Polaroid closed its last factory in 2008 and a little bit of everyone’s childhood died. In the past decade, however, a number of camera manufacturers, including Leica and Fujifilm, have designed their own takes on the instant camera; and in 2014, The Impossible Project rode that wave by purchasing Polaroid’s old machinery in order to continue to make the film for old Polaroid cameras — and as of 2020, they are making new instant cameras, as well.
Today, thanks to these camera manufacturers and the resurgence of (and enduring love) of film photography, there are more instant film cameras available than ever before. Many of these instant cameras are as simple and straightforward to use as the old-school Polaroids from decades ago. However, there are more sophisticated instant cameras out there, too, which have advanced shooting capabilities and even smartphone compatibility.
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Polaroid Go Read More -
Polaroid Now Read More
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Polaroid Now + Read More
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Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 Read More
What to Look for
There are quite a few players in today's instant camera scene. Polaroid, Fujifilm and even Kodak each make a variety of different models, ranging in size, price, type of film used and a much of advanced features, too. Here's what you need to know before picking the instant camera that's right for you.
Film Type: Different instant cameras accept different types of film, so you'll want to make sure you buy the right film for your camera. The main thing that differentiates these films is their size as well as if they are in color or black and white. You'll want to do a bit of research into cost, too, because the price of film is the main downside to shooting with these instant film cameras — each shot is expensive.
Camera Size: Instant cameras come in several different sizes. The Polaroid Go, for example, is an instant film camera that can easily fit into your pocket, but it also shoots smaller film. Larger film cameras shoot larger film but also tend to have more advanced features and abilities (and they tend to cost more, too).
Photo storage: Traditional instant cameras were pretty straightforward to use; you press the shutter button and the photo prints. But some of today's higher-end instant cameras have built-in storage — or usually there's a slot for a microSD card — and give you the option to not immediately print the photo. Instead, you can use a companion app on your smartphone to scroll through the photos you've taken and then select which ones you'd like to print out after the fact. Not every instant camera has this ability.
Batteries or charge? A lot of higher-end instant cameras come with lithium-ion batteries just like your smartphone and charge via USB-C or micro-USB. Some of the more affordable options require AA or AAA batteries, which just means you'll have to eventually have to buy new ones and swap the old ones out.
Advanced Features: The more expensive the instant camera, the more advanced features and shooting abilities it likely will have. The highest-end options support manual controls and autofocus, advanced shooting modes (such as macro), as well as features like flash control (some have always-on flash) and self-timers. If they work with a companion smartphone app, many of these higher-end instant cameras allow you to edit photos (with filters or stickers) before you print them as well.
How We Tested
Instant film cameras are making a bit of a comeback and manufacturers like Polaroid, Fujifilm and Kodak continue to release new models year after year. We get hands-on and test a wide variety of instant film cameras and test them for image quality, various features and just how much fun they are to shoot with. Below, we've included a mix of instant film cameras that we've either tested thus far or are looking to test in the near future.
Polaroid Go
- Film: Polaroid Go Film
- Cost per shot: ~$1.25
- Connects to smartphone: No
- Photo storage (microSD): No
- Batteries or charge: micro-USB charge
Released in mid-2021, the Polaroid Go is the company's smallest and lightest instant film camera. In fact, it's so small that it can almost fit inside your pocket. The Go isn't feature-packed, but it still has a two-element lens that allows for autofocus (which you can trigger via a half-press on the shutter button) and flash. It uses a smaller type of film than any of Polaroid's other instant cameras, but it's still in its signature square shape.
Polaroid Now
- Film: i-Type and 600 film
- Cost per shot: ~$2
- Connects to smartphone: No
- Photo storage (microSD): No
- Batteries or charge: micro-USB
The Polaroid Now is essentially a bigger version of the Polaroid Go. It has many of the same features, including autofocus and flash, but it uses slightly larger film and thus produces a slightly larger photo. The other big difference is that because it's a little bigger, the Now takes better photos when shooting in bright conditions; overexposure is a common problem for instant cameras, and the Now handles it better than most. Unlike the Now+ (below), it lacks the ability to connect to your smartphone, which then enables more advanced features and shooting modes.
