a single Polaroid I-2, you could pick up four Polaroid Now+ cameras, or eight Instax Mini 12s (with some cash to spare on film), or put the cash towards one of the best mirrorless cameras instead. It’s hard to see a justification for the I-2's price tag, and the price alone will put off many users, and that's not even factoring that each Polaroid print costs significantly more than Fujifilm Instax alternatives.

That said, the I-2 hasn't been designed for mass-market, Instagram-generation appeal. It's a more unique and refined proposition than its Instax rivals, and I don't say that with scorn, as I happily own the Instax Mini 40 and Mini 90 myself. I just believe there are enough photographers who are attracted to the history and craft of analog instant photography to splurge on the camera. And if money is no object, I'd say the Polaroid I-2 is the best instant camera you can buy.

Polaroid I-2: Specs

Polaroid I-2: Features

My experience of Polaroid comes mainly from my childhood in the 1990s, and a camera I bought off eBay while at university in the early 2010s. Even then, as an early hipster just starting to learn about film processing, I loved the analog aesthetic and tactile process, and the fact that I could peg the prints from my fairy lights; as a student, though, I didn't love the cost of the film. With the Polaroid I-2, all of these things still ring true, but now there's a real sense of control over how the prints turn out.

The main selling point of the I-2 is its manual exposure controls. It offers the choice of Auto, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Multi-Exposure (up to four exposures in one shot), and Self Timer modes. The aperture ranges from f/8 to f/64, while the shutter speed range is 1/250 sec to 30 seconds. This isn't a camera for fast action, but the ability to toggle through settings does bring versatility to the subjects you can shoot. 

The I-2 has an exposure compensation dial that allows you to add plus or minus two stops to the camera meter's reading, in third-stop increments. The compensation, aperture and shutter speed are displayed in the viewfinder, while the latter two settings also show up on the camera's outer screen. You'll also see a hand icon in the bottom of the viewfinder if the camera thinks your shutter speed is slow enough to cause camera shake.

Autofocus is another standout feature of the I-2. Granted, it's center-weighted, and you only get one AF point located in the center of the frame, but the LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology is surprisingly effective. It locks onto near and distant subjects – the range is approximately 0.4 meters to infinity – in lower light as well as in good light. In practice, you half press the shutter down to focus, then press it fully to take the shot. The stepping motor driving the focus can be noisy and high-pitched, but I found this oddly reassuring as someone who grew up with a dial-up modem. It's a three-lens autofocus system, and the focal length is fixed at 98mm.

The I-2's internal lithium-ion battery can be recharged via USB, and Polaroid says a full charge will last for up to 15 packs of film (that's 120 shots at eight photos per pack). I only got the chance to shoot through four packs of film when testing, and during that time the juice had drained by around 25%, which was impressive.

In terms of connectivity features, the I-2 features Bluetooth, meaning it can pair seamlessly with the Polaroid app (iOS and Android). I found this quick to download, quick to connect and pick up the camera, and intuitive when it came to changing settings. The app is also useful for remote operation with the camera on a tripod.

Before you start snapping, I’d recommend looking over the paper pullout that Polaroid supplies in the box, as it covers menu navigation and buttons. Given that i-Type film is upwards of $2/£2 a sheet (the camera also works with 600 film), you’ll want to know exactly what everything does so that you don’t waste any.

Polaroid I-2: Build and handling

The Polaroid I-2 is markedly bigger and heavier than its cheaper siblings. It's made mostly from a matte-gray impact-resistant plastic and some metal elements, and it feels premium and durable. However, I wouldn't want to drop it from any great height, or use it outside in anything other than light rain.

There’s nothing too complicated about the body itself. On the front you'll find the pronounced red shutter button, the flash, the viewfinder front, and a slot for the film to eject out of. Looking at the I-2 top-down, there's an outer display, a thin button to toggle through the different modes, a power button and a flash button, all of which are nicely responsive to touch.

You can connect an external flash via the 2.5mm flash sync port at the back, which is next to the USB-C charging port. The large viewfinder is also at the back, while underneath there's a tripod mount. On the lens itself, you get the exposure compensation switch, plus the selection dial for settings. Again, both of these are responsively clicky, although once or twice I did nudge the exposure compensation switch by accident.

Subjectively, the I-2 looks suave, but I generally found it too big and cumbersome to use with one hand; with two hands and the included wrist strap, shooting was a more comfortable and secure experience. Polaroid also gives you a plush cloth pouch to protect the I-2 when it's stowed away, but if I were to frequently chuck the camera in a bag I'd want to invest in a hard case to save it from knocks.

Polaroid I-2: Image quality and performance

The Polaroid I-2 is aimed at a pro-grade audience, or at least those who know their way around the exposure settings of a camera. So how is the image quality? What of the manual exposure controls? It's a slightly mixed bag, in my opinion.

The camera takes the newer I-Type Polaroid film – which matches the original Polaroid square format with the iconic white frame – as well as 600 film for vintage-era cameras. The prints take around 15 minutes to develop, and it's vital that they're stored in a dark place (the film box works well here) or face down as they do.

When I was shooting in automatic exposure mode and flat, overcast lighting or soft sunshine, the color reproduction of prints was pretty much as I expected from the Color I-Type film. The tones were even, desaturated and subtle (calling them washed-out sounds too negative), with that characteristic 'vintage' look that lovers of instant cameras tend to enjoy. My Instax prints are generally a little more punchy, but it's a close contest between the two, and largely subjective.

When I added the flash into the mix for auto-exposure shots, the I-2 handled a mix of flash and ambient light capably, but it didn't always get the metering right. I know that Polaroid suggests shooting away from direct light, and that makes sense – its metering isn't advanced enough to cope with backlighting. But even in softer autumn light in the UK, I found that a lot of my pictures were overexposed. With the film being as expensive as it is, you don't really want to fire off several prints with exposure compensation to find out which one is best, and at times I struggled to trust the I-2's built-in meter.

I'm someone who shoots almost constantly in Aperture Priority or Manual mode with my mirrorless camera, and so I took to these modes on the I-2 more easily than a beginner might do. I learned to boost the exposure when photographing my black dog, for example, or dial it down in bright sun. A certain level of trial and error was still required, although I think over time you'll learn exactly what works with the I-2 – albeit after spending a large amount on film to get there.

The autofocus is pretty much spot-on, as I've already alluded to. When composing the frame through the viewfinder – which can be susceptible to some glare – you just need to make sure your subject is bang in the center of the frame. It helps that when  focus is achieved, the distance is shown in both the viewfinder and the display. In any instances where my photo wasn't sharp, it was due to a too-slow exposure.

I'm also pleased to report that the multiple exposure mode works brilliantly, with the Polaroid I-2 calculating the correct exposure depending on how many frames you choose. The self-timer option also went without a hitch, which makes it easy to shoot selfies and group shots.

I also tested the Polaroid I-2 with B&W i-type and Blue 600 film. The monochrome prints were low-grain and quite gentle, yet (when exposed correctly) had a surprisingly full range of tones. I'll be spending more time refining my results in black and white, but I'm pleased overall, and I think photographers who want low-noise prints will be too.

The Blue 600 film is made from reclaimed material from Polaroid's manufacturing process, and as the name suggests it gives striking blue colors. Again, this won't be to everyone's tastes, but it's totally wacky, experimental and great fun, and I can see it being popular for urban scenes and out-there portraits.

Should I buy the Polaroid I-2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Polaroid I-2: How I tested

I tested the Polaroid I-2 camera over a period of two weeks, and used it to capture a range of real-life scenarios. I took photos in a formal garden, in coffee shops, on dog walks, and in the busy city where I live, as well as in a range of varied lighting conditions, from low light to bright sunshine. I experimented with different three film types: Color I-type, B&W I-type and Reclaimed Blue 600. 

Given that the I-2 is distinguished by its full manual controls, I took test shots with the camera in Manual exposure mode, as well as using the other exposure modes and the multiple exposure feature. I also turned the flash on and off to see how the camera handled the balance of flash and ambient light. For several shots, I paired the I-2 with the Polaroid smartphone app to test the Bluetooth connectivity and effectiveness of the app, also using this app to digitize my photos.

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First tested October 2023.

A lesser known fact about Leica, maker of lust-worthy and expensive high-end rangefinder cameras like the Leica M11, is that it has also dabbled with instant cameras.

It was back in 2016 that Leica announced the Sofort, which was effectively an upcycled Fujifilm Instax Mini 90, lavished with Leica’s modern design flourishes. At $300 / £215 (about AU$425) it was a pricier Fujifilm alternative, albeit the cheapest way to get a red-dot camera. Now, seven years later, we have the Leica Sofort 2.

The second-generation Sofort model (the name means 'instant' in German, in case you were wondering) is a hybrid model in the mold of the Instax Mini Evo; you can shoot the analog way straight onto Instax Mini format film, or the digital way onto the camera’s internal memory / microSD card, and then browse your gallery in the Leica Fotos app to choose and edit your favorite shots for print.

With Leica’s clean-cut design, hybrid is a logical step for the Sofort 2; its 3-inch, 460,000-dot rear LCD suits the look, and most of today’s users will appreciate the choice between analog and digital, rather than being pigeonholed to one-off prints.

The Sofort 2 packs a 28mm-equivalent lens (that’s the same perspective as a camera phone’s main camera) with a f/2 to f/16 variable aperture, a versatile 10cm minimum focus, and auto exposure control. In fact, with a shutter speed range of 1/4 sec to 1/8000 sec and the ability to turn the flash on and off, the Sofort 2 is a more flexible shooter than most analog-only instant cameras. You should be able to shoot in any scenario, from bright sunlight to indoors, and get well-exposed prints.

If you’re shooting digital, the Sofort 2 records onto a 2560 x 1920 pixel sensor (that’s 4.9MP) which means a 1GB microSD card will store around 850-shots. Otherwise you get a 45-shot internal memory.

Compared to the retro Instax Mini Evo, the sleek Leica Sofort 2 truly looks the part, especially if old-school looks don't float your boat – and you need to enjoy the feel and look of an instant camera if it's going to get any use.

Like the Mini Evo, it measures 123 x 87 x 44mm, and will sit well in the hand compared to chunkier models like the Instax Mini 12, while its versatile auto exposure controls should ensure that you get the right brightness in your prints, wherever you go. This could be one of the best instant cameras for 2023 – it's certainly desirable, and we’ll share our experiences with the Sofort 2 in our upcoming review.

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Fujifilm Instax Pal: Two-minute review

Today’s cameras are so good, and so serious, that it’s proved cathartic to review the Instax Pal, a camera that’s seriously enjoyable and no more. 

This fuss-free ball of fun – it's about the size of a golf ball, to give you an idea – is suitable for all ages, and the closest a camera can be to a digital pet; it lights up and emits a happy jingle when powered on, and a sad sound when inactivity sends it to sleep, while the compatible Instax Pal app gifts you digital rewards for your activity. Tamagotchi, eat your heart out.

As a self-respecting adult I didn’t fall for such blatant manipulation to motivate me to use the app (okay, I did). And you only have to make the Pal available to the whole family – which you can, because you don’t need to be precious about this low-cost snapper – to appreciate that it speaks to all ages. 

This is an Instax camera that might actually be used day-to-day, and not stowed away in the cupboard once your film supply has run dry, as is so often my experience with analog Instax cameras. 

The Pal might well have the Instax name, but it’s not an instant camera as we know it. It’s a digital-only camera that fits better in the hand, printing via one of Fujifilm’s Instax Link printers, which come in ‘Mini’, ‘Square’ or ‘Wide’ formats; directly via a Bluetooth connection; or through the new Instax Pal app.

So while you don’t get the analog-only experience of traditional Instax cameras, which can be a wonderful remedy in this digital world we live in, you're more likely to take your tiny Pal with you everywhere, and you’ll also print your candid moments with one of Fujifilm’s portable Link printers more often than you would with a desktop printer. 

To me, the Pal feels like the best of both worlds; it’s a camera that’s not weighed down by a built-in a printer, while the shoot-to-print experience – either directly, or through the app – is seamless. 

You can print blind the old-school way, directly to a Link when the switch on the underside of the camera is set to ‘L’, or be selective via the convenient app, and not waste your expensive film by using the ‘F’ setting instead. That’s not the analog soul, but these days I’d rather have the control. 

I’m a big fan of Fujifilm’s Instax Link portable printers – and it was the Instax Square Link printer that really completed my Pal experience. You can also use this printer to print the higher-quality photos in your phone’s gallery using the relevant Link app.

The Pal doesn’t even have a screen on which to compose and view your ultra-wide angle snaps, like the Instax Mini Evo hybrid Instax does, and nor does it produce technically excellent image quality images – this is essentially a basic 2560 x 1920 pixel stills-only camera, clothed in cuteness.

As a camera, the Pal isn’t great. But what it does bring to the table is a fine-tuned experience with the app and printer, in colorful packaging for all to enjoy, and it has one or two surprises up its sleeve. 

Selfies and group shots are made easy via the self timer on the app, with the camera supported by the included detachable ring (that you’ll need as a kind of wrist strap if you don’t want to keep dropping the ball-like camera). The Pal even has a tripod thread that's compatible with small table-top tripods. 

Also, it was a real curveball to discover that the Pal is a discreet snapper; no one batted an eyelid as I took candid street photos around London with the Pal nestled into the palm of my hand (although the automatic fill-in flash caught me out a few times). 

Fujifilm has put a lot of thought into the new app, too. Automatically wiping photos from the 50-shot internal memory once they’ve been uploaded to the app is a smart move, while there’s also a micro SD card slot for those that want to double up on storing their photos. 

In-app images filters, basic edits, plus output to the various Instax Link printers cover your bases and ensure that you remain active, provided you don’t run out of paper. And the beauty is that when you do run out you can keep using your digital Pal until you top up your supply again. 

The Fujifilm Instax Pal is not one of the best instant cameras – it’s not even an instant camera, technically – and on paper it can’t compete with the Instax Mini Evo. However, sometimes you’ve just got to go with the feeling, and Pal gives all the feels. 

Ultimately, Pal isn’t a technically great camera, but it is one that I want to use more than most others, and that says a lot. 

Fujifilm Instax Pal: Price and release date

• Available in the US, bundled with the Mini Link printer only, for $199.99
• Available in the UK and Australia as the camera only, from £89.99 / AU$149

The Instax Pal is available in five exotically named colorways: Milky White, Powder Pink, Pistachio Green, Lavender Blue, and Gem Black. 

In the US the Instax Pal is bundled with the Instax Mini Link printer only, for $199, while in the UK and Australia you buy the camera separately, for £89.99 / AU$149 respectively (while the Gem Black version with a shiny, reflective surface costs £104.99 in the UK).

In the box you get a detachable ring that can act as a support to rest the Pal on, or slide onto the top as a 'viewfinder' (you don't need to do that), or, most helpfully, use as a kind of wrist strap.

As for the cost of paper, that depends on which format printer you're outputting to; Mini, Square, or Wide. Twin packs of 10 sheets of Instax Mini film start from $14.99 / £14.99 / AU$34.95

Fujifilm Instax Pal: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Fujifilm Instax Pal: also consider

If our Pal review has you interested in instant cameras, here are a couple of other options to consider...

