best instant camera with lcd screen for sale

The Instax Square SQ6 feels solid and durable, and it stands apart for its exceptional image quality and ease of use. The cost of its 3.4-by-2.4-inch prints have gone up to a still reasonable 90¢ each recently, and while their 2.4-by-2.4-inch image area is about half an inch smaller in each dimension than classic Polaroids, the SQ6’s results look just as good, if not better. The Instax film reproduces a wider range of tones and more pleasing-looking colors than any other option currently available—including Polaroid’s revived instant film cartridges. The SQ6’s exceptionally sharp lens further improves quality, even compared with other Instax cameras, and its exposure-compensation controls and multiple-exposure mode give you options if you want to get creative.

The Instax Mini Evo is the best attempt at a hybrid instant-and-digital camera we’ve seen so far. It offers all the analog charm of an instant camera but with digital control over which images to print onto Instax Mini film using a small LCD screen. At about 70¢ per image, that’s a thrifty restraint to ensure you’ll only print your favorites. A smartphone app unlocks features that the tech savvy will have fun fiddling with, including remote shooting and printing images from a smartphone library.

If all you need is a fun toy for taking easy snapshots, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 is perfect. Its compact body feels durable, with controls that are intuitive enough for you to pass this camera off to a family member, and its 3.4-by-2.1-inch prints (with a 2.4-by-1.9-inch image area) cost only about 60¢ per print, so it won’t break the bank. But its photos aren’t as sharp or saturated as those of our main pick, it doesn’t offer as much creative control, and its batteries last for only about 100 shots, whereas our top pick promises 300 shots per set of batteries.

The Wide 300 produces larger, wider prints at a lower price than the Instax Square SQ6 and runs on AA batteries, but the camera is quite a bit larger than most modern instant cameras and gives you fewer options.

For larger, wider-angle prints, we like the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300. Ideal for landscape and group shots, it produces 3.4-by-4.3-inch photographs (with a 2.4-by-3.9-inch image area and classic white borders) that are closer in dimensions to old-school Polaroids. Those images cost about 90¢ each, which is about the same price as the Instax Square SQ6. With only one button for exposure compensation and another for flash output, you can just point and shoot, but it’s considerably bulkier than our top pick, and you get fewer creative options.

Digital instant cameras are perfect for taking and printing photos on the go. Most of them also enable you to print photos you took on your phone and even edit your pictures in an app first. They"re small, compact, and lightweight so great to take to festivals, holidays, weddings or weekend escapes. You can view the image before you print it so you can be sure no print is wasted.

Most digital instant cameras use ZINK (a.k.a. zero-ink) thermal paper to print their images. There are several reasons for this: it doesn"t require costly ink cartridges, it"s reliable and the images are smudge-proof. They also tend to be hardier than instant film images and resistant to water. Another upside to ZINK printers is that the paper costs less to buy than instant film.

You may be confused as to why the best instant cameras(opens in new tab) don"t use Zink but truthfully, the quality of Polaroid or Instax film is a lot better. The colors are much more vivid on instant film and the shadow and highlight areas retain more information. It"s also possible to see banding on images with a lot of negative space when you"re using Zink which is where instant film wins. Minolta is the latest brand to jump on the digital instant camera trend with the new Minolta Instapix(opens in new tab) - you won"t find it on the list just yet but we look forward to getting our hands on one!

You can great images out of both instant and hybrid cameras but which you go for is down to you. The advantage of a digital printer is you can also print photos you took on your phone, edit them in specific apps and connect via Bluetooth.

We"ve picked out the top models on the market and put them through their paces. So, here are our picks for the best digital instant cameras and hybrids with instant printers. If you"re sorted on the image-capture front and just want a quick and portable way to print your images, check out our guide to the best portable printers.(opens in new tab)

Unlike all the other cameras on our list, the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay uses Instax Mini Film which is much better than Zink thermal paper. This is the main reason it came top of our list - as well as the fact it"s really cute and stuff with desirable features.

At just 255g, it"s small, lightweight, and can easily fit in jeans or a jacket pocket. It might only have a 4.9-megapixel sensor but that"s big enough to make decent 1.8 x 2.8-inch prints. Plus you"ll achieve that gorgeous vintage aesthetics that"s impossible to recreate in other mediums. It stores up to 45 photos on the camera"s internal memory or you can insert a micro SD card should you need more.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo camera is an interesting hybrid product for a fair price that seeks to expand on the self-imposed limitations of an instant print camera that only outputs credit card-sized prints.

Yes, we can do that here, but we can also use it like a regular digital camera, and/or as an extension of our smartphone or mobile device. In other words, Fuji has attempted to deliver one device that does it all, and one that has gifting potential with it. On top of this, all the extras over and above a ‘standard’ instant print camera should ensure that users don’t get bored of the novelty of it all as quickly as they may with a more basic, frill-free model. If you’re seeking ‘one instant print camera to rule them all’, look no further.

