Top 4 compared
The best instant cameras
A real photo in your hand within minutes of the shot, to pass around, stick on the fridge or keep.
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The top 4 at a glance
An instant camera prints the photo it has just taken: the picture slides out of the camera and develops by itself. Fujifilm’s instax cameras use three film sizes (mini, SQUARE and WIDE), and Polaroid’s classic cameras take a larger square. A hybrid adds a screen, so shots can be checked before they’re printed.
Each camera takes only the film made for it, usually sold separately, and the film is the running cost: a pack gives 10 shots on instax and 8 on Polaroid. Prints develop best at room temperature, so on a cold day tuck a fresh one into a pocket while it comes through.
What matters
- A self-timer, so whoever’s holding the camera gets in the picture.
- A print size to suit a wallet, an album or a frame.
- Rechargeable or disposable batteries, and how many film packs they last.
#1instax mini 13 Instant Camera (Lagoon Green)
$75–$100
Twist the lens to switch on and further for close-ups, with a mirror beside the lens for selfies, while exposure and flash set themselves. A 2 or 10-second self-timer puts the photographer in the group shot, and each print comes out credit-card size.
What owners say: Owners of all ages find it easy to use and reliable, and they like its colours and the fun of it. Picture quality and value draw mixed views.
A closer look: Close-up mode works from 0.3 to 0.5 m, and the viewfinder adjusts to match the lens, so a close-up prints centred as it was framed. Stand the camera on the angle wedge from the box, tilt it to fit everyone in and start the 10-second timer. Each print takes about 90 seconds to appear.
- Twist lens to switch on
- Automatic exposure and flash
- Selfie mirror and close-up mode
- Angle wedge for timer shots
Best for: Running on AA batteries
- Film
- instax mini
- Picture size
- 62 × 46 mm (2.4 × 1.8 in)
- Batteries
- 2 × AA
- Batteries last
- About 10 film packs
- Self-timer
- 2 or 10 sec
- Screen
- No
- Phone app (iPhone or Android)
- Scans prints only
#2instax mini Evo Hybrid Instant Camera (Black)
$200–$300
Check each shot on the 3-inch screen and print only the keepers, so a pack of film goes much further. It also prints photos from your phone over Bluetooth, which turns it into a pocket printer for vacation pictures.
What owners say: Printing a shot on the spot, or a retro-style print of a phone photo, is what owners enjoy most, and the lens wins praise. Image quality varies from one owner to the next, as do opinions on value.
Heads up: Fujifilm’s newer instax mini Evo 2 takes higher-resolution pictures and has a bigger screen that works by touch; this original Evo is still sold new.
A closer look: Every shot is saved to its memory, about 45 pictures, or to a microSD card (sold separately), so it doubles as a small digital camera. The free instax mini Evo app, for iPhone or Android, works as a remote shutter with the camera propped on a shelf or table. The camera takes the same instax mini film as the mini 13.
- Saves shots to microSD
- Doubles as a digital camera
Best for: Choosing shots before printing
- Film
- instax mini
- Picture size
- 62 × 46 mm (2.4 × 1.8 in)
- Batteries
- Built-in, rechargeable
- Batteries last
- About 10 film packs
- Self-timer
- 2 or 10 sec
- Screen
- 3-inch
- Phone app (iPhone or Android)
- Prints phone photos, remote shutter
#3instax SQUARE SQ40 Instant Camera (Black)
$150–$200
Its instax SQUARE pictures have about a third more area than an instax mini’s, and the black, textured body has a retro look. One twist of the lens switches it on and a second sets selfie mode for shots at arm’s length.
What owners say: A lot of fun to shoot with, owners say, and some call it excellent. Others report trouble with image quality and lighting, and reliability, value and ease of use split them.
A closer look: The mirror on the front shows the framing for a selfie, and Fujifilm’s free scanning app, for iPhone or Android, keeps a digital copy of each print. There’s no self-timer, so a group photo needs someone behind the camera.
- Twist for selfie mode
- Black textured retro body
Best for: Longest battery life
- Film
- instax SQUARE
- Picture size
- 62 × 62 mm (2.4 × 2.4 in)
- Batteries
- 2 × CR2
- Batteries last
- About 30 film packs
- Self-timer
- No
- Screen
- No
- Phone app (iPhone or Android)
- Scans prints only
#4Polaroid Now+ Generation 3 Instant Camera (Arctic Blue, with 16 photos)
$200–$300
Full-size Polaroid prints, the big white-framed squares most people picture when they hear the name, from a camera with a two-lens autofocus system. Pair it with the Polaroid app over Bluetooth and you get manual mode, aperture priority and a remote shutter.
What owners say: Owners call it a good, nicely made camera that’s easy to pick up and shoot with, though they differ on how the pictures turn out and whether it’s fairly priced.
A closer look: Buy a few extra packs of i-Type or 600 film with it, as the bundle’s 16 photos go quickly. Keep each print shaded as it ejects, face down on a table. To connect, open the Polaroid app on an iPhone or Android phone and choose the camera: the plus button on the front turns blue once it’s connected, with no Wi-Fi needed.
- Two-lens autofocus
- Film for 16 shots included
Best for: Biggest pictures
- Film
- Polaroid i-Type or 600
- Picture size
- 79 × 77 mm (3.1 × 3.0 in)
- Batteries
- Built-in, USB-C rechargeable
- Batteries last
- Up to 15 film packs
- Self-timer
- 9 sec (1 to 12 in app)
- Screen
- No
- Phone app (iPhone or Android)
- Manual mode, remote shutter
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 4.
| Feature | #1instax mini 13 | #2instax mini Evo | #3instax SQUARE SQ40 | #4Polaroid Now+ Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best with a screen | Biggest prints | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.0 | 8.8 | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $200–$300 | $150–$200 | $200–$300 |
| Film | instax mini | instax mini | instax SQUARE | Polaroid i-Type or 600 |
| Picture size | 62 × 46 mm (2.4 × 1.8 in) | 62 × 46 mm (2.4 × 1.8 in) | 62 × 62 mm (2.4 × 2.4 in) | 79 × 77 mm (3.1 × 3.0 in) |
| Batteries | 2 × AA | Built-in, rechargeable | 2 × CR2 | Built-in, USB-C rechargeable |
| Batteries last | About 10 film packs | About 10 film packs | About 30 film packs | Up to 15 film packs |
| Self-timer | 2 or 10 sec | 2 or 10 sec | No | 9 sec (1 to 12 in app) |
| Screen | No | 3-inch | No | No |
| Phone app (iPhone or Android) | Scans prints only | Prints phone photos, remote shutter | Scans prints only | Manual mode, remote shutter |
| Best for | Running on AA batteries | Choosing shots before printing | Longest battery life | Biggest pictures |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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