Fujifilm Instax Pal: How I tested

• All the family played with our new Pal
• Printing directly to portable Link printer, and via the app

I had the Instax Pal in my pocket for over a week, and in my family home with two generations getting to grips with it. Throughout this time, I've became very familiar with the accompanying Instax Pal app, through which you can access most of the Pal’s functions. The camera device itself is super-simple, and I also operated it bypassing the app altogether and making direct-to-Link prints, for a more ‘authentic’ Instax experience. 

I’ve used the camera for family snaps, as a discreet street photography snapper, and for all-round every day moments. I played around with the in-app editor, and made lots of prints from the Instax Link Square printer, which is my favorite size of Instax print, collecting plenty of in-app rewards in the process. 

• First reviewed September 2023

As TechRadar’s Cameras editor, I review the latest and greatest devices for photography and video. Mostly serious tools, for serious creatives. Rarely do I get to play with a camera that I’d call cute, a camera like the new Fujifilm Instax Pal.

It’s a tiny, golf ball-sized digital camera with the Instax name, only it doesn’t churn out instant prints like a traditional Instax. This is a digital-only Instax camera, fine-tuned to pair with Fujifilm's Instax Mini Link, Instax Square Link, or Instax Wide Link portable printers, via a new Instax Pal app. 

Simple as they come, Pal doesn’t have a screen to compose your ultra-wide angle snaps as the Instax Mini Evo does. It emits a happy jingle when you power up via the multi-color-light-up power button and a sad sound when powered down. The app dishes out rewards the more snaps you take. If Tamagotchi were a camera, Pal would be its name. 

Instax by name, cute by nature

The Fujifilm Instax Pal is not one of the best instant cameras per se, but it can be as good as one when paired with an Instax Link printer. There’s a switch on the underside of the camera with “L” and “F” modes; “L” is a direct-to-Link printer photo mode that effectively creates the instant camera experience by using a Bluetooth-connected Link printer, while “F” is a photo to memory mode that stores onto the Pal’s 50-shot internal memory, or onto micro SD card. 

Photos consequently uploaded to the Instax Pal app are automatically wiped from the camera’s memory, and the app gives a seamless experience navigating your image gallery to pick your best snaps for print (and avoid wasting that expensive Fujifilm instant film), applying fun edits in the process that include filter effects, adding text or stickers, plus there’s a brightness correction and crop tools. You also choose which of those three Instax formats to output to, too. 

It’s worth noting that the new app can work for any photos in your phone’s gallery, not just ones imported from the Instax Pal. So here’s the question; how is Pal better than otherwise pairing your smartphone with one of Fujifilm’s excellent portable Link printers via the app?

Well, there are times you might not want to use your smartphone for photography, plus the Pal is a dinky snapper that all the family can use. Even I, a seasoned photographer, am somehow more drawn to Pal – it’s a camera that I’d want to use more regularly than most other Instax cameras that can feel a little clunky and awkward in the hand – you're carrying a printer after all. Pal on the other hand feels super easy to use, especially for small hands, and can slip right into your pocket. Heck, it’s so discreet you could even use Pal as a street photography camera, which I gave a stab at when walking through London after the Instax Pal press event. That’s my next personal photography project lined up.

In a way, I don’t mind the separation of the Pal camera and Link printer versus an all-in-one instant camera, plus you can also use the accompanying app to remotely control Pal, with self-timer and interval modes. Chuck in the mini-tripod thread and the included multi-use detachable ring as potential supports for hands-free selfies and group shots, and the Pal is an Instax with a difference. I’ll share more thoughts about the Instax Pal in my upcoming review.

You might also like

• Instant cameras coverage
• Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo is a hybrid instant camera with a stunning retro design
• Fujifilm Instax Link Wide review

Fujifilm Instax SQ40: Two-minute review

• Retro-style
• Retractable lens with closeup mode
• Automatic exposure

Most Fujifilm Instax cameras follow a similar formula, and we’ve unpacked how to get started with an Instax like the SQ40 in our Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 review. In a nutshell: insert the two CR2 batteries, follow the visual cues to insert the film, open the lens, and away you go.  

Fujifilm does old-school design better than most, and the Instax SQ40 is a perfect example of that. Some may prefer the look of the bright and bubbly Instax Mini series, but my preference is for the classic black faux-leather finish of the SQ40. 

The silver-effect accents around the lens and shutter button are a nice touch, though I would have gone one step further and included a more pronounced silver top plate. I didn’t have the leather half case while reviewing the SQ40, but judging by the images I've seen it serves to enhance the retro styling even further. 

Again, like the Instax Mini 12, which is the best instant camera for most people, you have a retractable lens with three settings: off, on, and selfie. The difference between on (standard mode) and selife is the focus distance range – you’ll be able to get up close and personal for selfies and macro using the selfie mode, but it won’t focus sharply into the distance like the standard shooting mode does. 

There's a small contour on the rear of the camera that gives a bit of grip, and overall the SQ40 is much easier to hold than the Mini 12. 

The camera automatically determines the brightness in your pictures using a light meter on the front of the lens, and in general you can expect accurate brightness in your SQ40 prints, unless you’re in bright sunlight, in which the camera can overexpose a little.

Next to the light meter is a Flash Light sensor for the always-on flash. I’d like a button to deactivate the flash for the times when I don’t want the foreground subjects brightly illuminated, and without that feature I often opt to physically cover the flash as a workaround. 

The fixed angle of view is slightly tighter than that of a phone’s main camera – around 35mm in photography terms – and in general you’ll want your subjects to be between 0.3m and 3m from the camera; any further away and they’ll be too small in your prints. 

There’s a viewfinder for composing pictures. This isn't physically aligned with the lens, but it has parallax correction, so what you see through the viewfinder is pretty much the composition you’re going to get.

To help compose your selfies, the SQ40 has a tiny mirror on the front of a lens as a visual guide, but given its size it’s only moderately helpful.

Fujifilm Instax SQ40: Performance

• Better in bright light than the Instax Mini 12
• Lovely washed-out vintage prints

The 62 x 62mm square prints that the SQ40 churns out are perfect in size – equal in height as Instax Mini film but in a wider square format, with the film itself measuring 86mm x 72mm.  

Auto exposure parameters are 1/2 sec with slow sync flash, which is ideal for flash portraits indoors, and up to 1/400 sec, which gives more headroom in bright sunlight than the Instax Mini, which tops out at 1/250 sec and washes out (overexposes) more often.

You don't buy an instant camera for technical quality, but for the best possible results you’ll want to keep subjects close to the camera, and make sure the camera is in the correct shooting mode for the focus distance, or else your subjects won’t be in sharp focus. For example, the selfie mode’s focus distance is between 0.3 to 0.5m, and anything beyond that will produce soft images. 

The sample gallery (above) shows the sort of aesthetic quality you can expect from any Instax camera – that's a lovely desaturated vintage look, and the SQ40 is no exception. 

Digitizing your prints is as simple as taking them, courtesy of the 'Instax Up!’ app. All the pictures in the sample gallery were digitized using the app, which includes guides for all film types, including the SQ40’s square format, and handy features like Remove Reflections. 

Fujifilm Instax SQ40: Price and release date

• List price $149.99 / £134.99 / AU$229
• 2 x 10-sheet pack of regular Instax Square film costs $24.99 / £16.99 / AU$34.95

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ40 has a list price of $149.99 / £134.99 / AU$229, and is available from the end of June.

Instant photography doesn’t end with the cost of the camera of course, and there’s no such thing as cheap instant film. However, you won’t find better value than Instax. 

A regular twin pack (2 x 10 sheets) of Square color film costs $24.99 / £16.99 / AU$34.95, and it's also available with different colored borders, including Rainbow, plus a Monochrome version of the film (prices vary).

Alongside the launch of the SQ40, Fujifilm has added a Sunset variety of its Square film, featuring soft color gradients which the company says are “reminiscent of a serene sunset”. This costs $15.75 / £10.99 / AU$26.95 for a single pack of 10 sheets.  

• Price score 3.5/5

Fujifilm Instax SQ40: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Fujifilm Instax SQ40: also consider

If our SQ40 review has you interested in instant cameras, here are a couple of other options to consider...

Fujifilm Instax SQ40: How I tested

• A day in the city
• A few packs of film

I haven’t needed much time with the Instax SQ40 to form my opinions about it. I’ve reviewed plenty of Instax cameras down the years, and the point-and-shoot models like the SQ40 are simple cameras that offer a fun and intuitive user experience. 

The only real choice you have to make when using the SQ40 is if you want to use the standard mode or the closeup shooting mode. You also quickly learn what are the types of pictures that work for instant photography at this print size, and those that don’t. You’ll want subjects to fill the frame, so moderate closeups, bold buildings for example. 

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed June 2023

The one camera that brings me unadulterated joy – and I don't even need to make any pictures with it – is my Polaroid SX70 instant camera.

I mean, just look at its smooth metal trim and gorgeous brown leather finish. It folds away like a hip flask and doesn't half feel and smell good, too.

I still get the same warm feels every time I open it out into its shooting position. There's a technique – pull the eyepiece end of the viewfinder up while bracing its front side down and then pull into position. Click, whoosh, snap. Senses ignited; sight, smell and sound. 

Like any good bar, it's best when open – sharp exaggerated angles, like a classic car. Proper parts, proper kit. They don't make 'em like they used to. 

My own SX70 was tarnished by another with rough hands and little clue how to open it, brutally yanking the viewfinder out. When folded away, mine still has the loose wobble to show for it. I’m not bitter, honestly.

It was 2001 when I bought mine. A fellow photography student, from Taiwan, had one of his own, in black. He was a top-of-the-class student, and a lover of cameras (and cats) to boot. By contrast, I was new to photography, starting to get a feel for the array of medium format and large format cameras at our disposal in the university's photo studio stock room.

Yet as I first laid eyes on his SX70 – the first single lens reflex instant camera that, being launched in 1972, recently had its 50th anniversary – I was mesmerized. He told me his was only £65 off eBay. You can guess what I did that night. True to his word, I found one for the same price, but with a brown leather finish that I preferred anyway. An optional flash was included, too, albeit mine came with a less-fancy camera case.

Buy now. Payment made. Purchase a few packs of film. Cue agonizing wait for it to arrive in the post.

In those early days, my SX70 didn’t disappoint. I got a bunch of lovely instant photos with it that first year of university, mainly of my friends, whenever I could afford to buy film packs. It was such a great camera to use; a rangefinder-style display where you line up the central circle with your subject for accurate manual focusing, plus auto exposure. And yeah it got admiring looks, too.

A brutish clunk and whirr, and out pops a perfectly sized square format print, revealing its dreamy vintage style over the course of 10-15 minutes. Such a slow, measured and satisfying experience. And as for instant photography, pretty good quality prints.

But if you know anything about Polaroid, you'll know that something disastrous happened that same year I bought an SX70. The company went bankrupt.

Shelf time 

After Polaroid declared bankruptcy, the price of SX70 film packs shot through the roof and were all snapped up within months. Those halcyon days were few, and my SX70 took up residency on a bookshelf along with a growing collection of photography books. 

Many years later in 2008, a start up from the Netherlands called the Impossible Project bought Polaroid’s production machinery for a mere $3.1 million, and started making its own film for the camera. 

When working at Amateur Photographer magazine in 2010, I got the opportunity to try out a few packs of the new Monochrome film in its infancy. Sadly it proved wildly unpredictable and, sorry to say it, essentially a waste of money. I would tinker with the camera settings and use a whole pack of film just to get one half-usable picture.

But that was almost 15 years ago. Since then, after several changes of hand, Polaroid landed secure investment in 2017, and its intellectual property and brand was acquired. The Impossible Project was renamed Polaroid Originals, then in 2020 it reverted back to the original Polaroid name which is where we are now in 2023. 

After years of the film being made properly again, and a reliable source of it via the Polaroid shop, surely it must have been improved and more reliable? 

I recently acquired a few packs of SX70 film – each pack contains 8 sheets and costs $26 / £19 / AU$35 (approx), though you get a small discount when buying multiple packs – reacquainted myself with my SX70 camera, and did what you really should do with a camera; stopped admiring it and put it to use. 

Dusting off my SX70

Since I last properly used my SX70, I’ve worked in camera journalism and been spoiled by some of the best cameras available to photographers. Yet the SX70 still charms. I don’t think it’s possible to tire of its elegant looks, finessed controls and brutish mechanics. Forget today’s silent electronic shutters, give me that clunk and whirr any day! 

Rangefinder-style displays, too. Lining up that central manual focus circle is slow, precise and satisfying. You don’t get a digital display showing you what to expect, plus you have to wait a whopping 10-15 minutes for the instant photo to develop fully before your eyes.

It’s a whole other way of working compared to today’s high-performance mirrorless cameras, and often impractical especially when working in natural light. For example, that 10-15 minute wait for a fully developed print might only reveal an under or overexposed print, by which point the light could have totally changed making tweaks to the exposure control to get the shot right a second time around, unreliable once more. 

When you consider the cost of a pack of film (above) equates to around $3 / £2 / AU$4.50 per print, you hardly want to fire off three of the same picture with incremental shifts in brightness values just in case. 

And what of the quality of prints? Like I say, I love the size of prints, and the dreamy quality is just as I remembered from those early days. However, I was still getting inconsistent brightness values, more so with the monochrome film (that is prone to bad batches) than color. Not as bad as those early Impossible Project days, but not quite as reliable as I remembered in the very first days pre Polaroid bankruptcy. It could be an auto exposure fault with my camera, but it is my experience.

By coincidence, I had another instant camera for review at the same time as dusting off my SX70, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12. Its prints are half the size, but it is overall more reliable for getting accurate exposure than my SX70, with a built-in always-on flash.

Two very different instant cameras with different paper and ink types, and the SX70 packs more soul, but if I actually wanted instant prints, then perhaps the Mini 12 would get more use out of the two.

I don’t think I would rush out to buy loads of SX70 film just yet. In fact, and I say this tinged with melancholy, it is destined to slot back into its dust-free profile on the same shelf it has occupied for years. Still, at least there it will continue to get admiring looks and the occasional “What’s that?” from my children, friends and guests, and I can tell the story once more.

Released right on cue in line with Fujifilm’s three-yearly schedule, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 becomes the latest in a long line of Fujifilm instant cameras for newcomers, succeeding the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11. 

The Instax Mini 11 already occupies top spot in our best instant camera guide, and it will soon be replaced by the Instax Mini 12, which brings incremental improvements in design and all-round shooting experience – I'll get on to those shortly. 

Getting started with the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is child's play. Insert the provided AA batteries, pop open the film door on the rear, slot in the film pack making sure to align the two yellow lines, close the door, twist the lens to turn the camera on, press the shutter button once to eject the film’s protective sheet, and you're ready to go.

After being dispensed from the camera, a photo will typically take at least 90 seconds to fully develop – so be patient. The number of exposures remaining in the film pack is displayed in a small window on the rear of the camera, and another window indicates if there is film inside the camera – don’t open the door if you see the yellow line of a film pack.