If you"re happy capturing and printing on Zink paper, as opposed to real film, the Kodak Smile Classic offers both the best print quality of any Zink-based instant printer we"ve used, as well as full-size prints. Typical Zink prints are 2 x 3 inches, but the Smile Classic produces more substantial 3.5 x 4.25-inch pictures, which more closely resemble traditional photographic prints.

This is by far the best Zink printer on the list and it"s aided by the larger 16MP sensor although it"s more likely to be an interpolated 8MP sensor. Its design resembles an analogies camera but the downside to that is it has no analog screen so you can"t check the photos you"ve taken. It does however have a slot for a micro SD card so you can review the picture later.

The pleasing design and pure point-and-click simplicity make this an appealing camera to hold and use – especially for kids. Likewise, the app is friendly and fun to use and enables you to add augmented reality features such as video. If you want an authentic retro instant camera experience, this is hard to beat.

One of the most affordable digital instant cameras out there, the Kodak Printomatic is an extremely basic setup for those who like to keep things simple. It"s a no-frills digital instant camera, simultaneously saving 5MP digital photos and printing out 2x3-inch prints on Zink paper. So while you get the advantage of a point-and-shoot so straightforward a child could operate it, the quality of the images you get is pretty average. There"s also a lack of useful features like a self-timer or an LCD screen.

The Polaroid Pop is the instant camera and printer hybrid with the best set of features, but it"s also the one with the biggest price tag – and the biggest body! A real tank of a camera, the Pop is pleasingly designed but is definitely not pocket-sized, being about as chunky as an ordinary analog instant camera.

Not only can it take photos, but it can also shoot 1080p video and capture 15-second GIFs. There is space for a microSD card up to 128GB so you"ll have plenty of memory to store video. The large 3.97-inch screen functions as a viewfinder and a touchscreen which enables you to edit, rotate, crop, or even draw on your images prior to printing.

Amazingly, despite its long history and diverse product range, Canon has never released an instant camera before. Thankfully, its instant camera/instant printer hybrid gets a lot of things right. Called the Canon Ivy Cliq+ in North America and Canon Zoemini S in Europe, it is clearly geared towards the selfie generation with its giant mirror with frame markings (which takes up a quarter of the camera"s front), along with an 8-LED ring light for flattering self-portraits.

It"s quite analog in operation, with no rear LCD screen meaning that every shot you take is immediately printed. Strangely, then, there"s no counter to indicate the number of shots remaining, though with MicroSD card support you know that all your images can be stored safely. The free app is both easy and fun to use and makes transferring and printing images from your phone an enjoyable and kid-friendly process.

Spitting out stylish photos onto Kodak Zink paper, the Mini Shot Combo 2 is a pretty straightforward instant digital camera and printer. While it"s not exactly palm-sized, it"s slim enough to fit in a jacket pocket or small bag, and the photos it prints come out looking punchy and sharp. The little mirror on the front is a welcome extra that makes it easy to compose selfies and group shots, and Bluetooth connectivity is also useful for printing directly from a smartphone.

The LCD screen isn"t huge or terribly high quality, and it would have been nice to have some kind of low-paper warning for those who aren"t as good at remembering how many shots they have left, but for the price, this is a great little camera and printer combo that reliably gets the job done.

The Kodak Smile is a slim-as-a-smartphone instant camera that sports a sleek design, and uses Kodak"s smaller 2 x 3-inch sticky-backed Zink paper. Like its bigger brother, the Kodak Smile Classic, the printing here is a cut above, as Kodak"s apparently superior printing process combined with the smaller resolution produces the most pleasing results for these credit card-sized prints.

With an LCD screen, you can check your image after every shot and decide whether or not it"s worth printing – and the microSD card(opens in new tab) slot means that you can save all your photos, and only print out the best or the ones you want to share (there"s internal storage for three shots if you"re in a jam). Though obviously, with the camera"s 5MP sensor (software-interpolated up to 10MP), the images are intended for the 2 x 3 format and not for blowing up on your computer.

One of the newer digital instant cameras from Kodak, the Kodak Step instant camera (not to be confused with the Kodak Step printer... I mean, why on earth would anyone mix those two up?) is a delightfully simple point-and-shoot. There"s no control over exposure, no zoom, or anything like that. You hit the button, and it prints, while also saving a digital copy of your file to an SD card. There"s some scope to choose colors, and you can add a frame or use the self-timer, but otherwise, that"s it.

The little brother of the Cliq+ / Zoemini S, there are a few key differences here on the Canon Ivy Cliq (in North American) / Canon Zoemini C (in Europe). Firstly, if beauty is only skin deep, this model comes in a more fun and expressive series of colors – Bumble Bee Yellow, Mint Green, Seaside Blue and Bubble Gum Pink, to be precise. These capture the fun, summer-loving spirit of the camera, and make them both kid-friendly and fashionably Instagrammable.