Polaroid Now+
- Film: i-Type and 600 film
- Cost per shot: ~$2
- Connects to smartphone: Yes
- Photo storage (microSD): No
- Batteries or charge: micro-USB
The Polaroid Now+ is essentially a new and improved version of the Polaroid Now. It has almost the exact same body and design, but it's neat for a few reasons. First, it has two different focus modes, one for close-up portraits and one for shooting subjects at a distance. Second, it comes with different colored lenses that easily snap on so you can change the look of your photos. And third, it has built-in Bluetooth and works with an app that enables a few shooting modes, including double exposures and a manual mode for photographers who want to control everything.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 12
- Film: Instax Mini Instant Film
- Cost per shot: ~$1
- Connects to smartphone: No
- Photo storage (microSD): No
- Batteries or charge: AA batteries (2x)
Released in early 2023, the Instax Mini 12 is the follow-up to Instax Mini 11 and, like its predecessor, the Mini 12 is an entry-level instant film camera that's incredibly easy to use — there's no app or any real advanced features to know about. It has a single button, which is its shutter button, and you turn it on/off by twisting the lens. The only real new feature is that it has a new twist-to-zoom lens and new close-up mode, which you enable by simply twisting the lens a bit further. Other than that, there's just a built-in flash and a front-facing mirror to help frame yourself when taking selfies. It's available in several different finishes.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 40
- Film: Instax Mini Instant Film
- Cost per shot: ~$1
- Connects to smartphone: No
- Photo storage (microSD): No
- Batteries or charge: AA batteries (2x)
Released in 2021, the Mini 40 is the newest instant camera in Fujifilm's Instax line. It's not so much different from the Mini 11 in terms of its shooting capabilities — it's still an entry-level instant camera with focus, flash and a selfie mode— but its vintage black-and-white design with the textured faux leather body makes it look like a classic.
Fujifilm Instax SQ1
- Film: Instax Square instant film
- Cost per shot: ~$1.15
- Connects to smartphone: No
- Photo storage (microSD): No
- Batteries or charge: COPY
Fujifilm released the Instax SQ1 and Instax Mini 11 around the same time in 2020. The biggest (and most obvious) difference is that the Instax SQ1 uses and prints 62mm square film (about 2.5 inches), whereas the Mini 11's frames are only 42mm (about 1.8 inches) wide. Secondly, the Instax SQ1 has the battery life to shoot up to 300 photos on a single charge, which is three times better than the Instax Mini 11 though film, and not battery life, is probably your limiting factor. The Instax SQ1 is quite a bit more expensive, and so is its film.
Kodak Smile
- Print paper: 2x3 Zink Photo Paper
- Cost per print: ~$.50
- Connects to smartphone: No
- Photo storage (microSD): Yes
- Batteries or charge: COPY
The Kodak Smile is a digital instant film camera, which means you can take photos, save to the camera and then you can decide which ones you actually want to be printed later on. As such, it uses a special type of printer paper, as opposed to photographic film. There's even a microSD slot in case you want to add more storage (up to 256GB extra). The camera is small enough to fit in your pocket and it slides shut to protect the lens from scratches. All in all, it's a fun, pocketable and easy-to-use travel companion.
Mint InstantFlex TL70 2.0
- Film: Instax Mini Instant Film
- Cost per shot: ~$1
- Connects to smartphone: No
- Photo storage (microSD): No
- Batteries or charge: AA batteries (2x)
The InstantFlex TL70 2.0 is pretty incredible. Its twin-lens reflex design allows you to manually focus through the viewfinder — no other instant camera offers that functionality; you can set the shutter speed for long exposures, too. It uses the same film as the Fuji Instax Mini — $15 for a 20-pack — and runs on AA batteries (which feels a little dated, admittedly). Granted, you’d have to be really into instant cameras or retro design to spend nearly $400 on this.
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