I've used the Instax Mini 11 a lot, and the Instax Mini 12 is similar in almost every regard. Its bubble-like design isn’t really my thing, but it does make for an eye-catching camera that’s perfect for picking up and playing with at a party.

The camera is a little slippery in the hand, with its smooth finish and curved edges not offering a great deal of grip. It's a fiddly camera to hold, especially when taking selfies, and I would love to see a more pronounced thumb grip, and/or or some kind of rougher texture on the exterior. Thankfully, a color-matched wrist strap is supplied; use it, as otherwise you’re bound to drop this camera at some point.

There are a couple of design tweaks that make perfect sense. You now turn the camera on by rotating the lens, and the lens has two settings: on and close-up. It's more intuitive, and a far less clunky process than on the Instax Mini 11, where pressing a stiff button pops the lens out and turns the camera on, and pulling the lens out then engages close-up mode.

The camera determines brightness in your pictures and the required flash power via auto exposure (AE) light and Flash Light sensors. Previously, these sensors were on the right-hand side of the camera (as you look at it) where fingers from your supporting hand might naturally rest and obstruct them. Now the sensors are out of the way in the center of the camera, meaning you’re less likely to get pictures that are overexposed because of pesky fingers.

Another addition is parallax correction. Put simply, parallax correction improves the accuracy of the viewfinder, so that what you see through the viewfinder is the composition you get in your print. That is, if you can get a clear view through the viewfinder in the first place – you need to really press your eye in close. 

The Instax Mini 11 doesn’t have parallax correction, and you need to be mindful of moving the camera up and to the right for the vertical-format pictures Instax Mini cameras are primarily designed for. Over time this recomposing becomes instinctive, but removing yet another thing to think about makes the Instax Mini 12 even more user friendly – plus of course those picking up the camera for the first time aren’t to know.

The camera now has auto flash exposure, but I should stress that the flash still fires for every single picture. The theory is that the power of the flash is adjusted depending on what the camera sees, within the 0.3m to 2.7m range. 

If you have more than one subject at various distances within the 0.3 to 2.7m flash range, the closest one will likely be too bright, and while that would be true of any flash, here you don’t have the option to turn the flash off. 

I appreciated that this is a camera that's meant to be as simple as possible to use, but an option to deactivate the flash manually would be helpful for those times when you want to work with natural light only.

Complementing the Instax Mini 12 is a new app called Instax Up! The main purpose of the app is to enable you to digitize your instant images, from any Fujifilm instant camera. The dedicated app simplifies the process over, say, using your smartphone or camera to do the job, and it includes a handy Remove Reflections feature. The pictures in the sample gallery of this review have been digitized with a Google Pixel phone using the app.

Otherwise, most of the features of the Instax Mini 11 are carried over to the Instax Mini 12. There’s the same 60mm f/12.7 lens, with a close-up / selfie mode that reduces the minimum focus distance from 0.5m to 0.3m. 

This field of view is similar to that of the main camera on a smartphone – it’s a little closer to the ‘classic’ 35mm focal length – and in selfie mode at arm's length you can fit yourself and a couple of other people in the picture, with a small mirror next to the lens giving you a rough idea of what the camera sees.

Exposure parameters are the same as on the Mini 11, with a shutter speed range between 0.5 sec and 1/250 sec, combined with the ISO 800 sensitivity rating of Instax Mini film.

The result of these settings is that, like its predecessor, the Instax Mini 12 overexposes highlights in bright sunlight and flash. Reducing exposure by 1EV would largely address this brightness problem, preferably by increasing the fastest available shutter speed to 1/500 sec, or alternatively by providing a slower ISO 400 film. 

It’s a shame to think that I can't really use the Instax Mini 12 to its best potential when the sun is out, and improvements here would top my wish list for a successor that we might reasonably expect to land in 2026.

The best outdoor conditions for the Mini 12 is cloudy weather, while a shutter speed down to 0.5 sec combined with flash (slow sync flash) can produce great-looking pictures at evening events. That’s because slow sync flash reveals some of the background details around subjects, rather than simply a black background that you’d get with faster speeds with flash. 

Auto exposure was introduced in the Instax Mini 11, and you can rely on the Instax Mini 12 to produce credit card-size prints (62 x 46mm, or 86 x 54mm including the border) that, highlights aside, are well exposed. (Personally, I prefer the Instax Square size (62 x 62mm) over Instax Mini – the larger square format gives subjects that extra room to breathe.) 

That said, the range of tones the Mini 12 can capture is limited, and in general, you’ll want to capture scenes that feature fairly even brightness levels throughout, with no bright highlights or deep shadows. As for the overall feel and color of Instax Mini prints, I’m a big fan, with colors looking rich while also having a vintage feel. 

I wouldn’t necessarily expect to take the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 with me everywhere, but it’s a fine choice for making keepsakes at big occasions. 

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12: price and availability

A simple automatic instant camera, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 costs $79.95 / £79.99 / AU$119 – a 15% increase from its predecessor – and is available in five different colors; Blossom Pink, Mint Green, Clay White, Lilac Purple, and Pastel Blue.

A twin pack of Instax Mini color film, with each pack containing 10 exposures, costs $20.99 / £14.99 / AU$34.95. In certain regions different film packs are available; in the UK, a single color film pack costs £8.99 and a pack of five costs £34.99, while monochrome film, plus various other styles, are also available in the US, UK and Australia at a cost of $15.75 / £9.99 / AU$19.95 for a single pack of 10 exposures. There's not really any better-value instant film available than Instax Mini.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12: specs

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12

There aren’t a lot of features to explore on the Instax Mini 12 – you just insert the film and take a regular or close-up photo – but I was particularly keen to see how it performed in daylight and at night, and to test the accuracy of its viewfinder.

I'm happy to report that the Instax Mini 12 is easier to use than its predecessor. The viewfinder is much more accurate than before, and the lens design is less clunky.

Slow sync flash works well for pictures in low light. The same challenges remain when shooting in bright light – pictures are too bright – but I don't think this will be a difficult thing to fix in the next installment in the Instax Mini series.

First reviewed March 2023

Fujifilm has launched its successor to the best instant camera for beginners – the Instax Mini 11 – and the new Instax Mini 12 boasts a key new feature that will make lining up your pictures much easier. 

Equipped with Parallax Correction, the Mini 12’s viewfinder now aligns with the lens – what you see through the viewfinder is what will materialize on your instant prints. 

Most instant cameras don’t have parallax correction, meaning the alignment between viewfinder and final print is off. In the case of vertical-format pictures with the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11, you need to be mindful to shift the camera up and to the right a little in order to get the final picture you want.

Accurate composition in the Close-Up mode in particular was always a challenge, but the more you used the Mini 11, the more that reframing became second nature. In the Mini 12’s Close-Up mode, this headache is gone and we expect it will be even easier to use than the Mini 11, which is already one of our favorite instant cameras.

The Mini 12 is available from 16th March 2023 for $79.95 / £79.99 / AU$119.99 – a 15% premium over the launch price of the Mini 11 – and in five different colors including; Blossom Pink, Mint Green, Clay White, Lilac Purple, and Pastel Blue.

A new dedicated app is launched – Instax Up! 

Alongside announcing the Mini 12, Fujifilm introduced a new app specifically for its instant cameras – Instax Up! The free app is available now on both Apple App Store and Google Play store. 

The app is designed for Instax instant photography with its key functions being to digitally scan, store, and share photos in one place. Users will be able to organize their photos by category, and import other photos from existing Instax apps, including Instax Mini Link.

Building on the Instax Mini 11

Other improvements in the Mini 12 include automatic flash control that we believe will detect brightness levels and only fire when needed. The Mini 11 on the other hand fires the flash for every picture whether you are in bright or low light situations. 

All of the existing features from the Mini 11 are carried into the Mini 12, including Close-Up/ Selfie Mode and Auto Exposure. The Mini 12 also retains much of the Mini charm, with a bubble-like body and an array of fun colors to choose from. 

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better first instant camera, and now the Mini 12 promises to be even easier to use. We look forward to playing with the Instax Mini 12 and sharing a full review soon. 

Two-minute review

It was once one of the camera world's biggest brands, but Kodak is a relative unknown when it comes to present-day instant photography. The hybrid Kodak Step is hoping to change that and force its way into our guide to the best instant cameras.

Unlike rivals Fuji Instax and Polaroid, the Step eschews analogue film for Zink, or 'Zero Ink', prints. Each one has layers of cyan, magenta and yellow ink embedded in the paper, and reacts to heat to produce images. 

It relies on a digital sensor, so isn't as authentic as true instant film, but is significantly cheaper, and the cameras that use it are physically smaller. Essentially, you're getting most of the fun of instant at a much lower price.

The Step might remind you of the Polaroid Snap, a similar hybrid camera launched back in 2016. Without getting too bogged down over naming rights, it's essentially built by the same parent company but now sporting a Kodak logo.

With few buttons, no touchscreen and a delightfully simple operation, the Step is a proper point-and-shoot instant camera. Its 10-megapixel sensor is largely on par with a basic modern smartphone, so the digital backups it makes of each photo are more a bonus than a must-have feature, but this doesn't detract from the charm of its instant prints. 

They are nowhere near as detailed or vibrant as Instax film, with noticeable print lines and a real lack of contrast, but the peel-and-stick adhesive back makes them perfect for scrapbookers.

This back-to-basics approach won't appeal to photographers already familiar with instant film, but the affordable film packs make it a fun way to introduce instant to the younger generation.

Kodak Step: Design and Features

• Shoots 2x3in ZINK photos
• Lightweight, pocket-friendly plastic build
• Simple, intuitive button layout

With no need to expose its film to the light like a traditional instant camera, the Step is significantly smaller than rivals from Fujifilm. The rectangular body is compact enough to fit in a pocket, and the rounded corners make it comfortable enough to grip securely.

All the buttons line the top edge, with the big red shutter button being impossible to miss. The self-timer button next to it doubles as a power button, which flips open the viewfinder as the camera turns on. To turn it off again, you manually flip the viewfinder closed. 

The Color mode button toggles between color, sepia and monochrome shooting, which applies to both the digital and physical version of each image. Finally, a frame button adds an Instax-aping white border around your photos.

You load film at the back, sliding down a catch to open the spring-loaded door. Paper sits rather loosely inside the tray, which can lead to some photos not printing perfectly straight (something more noticeable when using the frame mode). On the plus side, the paper doesn't react to light like Instax film, so you won't ruin your remaining shots by accidentally opening the door when there's still paper inside.

Kodak Step: Performance

• Each photo takes around 30 seconds to print
• Offset viewfinder makes composition tricky
• MicroUSB charging

Take a snap and the Kodak Step will print it automatically, taking roughly 30 seconds to spit out the photo. Each image is about the size of a credit card, and you can peel the back off and use them as stickers. Packs of paper are cheaper than Fuji's Instax Mini, at around 50p per print.

If you've fitted a microSD card, a 10-megapixel digital photo gets saved simultaneously. You don't need one to be able to take instant photos, but annoyingly once you run out of Zink paper you can't take digital snaps at all until you load a new pack. With no built-in screen you'll need a computer to review your digital pics, but that's hardly a shock given the double-digit price.

Framing your subjects is made trickier by the offset viewfinder, which gives no indication as to where the borders of the image will be. It's particularly troublesome for close-ups, where it's all too easy to lose limbs or the tops of heads, and there's no front-facing mirror for lining up selfies. With no digital reminder to remove the lens cap, which is held magnetically to the front of the camera, it's also quite easy to end up with completely black prints.

The built-in battery is good for around 20 photo prints, or two full packs of ZINK paper. A full charge takes around two hours over microUSB, with the port located at the side of the camera. 

Kodak Step: Image Quality

• Prints are colorful but show visible printing lines
• Limited dynamic range, struggles with far-off detail
• Digital images worse than most modern smartphones

Each Zink print looks presentable from arm's length, but look closer and it's all too easy to spot the printing lines. It's most prominent on darker landscape snaps with blue skies that fill the entire frame, and less noticeable on more brightly-exposed photos. Unfortunately, the camera somehow manages to make even well-lit scenes look drab and dimly lit at times.

Colors are closer to traditional 35mm film than the lighter, almost pastel-like hues of some instant film. It only takes a little extra light to blow out a scene, but prints of well-balanced daylight landscapes usually have a good amount of pop. The small digital sensor can quickly begin to struggle as the light goes down, though, with noise ramping up and details quickly lost.

Digital images show a general lack of sharpness, and detail is merely OK. Exposures look more true-to-life here than they do after printing, but highlights are regularly overblown. Any current-generation smartphone can likely do a better job, regardless of light levels.

Kodak Step verdict

There's a certain charm to the Kodak Step's simplistic yet modern approach to instant photography. Though its digital images are beaten by any half-decent smartphone, and the prints it produces vary drastically in quality, its affordable nature means anyone looking for an introduction to instant film shouldn't write it off.

It's cheaper to run than the Fuji Instax Mini 11, small enough to slide in a pocket, and basic enough that children won't struggle to use it. It could easily find a place as a family scrapbook companion or a fun addition to parties.

However, Zink paper isn't as authentic as Instax or Polaroid film, and the digital-first nature won't appeal to instant purists, who would be better served by the more feature-packed Fujifilm Instax mini 90.

Should I buy the Kodak Step?

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Two-minute review

Instax Wide is Fuji's largest instant film format, but you might not know it.

The cameras that use it are big, bulky, and vastly outnumbered by those that take the credit card-sized Instax Mini format. Fuji has also only released one, the Instax Wide 300, since 2015. For a Bluetooth printer like the Instax Link Wide, however, it makes a lot more sense. 

The slim, battery-powered printer lets you turn your smartphone snaps into physical prints, either at home or on the move. Paired with Fuji's companion app, you can edit your photos, add filters and generally get creative before you hit print, and you don't have to worry about wasting expensive film like you might with one of the best instant cameras. 

With just one button, the Instax Wide is as simple as it gets. The photos it produces are rich, detailed, and because of their sheer size, rather impactful. As they are developed, rather than printed, they have the signature style that makes instant film such a joy to use – although it does mean a minute or two's wait between pressing print and seeing the final result.

It is far less complex than the rival Polaroid Lab, which is more like a desktop darkroom than a printer in the way it 'exposes' each photo using your smartphone's screen, and more authentic than less expensive ZINK printers, which rely on thermally sensitive paper.

Aside from the cost of film, which is among the highest of all instant film formats, the Instax Link Wide has very few weak spots, making it one of the best instant cameras you can buy. Whether you already own an instant camera or not, its blend of smartphone control and physical photos is among the very best around.

Fujifilm Instax Link Wide: Design and Features

• Prints 99x62mm Instax Wide photos
• Compact dimensions
• Ultra-simple operation

The printer itself is basic as it gets, a relatively slimline plastic rectangle with rounded edges and a textured finish that looks rather classy. It's still not small enough to slip into a pocket, but you'll have much less trouble putting it in a bag than you might with the Instax Wide 300 camera. 

A simple plastic foot lets you stand it upright on a desk while printing at home, while the wrist strap comes in handy when heading outdoors.

There's just one button on the front face of the printer, which powers it on. A color-changing LED shows when you're printing a photo, and you can customize the hue using the companion app. This app handles all the other functions, and reminds you how many shots you have remaining in your film pack.

Packs are loaded at the rear. Slide the locking latch and the film door springs open, then you insert the pack so that the yellow line on the film lines up with the one on the printer. Close the door and the printer will automatically spit out the pack's protective plastic cover. 

Instax Wide film is available as packs of ten shots for roughly £8.50 each (or $18 for 20 exposures). The most common variety has a traditional white border, but Fuji also produces packs with black borders, and you can buy monochrome film as well as color. However, the selection is dwarfed by that of Instax Mini, which can be had in a multitude of frame colors.

Fujifilm Instax Link Wide: Performance

• Intuitive app is quick to pair
• Straightforward software UI
• MicroUSB charging

Pairing the printer with your phone is as easy as powering on the former, and opening the app on the latter. It will automatically search for any nearby Instax printers, and connect with a few taps. You can also pair to a handful of Fuji digital cameras and print directly from them, but the list of compatible models is currently rather small.

The app's main screen contains almost every major function, from simple prints to collages, templates and sketches that use your phone's camera to scan and combine multiple elements. Simple print lets you pick any photo from your camera roll, then zoom, crop, and adjust colours, apply a filter or add text effects before sending it to print. It's all very intuitive, and creative types are sure to love experimenting with their images. 

QR codes are a neat extra, letting you add a web shortcut to your pictures that can reveal a location, display a secret message or play back a recorded sound when followed with a smartphone's camera.

Once you're happy, hit the big print button and the finished image will 'fly' up towards the top of your phone, like it's being sent to the printer by tractor beam. Each print takes around 30 seconds to transfer, and another minute or so to develop. You can't connect the printer to a PC or a Mac – it only works via the app, which is available for Android and iOS.

The printer's remaining battery life is always shown at the top of the app's main screen. Fuji claims the Instax Link Wide is good for 100 prints on a full charge, although in our testing it dropped 20% after just ten prints. Charging is done via microUSB, and takes around two hours for a complete top-up.

Fujifilm Instax Link Wide: Image Quality

• Natural colors and contrast 
• Impressive level of detail
• Choice of rich or natural color reproduction

Instax film is developed, rather than printed, which creates a signature look that's consistent between sizes. The Instax Link Wide's photos are similar to Instax Mini in terms of colour, contrast and exposure – only they have more impact because they are twice the size. 

The film's 3:2 aspect ratio is a closer match to the typical ratio of a digital camera or smartphone than Polaroid's square crop, meaning you don't need to think so much about how you frame your subject.

Pictures are vibrant, with some hues like blues and greens having more punch than others in the default "Instax-Rich" mode. You can swap this for "Instax-Natural" in the app's settings, which creates a more muted look we typically associate with the early instant film of the 1970s. We preferred the Rich mode, which really helps each print stand out.

Picture clarity is rather impressive, with an impressive level of clarity even in wide landscape shots. Only the brightest images show signs of exposure blowout, and are largely consistent with the digital originals rather than affected by the printing process. 

Still, Instax isn't going to be a match for an inkjet photo printer when it comes to overall definition, sharpness, or color accuracy. If you prefer those to the charm of instant film, the Instax Link Wide may not be for you.

Fujifilm Instax Link Wide verdict

For the largest, most colorful instant prints wherever you are, without having to lug around a massive instant camera, the Instax Link Wide ticks all the right boxes. It's simple to use, yet its companion app lets you get surprisingly creative with your shots when you want, and doesn't forget the fun nature of instant film.

A more expansive range of Instax Wide film types would be nice, as would faster charging over USB Type-C, but otherwise there's very little to grumble about here.

If you're simply after physical versions of your digital photos, a dedicated photo printer might make more financial sense – but it won't have the same charm as the Instax Link Wide. It's quite simply the best Instax printer around right now.

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Link Wide?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

You don’t need 20 years of testing experience to know that instant cameras are an easy and fun way to get into analog photography. But because our team has spent almost two decades reviewing cameras, we know exactly what to look for when it comes to recommending the best, and how far instant cameras have come along the way.

Our team have tested more than 30 instant cameras, and used the results to put together this guide. Based on our in-depth tests, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is everything an instant camera should be today. It’s foolproof to use and produces vibrant party prints, plus it’s relatively affordable to refill. If you want bigger prints or more advanced manual controls, though, you’re better off with one of the premium alternatives in our list.

We don’t take shortcuts when testing. Every recommendation below draws on real-world feedback. We’ve gone through multiple packs of film with each instant camera, to see how they perform in a range of situations, from indoor parties to outdoor portraits. You’ll find a summary of the results below, together with our honest insights. This guide is also packed with buying advice, from the running cost of instant film and how to choose which model is best for you.

Today's best instant cameras

Below you'll find full write-ups for all of the best instant cameras in our list. We've tested each option extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations are genuine.

The best instant camera overall

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 sample images

The Instax Mini 12 stands out as the most approachable instant camera for beginners, delivering true point-and-shoot simplicity. In hands-on use, we found it incredibly intuitive: just twist to turn it on, frame your shot, and press the shutter. Its upgraded viewfinder now corrects for parallax, so subjects appear just as you see them, making it easy to get framing right even at close distances. Fuji’s redesign of the lens barrel helps with sharpness and overall confidence, especially for first-timers.

Where the Mini 12 falls short is exposure in harsh sunlight, where it’s prone to blowing out highlights with its fully automatic flash but this can be adjusted in the settings. The camera’s plastic body can also feel a bit slippery, so a wrist strap is a must for outdoor shooting. Compared to the Instax Wide Evo and Mini Evo, the Mini 12 trades away larger prints, manual controls, and digital preview for a much friendlier price and a slimmer, pocketable build. The affordable Mini film packs keep running costs predictable, making it easy to recommend for casual users who value fun and convenience over maximum creative control.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 review

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The best for wide prints

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo sample images

The Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo is the brand's second hybrid instant camera (and its first wide format hybrid camera), meaning it can be used for taking film pictures or as a printer for your smartphone. It combines the stunning retro looks of its predecessor, the Instax Evo Mini, with the large instant film prints that you can get on the Instax Wide 400.

The hybrid approach (and the associated monetary cost) won't be for everyone, and some might say that the digital-first nature of this camera detracts from the pleasingly simple immediacy of a true instant snapper. It's certainly true the the instant prints, being derived from digital captures rather than analog ones, lack the pop and vibrancy I'd associate with Instax cameras.

That being said, the Instax Wide Evo comes loaded with some of Fujifilm's best Instax camera features, including a wide range of lens and film effects, access to Fujifilm's app, and options for different films to print on.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo review

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The best hybrid instant camera

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo sample images

If you're looking for a camera that mixes the charm of instant photography with the convenience of digital shooting, the Instax Mini Evo is a fine choice. Its digital image quality won't beat your smartphone, but that's not the point. The main benefit here is being able to decide which shots you print out, to avoid wasting precious film. Based on our time with it, we think the Mini Evo is also one of the most attractive instant cameras on the market – and more compact than Fuji's other models.

Another great party trick is the Mini Evo's ability to double as a printer for your smartphone snaps. There's also an option to apply numerous built-in effects and filters before you hit the print button. While these digital elements mean the Instax Mini Evo doesn't offer a 'pure' instant photography experience – and is more complex than alternatives like the Instax Mini 11 – we found that its versatility and charm more than compensate for those who want something more than a point-and-shoot.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo review

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The best simple instant camera

Polaroid Go Generation 2 sample images

Practically the same as the original Go, the Polaroid Go Generation 2 is the smallest and lightest instant camera of its kind, complete with Polaroid's beautiful print quality. Not quite pocketable, like the Instax Mini Evo hybrid, the Go Generation 2 packs the retro charm and it's point-and-shoot simplicity. Personally we prefer the larger prints made by it cousins the Now+ and I2, but if you don't mind smaller credit card-sized prints, you'll love the vintage quality here.

Just because it's easy to use, that don't mean the Go Generation 2 skimps on features. Its automatic flash can be manually overridden, while its self-timer and double-exposure modes are both handy and encourage creativity. During testing, we enjoyed the streamlined interface that includes a handy digital shot counter for tracking your snaps. However, one limiter is its fixed focus and modest close focusing distance which counts out any kind of close up photography. Film refills are pricier than Fujifilm Instax Mini, but Polaroid is a different type of film and the quality is unmatched. Ultimately, the Go Generation 2 is a fun, simple and convenient instant camera.

Read our in-depth Polaroid Go Generation 2 review

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The best premium instant camera

Polaroid I-2 sample images

The Polaroid I-2 is a premium shooting tool with advanced features: it’s the first instant camera to offer full manual exposure controls. Together with seamless Bluetooth app connectivity, LiDAR autofocus and an LCD display, it unlocks new potential for serous instant photographers. In testing, we found it capable of producing subtle, vintage-style prints, and even with just a single AF point, the LiDAR system proved surprisingly effective at locking on to subjects, provided they were in the center of the frame.

That said, our review also found the I-2 bigger and heavier than its cheaper rivals. It was too cumbersome to use with one hand in testing, though it felt durable overall and retained that all-important retro charm. We also found results less consistent than from Instax cameras we’ve tested, with many stills shot on auto overexposed. Shutter speed and aperture controls mean experienced photographers have more flexibility to find a better balance, although you’ll need to spend a lot on film to learn what works. Its price will put off amateurs, but if you want an advanced instant camera that’s creatively engaging, the I-2 is a solid choice.

Read our in-depth Polaroid I-2 review

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The best creative instant camera

Fujifilm Instax Mini 99 sample images

Fujifilm really pulled out all the stops with the Instax Mini 99, delivering its most feature-packed instant camera. It packs the same retro looks of the Square SQ40 but shoots on the smaller Instax Mini film. But what sets it apart is a host of new photo effects thanks to some creative design touches. Case in point – LED lights inside the camera that expose the film for a palette of funky color effects. You can see some examples in the image gallery, above. In addition to that party piece, the Mini 99 has a Sports Mode and a Bulb Mode for long exposures, plus a double exposure mode, as well as manual control over brightness.

If you simply want a point-and-shoot instant camera then the Mini 99 isn't for you – the simple Mini 12 shoots on the same film type and is less than half the cost. However, if you'd like the option of getting creative and don't mind the potential cost of wasted film when your experiments don't hit the mark – which does happen, trust us – then the Mini 99 is arguably the best creative instant camera around. If you have that kind of creative streak and money is no object, then the Polaroid I-2 is another excellent option.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini 99 review

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Other instant cameras we've tested

We've reviewed a whole range of instant cameras, which means there are plenty that almost made it into this list. Here are a few honorable mentions to consider.

Best for smartphones – Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3: How about forgetting an instant camera and opting for a portable printer instead, such as the mini Link 3? It's Fujifilm's portable printer for Instax Mini film – you can get for square and wide film too – and you can be selective on which prints you make, which cuts out the risk of wasted prints like you get with dedicated instant cameras. A recent addition to the range is the Instax mini Link + as our sister site Digital Camera World reports, "the new printer has a “Design Print” mode that gives the printer an edge in printing out sharp text". So not only is it ideal instant photos, but also graphical based images and text, making it the most versatile option in the range yet.

Best for style – Leica Sofort 2: The cheapest way to own a Leica, the Sofort 2 is the most sophisticated instant camera we’ve tested – but it is essentially the same camera as the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo, but with a particularly stylish exteriorL it's a hybrid with a 3-inch LCD, it also lets your print existing digital photos. Exposure controls are limited and refills are expensive, but this is as grown-up as instant gets.

Best for fun design – Polaroid Flip: We love the unique flip-up design of the point-and-shoot Flip. The camera is bright and vibrant, and packs away small with its lens protected, while its sonar zone autofocus adapts to give you sharp shots with ease.

Best for large square prints – Polaroid Now+: Using big but pricey film, the Polaroid Now+ harnesses Bluetooth app connectivity to unlock another level of creativity.

Best cheap retro – Fujifilm Instax Mini 40: Point-and-shoot simplicity meets retro style in the Mini 40, making it an easy and attractive choice for beginners. Two buttons are all it takes to operate, with auto exposure reducing the chance of wasted exposures. Instax Mini refills are at the more affordable end of the spectrum, too.

Best for cheap square-format prints – Fujifilm Instax SQ1: A stripped-back instant camera that prints out larger square prints, the SQ1 goes light on features in favor of affordability. You don’t get any advanced shooting modes or manual controls, but snaps are punchy and vibrant. This is a great-value way to shoot bigger instant prints with ease.

Best retro square: Fujifilm Instax SQ40: In many ways, we think the Fujifilm Instax SQ40 is everything that an instant camera should be. For starters, its old-school design is both stylish and easy to use. And the 62 x 62mm square prints the SQ40 produces deliver exactly the desaturated, vintage vibes you’d expect from a retro camera. It’s pricey, but the SQ40 is a fantastic party camera that almost anyone can use.

Best for photographers – Nons SL660: A metal body and interchangeable lenses, the Nons SL660 is a properly unique and niche instant camera for keen photographers: it's a manual SLR model with a passive Canon EF mount. Besides Nons’ own lenses, that means you can use it with a number of compatible older Canon lenses, giving you the option to shoot at different focal lengths, onto Instax Mini film. For creative photographers, we found the ability to manually control exposure and focus complements this flexibility, as does the eject control, which unlocks the ability to produce multiple exposures.

Best for weddings – Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: Shooting on Fujifilm's wide-format paper, the Instax Wide is the low-cost instant camera with vibrant design to get those large group shots at special occasions immortalized onto film. It's a bulky model that's not a camera to take a walk with, but it makes complete sense for events.

Best stylish wide-format: Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: Conversely to the Instax Wide 400, we would carry Lomography's super-stylish and excellent quality Lomo'Instant Wide Glass everyday, but this one is more for solo shooting.

Meet the team

Why you can trust my judgement

Every instant camera in this guide has been extensively tested by me or one of TechRadar’s expert reviewers. Since 2008, our experienced team has tested instant cameras of every kind, from leading brands such as Kodak, Fujifilm and Lomography. That know-how helps us identify what makes a winning camera.

My team and I test each and every instant camera in real-world conditions to get a genuine impression of its capabilities.

Because instant cameras are often used by beginners, I evaluate how user-friendly a camera is, and whether actions such as taking a photo or changing modes are intuitive. For more advanced instant cameras, I'll also explore any creative shooting modes, such as manual exposure controls, color filters and focus options.

Other factors I keep in mind are how quickly a camera produces prints, how long its battery lasts and how well its flash fairs. For cameras with smartphone connectivity, I'll check how easy it is to connect to their partner app, as well as testing out any additional features, such as light painting or double exposures, to see how they perform in practice.

Although resolution isn’t such an important consideration with instant cameras, I do assess the quality of the prints they produce. I look for consistency of quality and color reproduction, as well as considering the overall feel of prints produced by an instant camera and its film. I'll keep a keen eye on how rich and vibrant prints appear.

To do this, I'll load up a camera with film and take it out for a day of instant photography. I take a range of shots of different subjects, from party portraits to high-contrast scenes, to get a good idea of the kind of colors and detail you can expect.

Based on the outcomes of all our tests, I'll form an overall view of a given camera. I'll consider its individual merits and how well it stacks up against the competition, as well its overall value for money, to see where it fits among the best instant cameras.

Our team of instant camera reviewers are the best in the business, with uncountable years of camera experience and testing of the best instant cameras from Polaroid, Fujifilm and others.

How to choose the best instant camera for you

Two-minute review

The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo is our favorite hybrid instant camera so far. Hybrid instant models blend digital photography and instant film in a single device, making them an ideal starting point for anyone who's unfamiliar with the medium. While they aren't a new concept, Fujifilm's latest effort is one of the first to properly embrace the analogue format's roots.

The Instax Mini Evo is a love letter to Fuji's 1970s heyday, with a retro-inspired design and abundance of easy-to-use filters and effects designed to mimic analogue film. It easily meets the criteria to make our list of best instant cameras. But is it predominantly an instant camera, or simply a digital one with a built-in Instax film printer? 

The LCD display and microSD card slot suggest the latter, which is unlikely to impress instant photography die-hards. But when each ten-shot pack of Instax Mini film costs around $8/£8, it isn't hard to see the appeal of a camera that only prints the pictures you're happy with, instead of every time you press the shutter button. If the thought of wasting packs of film while you learn the intricacies of analogue has previously put you off instant cameras, it could be for you.

Creative newcomers to the medium will love the intuitive controls and extensive combination of picture effects available at the twist of a dial. If you prefer to only capture what the camera lens sees, though, the slightly more affordable Fuji Instax Mini LiPlay opts for a more modern appearance while retaining the shoot first, print later benefits of a hybrid.

The Instax Mini Evo's digital photos are only on par with a basic smartphone's, but you'd be hard-pressed to tell once you press print. While even having the choice means it lacks the charm of a true instant camera like the Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 (which costs half the price), the Mini Evo makes up for it with photo effects that allow for real creativity.

Though it isn't as straightforward as a point-shoot-print, the lack of buttons and intuitive interface help amateurs quickly get to grips with adding filters, snapping photos and printing their favorites. The more grown-up design should also appeal to a different audience than the similar Instax Mini LiPlay. Add in its smartphone pairing and printing abilities, and the Mini Evo is comfortably our favorite hybrid instant camera so far.

Design and features

• Vintage appearance meets modern tech
• LCD screen acts as digital viewfinder
• Intuitive controls don't overwhelm new users

With a faux leather and chrome look inspired by an old rangefinder camera, the Evo Mini is undeniably stylish. The construction is almost entirely plastic, so it doesn't feel as premium as it looks, yet is reassuringly weighty to hold. 

Like the older Instax Mini LiPlay, the Mini Evo doesn't expose its film directly. By fitting a digital sensor between the lens and film, it allows for a much smaller body than a traditional instant camera. The lens only protrudes slightly from the main body, so will easily slip in and out of a bag, but only the biggest of trouser pockets will accommodate it. 

The front of the camera is rather sparse, with a power switch, shutter button and small selfie mirror surrounding the lens barrel, which can be twisted to cycle between lens modes. 

Up top there's a second shutter button, settings shortcut and a mode dial dedicated to effects, as well as a cold shoe mount for fitting accessories. To print a photo, you pull a lever styled like an analogue film advance, which is a neat touch. Only a few of these buttons are labelled, though, which might leave newcomers unsure of what to press.

A 3in LCD display and navigation controls on the rear give away the camera's hybrid nature. They're built into the film door, which is held in place with a catch that's sturdy enough not to fly open at the slightest knock.

The built-in battery is good for up to 100 shots, and around 20 photo prints. It's charged via the microUSB port hidden on the bottom of the camera, which is where you'll also find a microSD card slot. The Mini Evo's built-in memory can hold up to 45 images before you'll need to add external storage.

Performance

• 35mm equivalent lens
• Automatic flash with manual override
• Self-timer and 100 filter/effect combinations

It may be styled as a landscape-orientation camera, but the Mini Evo's LCD user interface is locked to a portrait layout. This better fits the Instax film format, which has uneven top and bottom borders that work best with portrait images. Once you remember to hold the camera vertically, the UI is delightfully simple, although with no optical viewfinder, you may find composition becomes a challenge in bright sunlight, where the LCD becomes tricky to see.

Twisting the lens barrel or effects dial quickly rotates through the 100 different combinations, with the live view updating near-instantly. Some aren't all that impressive, like the fisheye effect that simply digitally zooms and distorts the image instead of a true ultrawide effect, but others really let you get creative. Mirror mode and dual photo, which overlays two separate exposures, are the highlights.

A countdown indicator near the bottom of the screen reminds you how much film is left in the camera, and thankfully won't lock you out of snapping extra digital images once the pack has been used up. Exposure and white balance are automatic, but can be customised with a few button presses. Both shutter release buttons have a half-press action to lock the centre-frame autofocus, which can be a little sluggish in dim light.

Unlike a true instant camera there's no option for point-shoot-print: every picture you take begins life as a digital image. You then decide whether it's good enough to turn into a physical photo or not. Pull the lever and an onscreen animation shows your image being sent towards the film slot, before the real thing is ejected. It takes around 15 seconds, and then a further few minutes for the image to develop.

Bluetooth pairing to your smartphone is just as convenient, with Fuji's Mini Evo app finding the camera right away and putting useful functions like remote shutter (with live view), direct printing and image sharing on the homescreen. It's odd that you're only able to share pictures from camera to phone if they've been printed first, though. 

Image quality

• Natural colors and contrast
• Filters and effects look convincing once printed
• Digital images lack detail, on par with a basic smartphone

With print quality set to "Instax Rich", the Mini Evo produces photos that are on par with Fuji's fully analogue instant cameras. Images sent from a smartphone for printing seem to be of a slightly lower resolution than those taken with the camera itself, but you'll only notice if you look very closely at the final photo.

Colors and contrast are typically punchy, with dark shadows and paler highlights. Definition is sharper than rival film formats, and there's no light leakage like you'd find on a lomography-style camera - unless you've forcibly added some using the effects wheel. There's a tendency towards overexposure in bright outdoor environments, but manually lowering exposure by -2/3EV helped minimise blown highlights.

The Mini Evo's digital images aren't nearly as impressive as its printed ones, with a noticeable lack of detail and significant noise levels in darker scenes. They are arguably on par with only the most basic of modern smartphones, which to some might negate some of the appeal of a hybrid camera. Dynamic range is distinctly average, and colors aren't quite as dramatic as they appear once printed, but are largely 'good enough' for social media use.

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

• Check out our guide to the world's best instant cameras

If you're a fan of both instant cameras and classic film cameras, Fujifilm may have just made your dream snapping companion – it's combined the two things in the charming Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo, a new film-digital hybrid. 

The Instax Mini Evo is the latest in its line of hybrid instant cameras, which combine the appeal of producing instant physical snaps with the versatility and convenience of digital. This means that, unlike more traditional models like the Instax Mini 11, it comes with a 3-inch LCD on the back, among other smartphone-style conveniences.

As its name suggests, the camera shoots on Instax Mini film, which means credit-card sized snaps with an image area of 4.6x6.2cm (or 1.8x2.4in). But the Instax Mini Evo's digital sensor means you have a lot more creative shooting options than more basic Instax cameras, before you print out your 600dpi snaps.

• These are the world's best instant cameras
• Check out the best Black Friday camera deals so far
• Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 review

This means you get ten 'lens modes' (for example, soft focus, vignette or fish-eye) and another ten 'film effect filter' options, like Vivid, Monochrome and Red. The latter aren't quite as precise as the 'film simulation' modes on Fujifilm's X-series cameras, which are based on specific film stocks, but they do boost your creative options.

But arguably the most appealing thing about the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo is its design. Its faux-leather finish has been echoed on other models, like the Fujifilm Instax Mini 40, but the design looks even more premium here – and includes some brilliant little touches that recall classic film cameras.

These include a lever, which you use to print a photo rather than move the film onto its next frame, and a dial on the top for switching effects. The fixed lens, which has a 35mm equivalent field of view and a f/2.0 aperture, also has a dial that can be turned to change between those lens modes.

As the Instax Mini Evo is effectively a mini printer, you can also print mini photos from your smartphone – and send photos taken on the camera, complete with their white border, to your phone, too. 

The best part, if you're in Australia, you can pick up the Instax Mini Evo from December 1, 2021, just in time for Christmas, for AU$299 a pop. Instant camera fans in the US or UK, though, you will need to wait till February 2022 and it will set you back $199 / €199 (UK pricing will be confirmed in early 2022). If you need something sooner, the Black Friday sales should have the odd camera offer for you.

Analysis: The perfect (belated) Christmas present

It's a shame that the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo won't be available outside Japan until early February – and it was surely intended to launch in time for the Christmas holidays. But it carries enough charm to be a potentially popular choice for instant camera beginners in 2022.

The Instax Mini Evo has a small 1/5-inch CMOS sensor, so we can still expect it to produce lo-fi image quality. And hybrid models like this always aren't considered 'true' instant cameras by diehards, because of their digital sensors.

But like the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ20, the plus side for beginners is that hybrid cameras remove some of the guesswork from instant photography by letting you tweak the shots before you print – or simply print out snaps from your smartphone's technically superior camera.

The Instax Mini Evo's little retro design touches – like cranking the lever to print a photo – could also make it irresistible to retro camera fans, too. It certainly looks like a lot of fun to shoot with, and that's always been the point of instant cameras – and the reason why they've been so popular in recent years.

Fujifilm is also promising that the 600dpi prints the camera produces will be Instax's "highest-ever quality instant prints to date", so we're looking forward to putting that to the test early in the new year.

• These the world's best cameras for kids

Fujifilm has finally made a smartphone printer that produces retro photos in its largest Instax Wide format, according to the latest leaks.

Fuji Rumors has spotted that the Fujifilm Instax Wide Link printer has now gone up for pre-order at some stores, including Jessops in the UK – although those links now appear to have been taken down. This follows an earlier reveal from serial leaker Nokishita on October 8.

As the name suggests, the incoming Instax Wide printer will be a small, portable printer that connects to your phone by Bluetooth and lets you create physical retro keepsakes in its Instax Wide format, the largest of its instant film styles.

• These are the world's best instant cameras
• Polaroid vs Instax: which is the best instant camera brand?
• Read our in-depth Polaroid Now+ review

Fujifilm already has mini printers for its other two instant film formats – Instax Mini and Instax Square – but fans have been waiting for a version that works with its larger Instax Wide format for years, and it appears they're finally going to get one.

Like its other mini printers, the Instax Link Wide printer will let you add various souvenir elements to your physical snaps, including text and filters, via its companion app, according to the leak from Nokishita.

There will also apparently be the option to choose between two main color modes – 'Instax-Natural' for a more realistic look, or 'Instax-Rich' for a more contrasty, punchy style. The app will also offer over 30 editable templates, letting you whip up charming, retro event invites or greetings cards.

Once you've hit print, each exposure (measuring 99x62mm) is expected to take around 12 seconds to arrive, and you should get around 100 prints from a full charge. There's no word on pricing for the Fujifilm Instax Wide Link Printer yet, but Instax Wide film is sold separately and current costs $19.99 / £16.99 / AU$46 for a twin pack (20 exposures).

Analysis: The missing Link for Instax fans

Instax fans have been crying out for a printer that works with its Instax Wide format for years now, so it's good to see that one is finally about to arrive.

The reason why Instax Wide is so revered is its Polaroid-style size. While the more common Instax Mini format produces little photo souvenirs that measure just 62x46mm, Instax Wide photos (99 x 62mm) are much more like proper photographs.

This combination could, in theory, make the Fujifilm Instax Wide Link Printer the ideal retro phone accessory for anyone who wants to see their smartphone snaps produced on-the-spot in photo form, all from a printer that can slip into a small bag.

Right now, Zink (Zero Ink) printers produce little credit-card sized color photos, but these aren't true 'instant' film. Polaroid, meanwhile, offers the Polaroid Lab for producing larger, and more authentic, photos from your smartphone, but its fiddly process involves placing your phone on top of the printer so it can take a shot of your phone's screen.

If it performs as expected, the Instax Wide Link Printer could offer a happy middle ground in between, by combining Polaroid-sized prints and punchy, retro image quality. You can already get something similar from the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300, but that large, bulky camera doesn't offer the editing options promised by the incoming Instax printer. With so many leaks, we can expect to see the Instax Wide Link Printer officially arrive very soon, and we'll bring you all the details when it does.

• Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 review

The Polaroid Now+ represents the most complete instant camera from the newly-reformed Polaroid company, combining the best of both flagship Polaroid I-Type instant cameras; the Polaroid Now and the Polaroid OneStep+. It comes with the same form factor, lens, and image quality potential as the Polaroid Now, but packs Bluetooth connectivity like the OneStep+ for control via the Polaroid Originals app.

Does the Polaroid Now+ deserve its place on our list best instant cameras? While the Polaroid Now+ looks like a regular Polaroid Now, the revamped app opens up a whole new realm of creative shooting modes. The Now+ app menu now boasts self-timer up to 12 seconds, double exposure, aperture priority with exposure compensation ±2EV, tripod, portrait, light painting and even manual exposure modes. Depth of field control, long-exposures, all via the remote trigger – there's much fun to be had. 

In addition, the camera comes with a five-pack of clip-on lens filters stowed in a zip pouch; starburst, red vignette, orange, blue and yellow. 

With app and filters, that's a lot to experiment with for what is also a wonderfully straight-forward point-and-shoot instant camera. Use it straight-up just like the Polaroid Now, experiment with the app and lens filters, the choice is yours. 

Cost-wise, the Polaroid Now+ comes in a tad more expensive than the Polaroid Now and is available in Black, White or Blue Gray – the latter is the model we had. For the extra outlay you get the five-pack of clip-on lens filters, built-in Bluetooth Connectivity (for the free app) and a tripod mount. It'll set you back $149 / £139 for the camera and lens filters only, while the 'Starter set' also includes a triple pack of film (two color, one black and white) and costs $194.99 / £179.99. 

Yes, Polaroid (formerly known as Impossible Project and Polaroid Originals) I-Type film certainly ain't cheap, especially when compared to Fujifilm's popular Instax format. A single pack of I-Type film contains eight sheets and costs $16.99 / £14.99, or you'll save around $1 / £1 per pack by going triple. That's approaching $2 / £2 per photo, ouch. 

However, Polaroid prints are how instant photos should be; a delicious vintage-style square print at our preferred 4.2x3.4in size (with 3.1in image area), much bigger than Instax. Plus, there's fascination in itself with the complex chemical process bringing the print to full-life over 10-15 minutes (for color prints and about half that for black and white). 

In the hand, the Polaroid Now+ is just like the Polaroid Now – it's bulky for an instant camera, though it does churn out those large prints. You're most likely to keep it in a bag than your hand, and work it with both hands. The film holders now pops open via a button and film pack slots in with ease, ready to go.

You've got a power button and flash button on the rear, the latter is pressed to deactivate the flash, otherwise flash is automatic. This reverse approach makes complete sense for an instant camera that benefits from flash in more scenarios than it doesn't. 

The camera is powered by an internal battery rechargeable via USB – that's a decent plus point over many other instant cameras. It also means that film packs do not require their own power, though the Now+ does accept classic 600 film. 

In the upper left is a viewfinder to compose the shots, though like all instant cameras it's not directly connected to the lens, so don't expect the composition to materialize on paper as you see it. In general, keeping your subjects central is enough to get the shot, but for closeup subjects where composition is less forgiving, placing subjects a little to the right of middle aligns the printed image better. (A shooting guide for beginners in the box would be welcome.)

There's the bold red shutter button and Bluetooth button on the front of the Now+. Bluetooth connectivity is joyously straight forward – load the app, press the on-camera Bluetooth button and you're connected. Simple. Green and orange lights below the viewfinder indicate a successful connection to the shooting modes of the app. 

The autofocus 'twin' lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length 'closeup' lens with minimum focus distance of 0.4m, and a 40mm 'standard' lens with minimum focus distance of 1.2m. Compared to other instant cameras, the Now+ is less suited to selfies, though you can step away from the camera and into the shot via the app's remote trigger self timer instead, an easier event now a tripod mount is included. 

Those lens filters clip-on securely around the lens which is fitted with a filter sensor to adjust exposure accordingly depending on the filter in use – making filter experiments more successful. 

Dive into the app and there truly is much to play with. Manual aperture control with a 5-stop range, a shutter speed range of 1/200sec to bulb, exposure compensation ±2EV, remote trigger – these are all serious photography tools. Overkill? Perhaps.

So what of the quality of printed image? In the early days, Impossible Project film unfortunately lived up to its name – it was almost impossible to go through a film pack and create prints with consistent and useable brightness values. Thankfully, things have moved on, though you will need to learn how each I-Type film pack behaves. 

Color quality is true to form, Polaroid I-Type film makes for desaturated 'vintage' style prints that we like very much. Print format is undisputed, too. At a push, we prefer the colors of Fujfilm Instax film, but it's subjective. 

With the flash active in the automatic point-and-shoot operation, you'll get prints with rich and plentiful shadows and no loss of highlight detail. In IG terms, a sort of faded, desaturated Lo-Fi filter. If you prefer a brighter look, shooting via the app where exposure compensation is possible can prove a better approach – though results are more hit and miss. 

The amount you're willing to experiment in getting the right shot depends on the depth of your pocket. Filters, double exposure, exposure compensation – you could end up using a whole pack of film to get the effect you want and that's before you consider the different film packs available. 

Putting the plethora of shooting modes aside (a good 'headache' to have), it's important to know that auto exposure behavior – especially with flash – and autofocus performance is for the most part reliable, so the number of throw-away prints are pleasantly few. 

Move over Polaroid Now and Polaroid OneStep+, the Polaroid Now+ is our top choice Polaroid camera from the current crop and is definitely worth the extra outlay. 

You pay a premium for portability, though. The larger Polaroid Now costs a similar amount, and the entry-level Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is much less expensive. You could buy the camera itself and five packs of film for the price of the Polaroid Go alone. 

If portability is what has stopped you trying instant photography so far, though, then Polaroid Go is likely to be the camera to change your mind.

Should I buy the Polaroid Now+?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

• These are the best instant cameras you can buy right now

Polaroid's instant cameras might be known for their point-and-shoot simplicity, but the new Bluetooth-equipped Polaroid Now+ has landed to give analogue snappers some new tricks to play with.

The Polaroid Now+ succeeds last year's Polaroid Now and is effectively a cross between that camera and the Polaroid OneStep+ from 2018. The big upgrade from the Polaroid Now is Bluetooth connectivity, which means the Now+ connects to Polaroid's revamped app. 

This app opens up creative features like light painting, double exposures and a manual mode. It also includes two new features that are commonly found on more advanced cameras: an aperture priority mode and tripod mode. Unusually for a Polaroid camera, this lets you play with depth of field and long exposures.

• These are the world's best instant cameras
• Polaroid vs Instax: which is the best instant camera brand?
• Read our in-depth Polaroid Go review

The original Polaroid Now was the first Polaroid camera to have an autofocus lens, which helped remove some of the guesswork from instant shooting (while still leaving room for happy accidents). The Now+ also has autofocus, and adds a new tripod mount to help support those long exposures.

Unlike previous Polaroid instant cameras, the Now+ also comes with a lens filter kit. These clip-on filters let you saturate the colors or deepen the contrast in your snaps, while adding effects like starbursts. And because those filters are prime candidates for getting lost down your sofa, you also get a carry case to keep them safe.

The Polaroid Now+ is available to buy now for £139.99 (around $192 / AU$264) in three colorways: the standard White and Black versions, plus a new Blue Gray model. The latter is available exclusively from Polaroid's store and is, in the company's words, "the most elegant Polaroid camera to date". The Polaroid Go might be slightly offended about that, but it certainly looks dapper.

Analysis: A sensible 'greatest hits' of Polaroid

The Polaroid Now+ doesn't do anything we haven't seen in an instant camera before. But it does offer a compelling combination of features that effectively mixes the best bits from the Polaroid Now and OneStep+. And that's a combination that should be a lot of fun.

The Lomography Lomo'Instant is arguably an even more versatile instant camera, given you can buy it with three interchangeable lenses: a 35mm portrait lens, fisheye lens and close-up lens. The Lomo'Instant also comes with color gels (the equivalent of the Now+'s filters) and lets you shoot long exposures.

But Lomography's cameras also tend to come with a slightly steep learning curve. We found the Polaroid Now to be very straightforward to use, particularly thanks to its autofocus, and the addition of a load more features in the Polaroid app mean the Now+ should (in theory) strike a good balance between versatility and usability.

While Polaroid's I-Type film tends to work out more expensive than its Fujifilm Instax equivalents, we are also fans of the Polaroid film's size (each print measures 4.2x3.4in) and its warm, vintage style. 

Put this all together and the Polaroid Now+ looks like another sensible step forward for its small range of compact cameras, which includes the recent Polaroid Go. We're in the process of testing the Now+ and will give you our final verdict soon.

• Polaroid Go vs Polaroid Now: which is the best instant camera for you?

The Polaroid Go is officially the world's smallest analogue instant camera, and the new baby of the Polaroid line-up.

But being small in stature doesn't mean the new arrival is necessarily inferior to the full-size Polaroid Now from 2020. The two share plenty of features and shooting modes, plus they have a very similar design.

Choosing between the pair isn't exactly straightforward, though, as they each have positives and negatives that will appeal to different kinds of photographers. 

As we'll discover, the Polaroid Go is more portable, but the Polaroid Now's more familiar I-Type film is a lot more flexible. Here's how two of the best instant cameras compare in a head-to-head.

• These are the best instant cameras you can buy right now
• Check out our in-depth Polaroid Go review
• Discover the best film cameras in the world

Polaroid Go vs Polaroid Now: which is the best for you?

1. Size

Placed side-by-side, it's impossible not to notice the vast difference in dimensions between the full-size Polaroid Now and the diminutive Polaroid Go. The former measures 94x112x150mm (3.7x4.4x5.9in) and weighs 434g without a film pack inserted. Combined with the cube-like shape, it can be a little cumbersome to hold, especially for children.

The Polaroid Go happily sits in the palm of one hand at 105x84x61mm (4.1x3.3x2.4in), and weighs 242g without a film pack. This is comfortably small enough to use one-handed, and it will even fit in a jacket pocket for easy transportation, so you're more likely to carry it around for spur-of-the-moment type snaps than the bulky Polaroid Now. 

• Polaroid vs Instax: which is the best instant camera brand?

2. Film

The scaled-down Polaroid Go has its own bespoke film type, which is significantly smaller than the I-Type film used by the Polaroid Now. Each photo is 6.7x5.4cm (2.6x2.1in) and has a 4.7x4.6cm (1.9x1.8in) image area.

Larger I-Type photos are 10.7x8.8cm (4.2x3.4in), with an image area of 7.9x7.7cm (3.1x3.0in). I-Type is one of the largest instant film formats currently on sale.

Each film pack contains eight shots, but Go film is currently only available in double-packs, costing around £19/$20, and can only be bought as color film. I-Type is sold in both color and monochrome, with a range of different border colors. Each pack costs around £15/$16, with various multipack offers giving a slight per-photo discount.

3. Autofocus

One of the Polaroid Now's standout features is autofocus, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of instant film. Most other entry-level instant cameras use fixed focus, or have a manual way of switching between distance and close-up shooting. A half-press of the shutter button will toggle between portrait and landscape lens elements, before a full press actually takes the photo, and should ensure the final image is crisp and detailed.

This function didn't make the cut for the Polaroid Go, which makes do with a fixed focus, two element lens. It’s calibrated to focus on subjects from 0.5m, which largely rules out close-ups and macro shooting. It also means you have to hold the camera as far as possible away from you when taking a selfie, in order to avoid a blurry final image.

• Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 review

4. Design

At first glance, both Polaroids look very similar: each has a front-facing lens and flash, along with the iconic 'mouth' where photos are ejected. They have the same angular shape, too, with a protruding viewfinder and rear-facing power button, as well as a digital shot counter that illuminates when you power them on.

There are some layout differences, though. The Now's shutter button is located at the front, along with the dedicated self-timer button, and isn't especially ergonomic. The Go's shutter button is on the top edge, and the self-timer function has been incorporated into the button that controls the flash. It's far more comfortable to hold, either in one hand or two, and ensures you don't accidentally block the flash with your fingers.

The Now's film drawer is opened with a button release, while the Go has a sliding catch door that swings out from the bottom of the camera. Both have the same microUSB charging port on the side, though, complete with an activity LED to let you know when the camera is at full battery.

Right now, the Polaroid Go is only available in white, with the brand's iconic five-color stripe and red power button adding some personality. The Now, meanwhile, is available in a whopping ten different color combinations.

5. Image quality

Both the Go and Now produce square aspect ratio images, which develop in around 10-15 minutes. Color reproduction is similar between the two film types, because they share the same chemical development process, but that doesn't mean image quality is identical.

The larger Polaroid Now (above) copes better with bright sunlight, avoiding overexposure even when shooting towards the sun. It's not infallible, and direct sunlight will still blow out your images, but the results are often more usable here than they might be on the Go.

Indoors, both cameras rely on a flash to expose the scene, and it's essential in virtually all lighting conditions if you want to avoid leaving your subjects plunged in darkness. While they both use a vacuum discharge flash bulb, the Polaroid Now has a very slightly larger flash chamber. The differences are minimal, but the larger camera has a very slight edge here.

6. Price

Despite being a year older than its baby brother, the Polaroid Now has a very similar price tag to the Go. On its own, the Now costs $99.99 / £119.99 / AU$229.95, compared to the Go's tag of $99.99 / £109.99 / AU$199.95.

This doesn't include any film packs, though, which are obviously essential for anyone new to Polaroid. If you buy direct from Polaroid, the Polaroid Now's starter kit (which includes two color film packs and a single monochrome pack) costs $144.99 / £160.99, or in Australia you can simply get a free film pack when buying the Now. 

At the time of writing, Polaroid's official website currently lists the Polaroid Go's Starter Set at $119.99 / £128.99, including two packs of film. In Australia, there currently isn't a Starter Set available, so you'll need to buy a double-pack of film for $36.95. 

Film packs for the Go are also currently only available direct from Polaroid, though that is likely to change once the initial batch of Go pre-orders have reached customers' hands.

Polaroid Go vs Polaroid Now: which should you buy?

Polaroid didn't quite manage to squeeze all of the Polaroid Now's features into the smaller Go's form factor – that's why both cameras exist as different options.

Thanks to the inclusion of autofocus and a more powerful flash, the Now is the slightly more user-friendly of the two cameras. We're also a fan of its larger print size. But it's also worth asking yourself if it's bulkier form factor might limit the number of times you reach for it or take it out on trips.

If you're looking for an instant camera that you can take traveling or give to the kids, then the tiny Polaroid Go is likely the better choice for you – and one could work out slightly cheaper in the long run, once you've factored in the lower cost of its smaller film.   

• Check out our Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 review

Instant cameras have been booming again lately, with new models like the Polaroid Go and Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 recently arriving for new analogue thrills. But with both brands having huge heritage in the field, which one deserves to win the great 'Polaroid vs Instax' debate? And how do you decide which is the best instant camera for you?

That's a tough question, but one we're in a good position to answer having grown up with the original cameras (even if that does give away how old we are). Today's Polaroid and Instax ranges have never been in better health, but to really understand the brands we need to step back into their origin stories.

• These are the best instant cameras of 2021
• Or check out our in-depth Polaroid Now review
• Discover the best film cameras in the world

Instant film has been giving photographers almost immediate results since the medium's inception in the 1940s. By using chemical reactions to self-develop each image, instant photos develop in minutes, skipping out on the long wait times associated with processing 35mm film negatives. Many photographers also grew to love the distinctive, almost ethereal color balance and tonal range of instant film.

As the popularity of digital cameras grew rapidly in the early 2000s, interest in analogue film took a nosedive, but instant has since had a real resurgence. Now, a new generation of photographers understand the appeal of having a physical photo, rather than just a digital image on a computer or smartphone screen.

There two major companies flying the flag for instant film are a resurgent Polaroid and Fujifilm's Instax sub-brand. Both have their own cameras, a range of different film formats and different interpretations of what 'instant' means. But which one is the best for you? Let's find out. 

Polaroid vs Instax: How did we get here?  

Most photographers will be familiar with Fujifilm and Polaroid: the two brands first started producing camera equipment in the late 1930s, and were household names while analogue film was at its peak.

It was Polaroid that would initially champion instant film with the Land Camera Model 95 in 1948. It produced sepia-colored prints in about one minute; color film would take a further two decades to arrive. Polaroid eventually offered the widest range of instant cameras and film formats, to such a point where the brand name became synonymous with the medium. The fact it owned the patents to instant film helped ensure rivals like Kodak couldn't compete in the arena. 

Fuji's first foray into instant was a little later in the 1980s with cameras like the Instax 100, but only after it managed to avoid a potential lawsuit for infringing Polaroid's film patents. Those patents would expire in 1998, at which point Fuji introduced its first Instax camera.

This coincided with the arrival of the earliest digital cameras, an industry change the Japanese company was far more prepared for than Polaroid. Only Fuji would survive intact, and has since gone on to become the new market leader with its own range of cameras and instant film formats. 

Polaroid as we know it today began life as The Impossible Project. This group of instant photography fans purchased the final Polaroid factory and its production equipment from the holding company set up in the wake of the brand's 2001 bankruptcy. 

It began selling film for existing Polaroid cameras, then started producing its own, and eventually purchased the Polaroid name outright. Hence the arrival of the Polaroid Now and Polaroid Go, its first new releases under the original brand name.

Polaroid vs Instax: the cameras 

The present-day Polaroid line-up consists of three cameras: the entry-level Polaroid Now, the more advanced OneStep+ and the pocket-friendly Polaroid Go. Polaroid also sells officially refurbished versions of an original 1980s model called the Polaroid 600, which uses bespoke 600 film.

Both the Now and OneStep+ use I-Type film, but the former's autofocus lens makes it more of a point-and-shoot camera aimed at newcomers to the medium. The OneStep+ costs slightly more, but gains Bluetooth connectivity and a smartphone companion app, which unlocks more creative shooting modes. 

The Polaroid Go, meanwhile, is the smallest model in the range. It produces prints that are half the size of traditional I-Type film, yet still has advanced features like a selfie timer and a double-exposure mode.

Fuji has a much more extensive line-up of cameras, divided between Instax Mini, Instax Square and Instax Wide formats. The Instax Mini range has the most affordable and beginner-friendly models, including the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 – which is currently top of our guide to the best instant cameras. 

It has an auto exposure system that helps combat the overly sensitive nature of instant film when shooting outdoors. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 is essentially the same camera, but in a nicer body for only slightly more money.

The Fujifilm Instax SQ1 and Fujifilm Instax SQ6 shoot with square format film, and are more advanced than the Mini range, with multiple shooting modes and more premium construction. They are also physically larger, and more expensive. There's also the SQ20 hybrid instant camera, which takes digital photos as well as instant ones, but its digital shots are only on par with early 2010s smartphones.

Finally, the Instax Wide 300 (above) is as big as Instax models get. It has adjustable focus, a clip-on close-up attachment and takes impressively sharp images, but film packs are among the most expensive and it lacks the more advanced functions advanced photographers might expect.

Polaroid vs Instax film: how does it differ? 

Until recently, Polaroid sold only one main kind of film: I-Type, which produces square format photos. A pack holds eight shots, with each one measuring 10.7x8.8cm (4.2x3.4in). The actual photo area is smaller, at 7.9x7.7cm (3.1x3.0in), but still significantly larger than most of Fuji's Instax formats (including Square).

Color and black and white film versions are available, with a selection of different border colors. It also produces the physically identical 600 film, which is intended for use in original Polaroid cameras, but is also compatible with the modern range.

The new 'Go' film is exclusive to the Polaroid Go, and is physically much smaller. At 6.7x5.4cm (2.6x2.1in) and with a 4.7x4.6cm (1.9x1.8in) photo area, each photo is even more compact than Fuji's rival Instax Mini format. Currently only color film is available, and sold in sets of two eight-shot packs.

Fuji's Instax Mini, Square and Wide film can't be mixed and matched: each one is designed for a specific Instax camera series. The credit card-sized Instax Mini is the most common, and most affordable, with multipack bundles found at most retailers. Each pack holds ten 5.4x8.6cm (2.1x3.4in) shots, which have an image area of 4.6x6.2cm (1.8x2.4in). The beginner-friendly film is ideal for fun, spur-of-the-moment shooting and selfies with friends.

Instax Square is, as the name suggests, a square format film that, at 8.6x7.2cm (3.4x2.8in), is roughly a third larger than an Instax Mini photo. Each shot has an image area of 6.2x6.2cm (2.4x2.4in) and can be purchased in a selection of different border colors and patterns – though not quite as many as Instax Mini. Both color and monochrome film is available, with the larger image size being better suited to portraits and more detailed scenes.

Finally, Instax Wide film packs use 8.6x10.8cm (3.4x4.2in) photos with a 6.2x9.9cm (2.4x3.9in) image area – making them exactly twice as wide as an Instax Mini print. Color and monochrome film types are available, but the only border color option is white. Given its limited support, Instax Wide largely appeals to instant photography fans who own multiple cameras.

Polaroid vs Instax: which is better? 

Okay, so now it's time to answer the big question – which is the best instant camera brand, Polaroid or Instax?

For sheer size, Polaroid's I-Type has the edge over two of Fuji's three film types, and despite the different aspect ratios, is also a close match for Instax Wide. Cameras that support it generally have good optics, which make for clear and detailed images. On the other hand, there aren't many to choose from, and packs remain expensive to buy. For the price of a single pack of eight color I-Type shots, you can get two packs of ten Instax Mini film.

With several sizes to choose from, as well as an extensive range of compatible cameras, both from Fuji itself and smaller third party manufacturers, Instax is simply the more flexible option. 

Photographers already familiar with the quirks of instant will appreciate Instax Square, which is typically used by more advanced cameras, but beginners should go straight for Instax Mini. Film packs are especially affordable and the cameras that support it are usually simple, point-and-shoot affairs. 

This may change once the wallet-friendly Polaroid Go establishes itself, but for now, Instax is the overall winner in our book.

• Check out our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 review

Instant cameras are supposed to be about fun, but their bulky nature usually means planning ahead when taking one out with you. Not so with the Polaroid Go, which aims to bring some much-needed spontaneity back to the increasingly popular medium.

Pitched as "the world's smallest analogue digital camera", the Go is a scaled-down version of the delightfully retro Polaroid Now, albeit without that camera's autofocus lens system. 

That might mean a few more wasted film packs on blurry images, but on the other hand it's small enough to carry around everywhere, making it perfect for spur-of-the-moment snaps and as well as being one of the best instant cameras, it's also one of the best cameras for beginners, as well as one of the best cheap cameras available right now.

It's only the second camera from Polaroid's modern incarnation, following a decade-long journey that began life as The Impossible Project in the late 2000s, and gives the reborn brand a direct rival to Fuji's successful Instax Mini range. 

The all-new compact camera arrives with an all-new instant film format. Each pack of Polaroid Go film includes eight 67 x 54mm (2.6 x 2.1-inch) shots, which have a square 47 x 46mm (1.85 x 1.8-inch) image area. 

Currently, only color film is available, unlike Polaroid's larger I-Type, which is also sold in monochrome. Polaroid sells twin-packs of film for around £19/$20 each, making them around 25% more expensive per shot than Fuji's Instax Mini.

Design and features

• Scaled-down design that remains familiar
• Easy to operate with few buttons
• Useful remaining shots indicator

It's easy to believe Polaroid's claim that the Go is the world's smallest instant camera once you get one in your hands: at 105 x 84 x 61mm (4.1 x 3.3 x 2.4in), the diminutive plastic body fits neatly in your palm, and makes the Polaroid Now look positively gigantic. 

Only hybrid instant cameras, which use digital sensors and effectively 'print' their photos using Zero Ink paper, are smaller.

Because it keeps the same boxy, retro-inspired shape and button layout as the Polaroid Now, don't expect portability on a par with a compact digital camera: the Go is only just small enough to fit in the back pocket of your jeans, and is more at home in a jacket or handbag.

Operation is very straightforward, with the flash and shutter buttons on the top face, and the viewfinder and power buttons on the rear. Double-pressing the flash button activates double exposure shooting, and holding it down turns on the self-timer, though the lack of tripod thread on the underside negates some its usefulness.

It's impossible to miss the digital shot counter next to the power button, which should hopefully stop you prematurely opening the film drawer and ruining any shots you have remaining in the currently loaded pack.

There's a microUSB port on the side for convenient recharging, though it would have been nice to see Polaroid stretch to the newer, reversible USB-C standard instead.

Performance

• 35mm equivalent lens
• Automatic flash with manual override
• Self-timer and double-exposure modes

Power the camera on and the flash is automatically enabled. You can turn it off for brightly-lit outdoor scenes, but will want to leave it on when shooting indoors. A small LED indicator lets you check at a glance whether it's set to fire or not.

The viewfinder may be slightly offset from the camera lens, but what you see through it is largely indicative of what is captured. Selfie fans will also appreciate the lens-facing side of the viewfinder, which effectively doubles as a giant mirror and helps with composition. The smaller dimensions make it so much easier to hold than the Polaroid Now, which can be pretty unwieldy. 

The shutter has the same half-press button as the Polaroid Now. On the larger camera this would activate the autofocus, but that's missing here – instead it adjusts the aperture setting based on the amount of available light. 

You can hear an internal mechanism working when you use it, and the shutter only fires after it has picked between the two available settings, so you don't have to worry about accidentally over- or under-exposing your shot.

A full press takes a photo, which is ejected out the front of the camera. It takes around 15 minutes to fully develop, and can be a little delicate, so don't throw your prints in a coat pocket and expect them to survive the process without a smudge or two.

Polaroid Go film has a square aspect ratio and 47 x 46mm image area, so each one looks just like a miniature I-Type photo. For comparison, rival Fujifilm’s rectangular Instax Mini film has a larger 61 x 46mm image area.

Image quality

• Dreamy, pastel-like colors
• Impressive detail
• Fixed focus limits use cases

Just like I-Type, Polaroid Go prints produces muted, almost dream-like colors, blended with darker, more dramatic shadows.

What looks blue through the viewfinder can often end up with a purple tint, transforming skylines and providing a different perspective on a scene. It's not an unpleasant effect, but Fuji's Instax film tends to be more true-to-life, if that's what you're after.

Focal length is typically 0.5m and beyond, so attempting a close-up usually just results in a blurry final image. Selfie fans should always hold at arm's length, and remember to pause before pushing the shutter button all the way in. Accept that limitation and there's a decent level of clarity on display given the small size of each photo.

Outdoors, exposure is usually on point, with the flash helping to softly illuminate subjects without overpowering the natural light of a scene. Forcing it off tends to result in more realistic colors, at the risk of significantly darker shadows as the photo paper has less light to work with. 

Instant film can often struggle with brightly-lit skies, but the Go coped well throughout our testing, only blowing out the final image when shooting towards the sun.

Step inside and the flash becomes a necessity, as even well-lit rooms can appear dark and gloomy without it. 

This has always been a trait of instant film, so is by no means a fault of the camera – it's just something newcomers to the medium will have to adjust to.

Verdict

With size on its side, the Polaroid Go is a reminder that instant photography is supposed to be fun. It takes almost everything we liked about the Polaroid Now, including a rechargeable battery and distinctive images, then fits them into a body you'd be happy to carry around all the time – not just when you have photography in mind. 

Polaroid's film produces a delightful mix of detailed yet lo-fi pictures with eye-catching colors, and although there's no autofocus here, which can make close-ups a bit of a stumbling block, it's surprisingly capable in most lighting conditions. The smaller photos are arguably even cuter than the I-Type originals on which they are based.

You pay a premium for portability, though. The larger Polaroid Now costs a similar amount, and the entry-level Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is much less expensive. You could buy the camera itself and five packs of film for the price of the Polaroid Go alone. 

If portability is what has stopped you trying instant photography so far, though, then Polaroid Go is likely to be the camera to change your mind.

Not convinced? Try these...

• These are the best instant cameras you can buy right now

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 is essentially an evolution of one of our favorite starter cameras, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11. It retains that camera's stripped-back operation, but swaps the toy-like shape for a vintage-inspired body that will look far more at home in adult hands.

Instant photography can be equal parts appealing and frustrating, especially for newcomers to the medium. And while there's no shortage of cameras to choose from, the ones designed for first-timers usually have children in mind. Luckily, the Instax Mini 40 is a more grown-up alternative.

Automatic exposure and a variable-speed shutter return to take a lot of the uncertainty out of using instant film, while an adjustable lens barrel adds the extra versatility of close-up shooting – without the need for easily lost attachments.

Just like the Mini 11, the Mini 40 takes Fuji's compact Instax Mini film. This is one of the most affordable formats available, at around $8/£8 per ten-shot pack, with a choice of color and monochrome prints and an extensive range of border colors and patterns. Multipacks of various sizes can also bring the price down even further. Each 54 x 86mm shot has a rectangular 46 x 62mm (2.4 x 1.8-inch) image area. 

The redesign might widen the Mini 40's appeal, but it carries a price premium over the more affordable Mini 11. This model makes it onto our list of best instant cameras, but for those looking to get started with instant photography, they'll need to decide whether those looks are worth paying extra for. 

Design and features

• Distinctive vintage looks  
• Two-button operation 
• Built-in selfie mirror 

It may be mechanically identical to the Mini 11, but the Mini 40's faux leather finish and silver trim details give it a more mature appearance. 

The design is clearly influenced by the more expensive Fujifilm Instax Mini 90, but while this model is considerably less expensive and made almost entirely from plastic, it manages to avoid feeling cheap. It's slightly smaller than the Mini 11, but still not small enough to fit in a pocket – you'll need to look to hybrid instant cameras like the Canon ZoeMini or Fuji's own Mini LiPlay if portability is key.

Held vertically, the Mini 40 is light enough to use comfortably with one hand, and the rubberized thumb rest provides plenty of support. There are only two buttons, which are both found on the front face: one extends the lens barrel, the other releases the shutter. The built-in flash is automatic and can't be disabled, even in bright sunlight, so you really do just point and shoot. You won't even find a tripod thread on the bottom of the body. 

The viewfinder sits to the right of the flip-out rear door, which is where you insert packs of film. As with the Mini 11, it's slightly off-centre to the lens, so what you see through it isn't entirely representative of the final print. 

A small window in the rear door shows how many shots you have remaining in the currently loaded pack, which should prevent wasted shots by opening the film door early.

Performance

• Fixed f/12.7 lens has 60mm focal length
• Automatic forced flash 
• Selfie mode via adjustable lens barrel 

The spring-loaded lens barrel pops up once the release button is pressed. Physically pulling it further moves it into selfie mode, which is meant for shooting between 0.3 and 0.5m – use it for anything closer and the results will be very blurry, so don't think you can treat it like a macro lens. 

It does mean you don't have to carry attachments around with you, though, as was the case with older Instax cameras. The small mirror on the lens barrel helps line up your shots, although the convex shape does distort your reflection a fair bit.

As with most instant cameras, the viewfinder is separated from the actual system optics. It sits off-centre here, and gives a generous representation of what will fit in the frame. You can often get a bit closer to your subject than you expect, which can be something of a learning curve.

Each print is mechanically ejected via a slot in the top of the camera, and will take upwards of five minutes to fully develop. Instax has the edge over Polaroid's I-Type film in this respect, although that's to be expected given the smaller size.

The flash fires every time you press the shutter button, regardless of lighting conditions, as the auto exposure system is calibrated to expect it. It can vary shutter speed between 1/2 and 1/250, so should be able to cope with both brightly lit and dim scenes, particularly when shooting indoors.

It runs on two AA batteries, which typically last for around 100 shots, or ten packs of film. You're far more likely to run out of film than you are power, but at least AAs are in wider circulation than the awkward CR2 batteries Fuji used to use for its instant cameras.

Image quality

• Contrast-heavy and well-defined images
• Highlights can be easily blown out
• Judging selfie focal length still takes practice    

If you've used an Instax camera before, the Mini 40's blend of dark shadows and pale bright hues will feel very familiar. They aren't quite as dreamlike as rival systems from Lomography, capturing more precise details and without any kind of light leakage. 

Don't expect the pinpoint precision you'll get with digital, though: edges are soft and darker parts of a scene often blend together. For the best results, always shoot away from the sun, as the sensitive film struggles to expose both well-lit skies and subjects that are in shadow.

The combination of physical film and a fixed-focus lens copes best with portraits, as the further away from a subject you get, the less detail is preserved in your shot. This softness often works to its favor, though, giving landscapes a more ethereal vibe. 

If you are shooting in direct sunlight, you also have to be aware of light flaring, as the off-centre viewfinder can trick you into thinking you have a well-composed shot, only to lose half the scene to overexposure. Fuji isn't alone in this respect, with other instant cameras being just as guilty.

The forced flash naturally makes the biggest difference indoors, exposing both subject and background in a way that, while not natural, doesn't leave huge areas of your shot in darkness. In our experience, not having to think about whether or not to fire the flash and just letting the auto exposure system do its thing meant a greater percentage of shots developed the way we expected. On Fuji's older cameras, a 20% attrition rate (or higher) wasn't unheard of.

There's no way to tell if you have the lens barrel extended from the rear of the camera, and shooting landscapes with the selfie mode is a quick way to get very blurry pictures. It can be used to experiment with depth of field, though, particularly when shooting indoors, and genuinely improves the clarity and sharpness of selfies versus the default mode.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 verdict

The Instax Mini 40 is everything we liked about the Instax Mini 11, only wrapped up in a more eye-catching and mature design. If the Mini 11's toy-like looks were enough to put you off, then this should open the door to instant photography for you. Minimal buttons and no complex shooting modes mean this is an ideal starter camera for anyone unfamiliar with instant film, and the auto exposure system really takes out a lot of the guesswork associated with the medium.

The photos it takes aren't perfect, with highlights blown out just as easily here as they were on the Mini 11, but no more so than similarly-priced rivals. The off-centre viewfinder also takes some getting used to, but that's really this camera's only real quirk.

It does carry a price premium over the Mini 11, though, and considering they are all but identical internally, we still think that camera is the better value overall. But if you don't mind paying extra for a bit more style, the Mini 40 is still an excellent choice for instant newcomers.

Not convinced? Try these...

• These are the best instant cameras you can buy right now

Polaroid has taken on Instax Mini cameras by launching what it claims is the world's smallest analogue instant camera, the Polaroid Go.

The new compact model, which is smaller than the new Fujifilm Instax Mini 40, measures just 105mm x 84mm x 61mm, making it the diddiest analogue camera in the company's storied history.

Designed as a wearable companion for those looking to print physical photos on-the-go, the Polaroid Go is also being launched with a new miniature film format that's remarkably similar in size to Instax Mini film.

• These are the best instant cameras of 2021
• Or check out our in-depth Polaroid Now review
• Discover the best film cameras in the world

While Instax Mini prints measure 86mm x 54mm, the new Polaroid Go film is effectively a square equivalent of its rival, at 66.6mm x 53.9mm (with an image size of 47mm x 46mm). In other words, expect credit card-sized prints.

While there are smaller instant cameras than the Polaroid Go, such as the Canon Zoemini S, these use a digital sensor and effectively print Zero Ink (Zink) photos, rather than the analogue, light-exposed snaps produced in seconds by Polaroid cameras. In this sense, the new Go is a true instant camera, only with a new small form factor.

In terms of specs, the Polaroid Go has a similar 100mm focal length to the Polaroid Now, which isn't unlike a 35mm full-frame equivalent, while its battery life promises to last for around 15 packs of film. 

It also includes a selfie mirror, self-timer, flash and a double exposure option for creative snaps, though it's not yet clear whether the Go has autofocus or an adjustable lens for close-ups. We're just confirming this with Polaroid and will update this story when we hear back. 

Good to Go

On paper, the Polaroid Go looks like a potential hit, given the increasing popularity of the best instant cameras. While it isn't packed with features, Polaroid will be hoping it offers a popular alternative to the chunkier Polaroid Now.

The camera also caps an impressive comeback from Polaroid in recent years. Following its peak in the late 1970s, the company's instant film had to be rescued by The Impossible Project in the late 2000s. That project relaunched at Polaroid Originals, and is now known simply as Polaroid again after the new company acquired the rights to the classic name.

But while there's no doubting the Go's charm, there are a few caveats. We found that the larger Polaroid Now did sometimes struggle with inconsistent exposures and an inaccurate viewfinder, so we're hoping these things have been improved in the Polaroid Go. We'll let you know if they have in a full review very soon.

Still, if you don't mind your camera being a little hit-and-miss, and are looking for something more compact than the Polaroid Now, it could be a fun new analogue photography companion. 

You can pre-order the Polaroid Go now for $99.99 / £109.99 (around AU$198) from the brand's website, which makes it cheaper than the Polaroid Now ($144.99 / £160 (around AU$185). A double pack of the new Polaroid Go miniature film (giving you 16 prints) will also cost $19.99 / £18.99 (around AU$34).

• These are the best instant cameras in the world right now

Instant cameras often tread a fine line between being fun and a little child-like, but the new Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 has arrived bearing stylish looks that are more reminiscent of X-series cameras like the Fujifilm X-S10.

The Instax Mini 40 is effectively a Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 – a camera that sits top of our list of the best instant cameras – only in new, grown-up clothes. That means you get a retractable 35mm lens, making it relatively compact for an instant camera, and features like Auto Exposure to help make it a point-and-shoot experience.   

As its name suggests, the Mini 40 is also compatible with Fuji's credit card-sized Instax Mini film, which is among the most affordable instant film you can buy. Given the Mini 40's genes, this makes it another promising, affordable camera for those looking to dip their toes into instant photography.

• These are the best instant cameras you can buy right now
• Or check out our guide to the best cameras for kids
• Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 review

Like the Instax Mini 11, the Mini 40 has two main shooting modes: auto and selfie (or close-up). 

Give its lens barrel an extra pull, and it'll extend ready for for shooting the latter. This means you can either use its front mirror to compose an instant selfie or a close-up that's between 30cm-50cm away.

Your shot will then appear in around 90 seconds (depending on the surrounding temperature), giving you time to think about your next retro composition. This isn't exactly a 'spray and pray' camera though – each film pack has only ten exposures, so you'll need to use them wisely, which is a nice contrast to smartphone snapping.

Instant success

Given its heritage, in both looks and specs, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 is shaping up to be a very promising instant camera – and possibly even one of the best cheap cameras.

As always with instant models, you'll need to put up with some variable image quality – although the Instax Mini 40's auto exposure should help give you a greater hit-rate than other models.

In general, Instax film tends to produce shots that are a little more life-like than Lomography or Polaroid cameras, which can be a little more extreme and dream-like. So it's worth bearing your preferred style in mind when choosing an instant camera.

But if you're prepared to put up with a slight learning curve, and like the Instax Mini 40's classic faux-leather looks, then it could be the instant companion for you. You'll be able to buy it for $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$169 from the end of April.

• These are the world's best beginner cameras

VTech is planning to launch the Kidizoom PrintCam, an instant camera for kids that will apparently be designed to keep printing costs down to just $0.01 per picture.

The camera, which according to Engadget will be out in the summer (so sometime between June-September), could prove to be a viable gift for children, as it addresses two very sizable barriers for kids interested in photography. 

Firstly, its size is tailor made for small hands, and secondly, the asking price is pretty agreeable, particularly when you factor in that a roll of photo paper could be considerably cheaper than existing instant cameras. The Kidizoom PrintCam itself will apparently retail at $75 (approximately £55 / AU$99) when it arrives later this year.

• Check out our guide to the best cameras for kids
• These are the best instant cameras you can buy right now
• Read our in-depth Insta360 Go 2 review

The Kidizoom PrintCam’s design looks impressively compact, at roughly six inches in length and two inches thick. The tactile design features a screen that lets kids preview the photos they’ve taken. There’s even a flip-out lens specifically made for selfies.

Reportedly, photos take around 30 seconds to print, and while they likely won’t be of the quality we see in the likes of the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11, they could still be of a reasonable quality for kids who are still too young to own a more expensive instant camera or even a smartphone.

Snap happy

Playing further into the kid-friendly target audience, each snap taken can be edited on the viewing screen via directional and selection buttons. Kids can add in frames and filters to give their photos a little extra pizazz.

Parents can help out, too, as photos kids take on the Kidizoom PrintCam are transferable from the camera to a PC via USB connectivity, meaning this could be a great way for parents to introduce their kids to more advanced hardware, and maybe even how to edit photos on a PC.

We’re looking forward to testing the Kidizoom PrintCam for ourselves and seeing if it can earn a spot among our buying guide for the best cameras for kids. Look out for our full review on the Kidizoom PrintCam soon.

• via Engadget 

• Insta360 Go 2 Minions Edition is a rare example of a good movie tie-in

The Fujifilm Instax SQ1 has landed to provide a new temptingly affordable new option for those who like the charms of its Instax Square film.

The best instant camera for beginners looking to dabble in retro photography has long been the Fujfilm Instax Mini 11, which is also a fine choice as a camera for kids. But the Instax SQ1 now offers a compelling and affordable alternative, particularly as it uses the larger Instax Square film, rather than the less traditional rectangular Instax Mini snaps produced by the Mini 11.

Like the latter, the Instax SQ1 has a handy auto-exposure system, so you don't need worry about manually adjusting exposure. There's also a built-in selfie mode, which you can enter by twisting the front of the lens twice.

• These are the best instant cameras you can buy right now
• Or check out our pick of the best cameras for kids
• Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax SQ1 review

In our full Fujifilm Instax SQ1 review, we said: "The Fujifilm Instax SQ1 is hard to beat for sheer value, filling a price gap between the basic Instax Mini 11 and more advanced Instax SQ6 without too many compromises."

We added: "It's undeniably simple, which could be a turn-off for more creative photographers, but still delivers punchy photos with the trademark charm we've come to expect from instant."

Squaring it up

One of the main benefits of the new Instax SQ1 is that it combines the simplicity of Fuji's more basic Instax models with the ability to shoot on Instant Square film, which offers a more authentic retro experience than the cheaper Instax Mini format. 

As our review concluded: "By making larger format instant film more readily available to those looking to get started with the medium, the Instax SQ1 gives beginners greater choice when it comes to choosing their first camera."

The Fujifilm Instax SQ1 will be available to buy for $119 / £119.99 AU$199 when it goes in sale on 30 September, making it a possible contender for Christmas stocking duty, if you can bear to think that far ahead. It'll be available in three colors, too: Glacier Blue, Terracotta Orange and Chalk White.

• The best Fujifilm Instax prices and deals

The Fujifilm Instax SQ1 is a new middle ground in its instant camera range. The best place to start with Instax has traditionally been the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 (or Instax Mini 9 predecessor), its simplest and most affordable model. The downside? Those cameras limit you to Instax Mini film – and while their rectangular photos are fun, the more expensive Fujifilm Instax SQ6 and its Instax Square film offer the more authentic retro experience. 

The Instax SQ1 offers a blend of the two experiences, combining the ease of use of Fuji's more basic models (including the handy auto exposure system introduced on the Instax Mini 11) with larger, square format film. Our review will help you decide whether the SQ1 deserves its place on our best instant camera list.

Each 86x72mm (3.4x2.8in) print has a 62x62mm (2.4x2.4in) image area, with packs of ten typically costing £8/$8/$AU24. Previously Instax Square was only available as color film, but now Fuji finally offers a monochrome option. Colorful Rainbow frame packs complete the expanded line-up.

The Instax SQ1 bears more than a passing resemblance to the pricier SQ6, with square dimensions dominated by the large lens barrel. It's just as sizable, with no way you'd fit one in a pocket, so it's nice to see a wrist strap bundled in the box. Vibrant Glacier Blue, Terracotta Orange and Chalk White color options reinforce this camera's "fun-first" approach.

The SQ1 is built entirely from matte plastic, which helps cut down on costs, but has a decent heft to it once loaded with film and batteries. CR2 batteries are more expensive than AAs, but only need replacing every ten or so packs of film.

Functionality is stripped back completely, the twisting lens barrel both turning on the camera and automatically activating the flash. There's no way to disable it. Twisting further switches from regular to close-up shooting, which is largely for selfies – there's even a tiny mirror built into the lens barrel for composition.

The only other button is the shutter release, which is built into the chunky grip on the right side just below the viewfinder. This camera is very much designed for right-handed use.

A flip-down door at the rear holds the film pack, with a small counter in the grip showing how many shots you have left so you don't waste a half-finished pack by accidentally opening the door too soon. Prints are ejected out the top of the camera, and can take around three to ten minutes to fully develop – slightly faster than Polaroid's physically larger I-Type film.

The Instax SQ1's viewfinder sits off-centre, but still gives a good representation of what the lens sees, and the new auto exposure system ensures fewer snaps are washed-out or over-exposed. 

This was all too common in the Instax Mini 9, but here even tricky lighting conditions produced usable shots. The way the automatic flash helps balance out indoor scenes is on par with the Instax Mini 11 – only here you're getting a significantly larger print thanks to the square format film.

You'll still notice overblown highlights in some of our sample images, but this is largely a characteristic of the film. Instax usually delivers pastel-like colors mixed with dark shadows, albeit in a more true-to-life manner than some rival film formats, and that is very much the case here.

The fixed focus lens makes the SQ1 best suited to portraits and middle-distance subjects, with landscapes appearing far softer. The camera offers no visual clue you're shooting in selfie mode from the rear, either, so it's important to remember to twist the lens back. Otherwise longer-distance snaps will appear even more blurry and out-of-focus.

By making larger format instant film more readily available to those looking to get started with the medium, the Instax SQ1 gives beginners greater choice when it comes to choosing their first camera.

It's undeniably simple, which could be a turn-off for more creative photographers, but still delivers punchy photos with the trademark charm we've come to expect from instant. It's hard to beat for sheer value, filling a price gap between the basic Instax Mini 11 and more advanced Instax SQ6 without too many compromises.

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax SQ1?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

• These are the best instant cameras you can buy right now

If prolific and reliable camera news leaker Nokishita is correct – and the Japanese outlet usually is – we could be seeing another one of Fujifilm's excellent Instax instant cameras on shelves soon.

Nokishita says the camera will be called the Instax Square SQ1 and, if true, it will be the first SQ series instant camera to be launched since the Instax Square SQ6 and SQ20 way back in 2018. In the meantime, Fujifilm has been expanding its Instax Mini range, with the Instax Mini 11 joining the ranks in March 2020.

No technical specifications of the rumored SQ1 have been revealed as yet, but Nokishita has unearthed some product shots of the new camera.

• The best instant cameras you can buy right now
• Best budget-friendly cameras
• Polaroid Now review

Squaring it up

All we know for now is that the Instax Square SQ1 will come in (at least) three different colors – Chalk White, Terracotta Orange and Glacier Blue – and will have a design that's a little different to the older Square models.

Where the Instax Square SQ10 had very rounded edges, the SQ6 and SQ20 took a less curvy route. However, the SQ1 will seemingly have sharp corners, and fun colors we're used to seeing in the Mini line-up.

The 'Square' in the name of the SQ series comes from the dimensions of the image area. Where the Mini instant cameras produce small-format images measuring 46mm × 62mm (or 54mm × 86mm if you include the white border), the Square films are wider with an image area of 62mm x 62mm (86mm x 72mm with the border).

Both Mini and Square cameras (and films) produce similar image qualities and cost about the same as well, so which instant camera you choose will depend on your preference for image size.

There's no indication of when we can expect the SQ1, and neither do we have any clue as to how much it will cost, but we'll keep our ear to the ground and let you know as soon as we have official word.

• The best Fujifilm Instax prices and deals