More fundamentally, though, this model comes with a smaller 5MP sensor, slightly reduced 314 x 500dpi print resolution, a single flash light and a much smaller selfie mirror – and, of course, it isn"t an instant printer, so you can"t use it to print photos from your phone.

Still, it otherwise handles and offers the same functionality as its big bro, with fire-and-forget simplicity that foregoes things like exposure so that you spend more time snapping and less time faffing. Again, it prints every time you press the shutter so it behaves a lot like a traditional instant camera. Kids seem to especially love playing with the Cliq / Zoemini C, thanks to its candy colored body and sticker photo prints, so this could be a hit with the little ones if you want to get them into photography.

The best instant cameras are still incredibly popular, even in today"s digital age. We"ll help you choose the best one so that you can start capturing and printing your very own retro photos.

It"s the simplicity of the best instant cameras that makes them so appealing for people of all ages and experience levels. After all, they"re so straightforward that they make some of the best cameras for kids(opens in new tab) as well as the best cameras for beginners(opens in new tab).

And the results are utterly unique; the best instant cameras produce a unique kind of photograph that people spend ages trying to recreate using Instagram filters and Lightroom presets(opens in new tab). Yet there"s nothing that matches the real deal!

Cameras from Polaroid, Instax, and Lomography use a traditional photochemical exposure process that creates striking lo-fi shots with crushed contrast, saturated colors, and ethereal exposures that are unique to instant film.

There are no settings to adjust, no focus points to fiddle with – you simply point the camera at your subject(s), frame your shot, and press the shutter button! For this reason, instant cameras are ideal for families, parties, and weddings, and even enable kids to get creative.

There is also a new breed of digital instant film cameras(opens in new tab), that combine the thrill of instant photography with the convenience of modern-day technology. Canon, Fujifilm, and Kodak have all ventured into this world – and the result is a much smaller, digital camera with an image sensor that captured every sensor and a built-in digital printer.

We"ve divided our guide to the best instant cameras into sections for film and digital. If you pick the former, don’t forget to pick up the right kind of instant film(opens in new tab) to have plenty of ammunition for your shooting! And get the best Instax photo albums to display your finished prints!

Why you can trust Digital Camera WorldOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

If you"re after full-size instant photos that are great quality and possess that elusive "vintage look", the Polaroid Now+ is without the best instant film camera available. It combines the same image quality and base shooting of the Polaroid Now(opens in new tab) and the modern-day features of the OneStep+ so that the user can have the best of both worlds. It has several creative modes you can use such as light painting, aperture priority, double exposure, portrait mode, and many more which are available through the app.

There are also several physical lens filters that create a starburst effect, a red vignette, and blue, yellow, and orange colors for in-camera effects. The biggest downside to instant photography is how expensive the film is but we can promise you, that you"ll have more fun using this than any other kind of film camera. You might end up spending a fair amount on film, but the memories you capture with it will be priceless.

If we’re looking for one instant print camera that does it all – plus we’re satisfied with the credit card-sized print format output from the device itself – then the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo camera has much to recommend it.

Once we’d discovered what all the unmarked buttons do, and got over our initial period of familiarization, it quickly became apparent that, unusually, this isn’t an instant print camera we’ll rapidly become bored of. And that in our book makes it well worth the asking price.

The Polaroid Now is a welcome arrival to the Polaroid product line and a worthy addition to the increasingly crowded instant camera world. For pure point-and-shoot simplicity, the Polaroid Now is hard to beat – and while the Instax Mini 11(opens in new tab) does have it beaten on price, we prefer the full-size square prints that Polaroid delivers.

And much as we love the Instax line, when you"re shooting an old-school instant film there"s nothing quite like the tactility of holding a big, boxy Polaroid. If you don"t need the extra bells and whistles of the OneStep+, the Polaroid Now is sure to wow.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is a chunky, plastic camera that comes in a variety of refreshing pastel colors. It may not hot have the same vintage feel as the Polaroids but it does have its own charm. Whether you"re going on holiday, attending a wedding, or escaping to the countryside for the weekend, the Instax Mini 11 is small enough to keep in your bag at all times.

You can also buy rather trendy, cross-body cases to keep them in so it"s even more accessible. It"s powered by two AA batteries that need to be replaced fairly frequently. Fujifilm has done away with the exposure control dial and instead opted for automatic exposure so you have one less thing to worry about and are less likely to waste shots. The film works out at roughly $1.30/£1 per image though you can often save a little bit by bulk buying in packs of five. They make great gifts for adults or kids if you want an easy-to-use instant film camera.

Instax cameras are knockabout fun with a side of lo-fi cool, and none exemplify this more than the beautiful Instax Mini 40(opens in new tab). With its stylish black-and-silver trim, the Mini 40 looks the part, and it"s incredibly simple to operate. There are no exposure controls, or really controls of any kind; you just point, and shoot. This might be a bit too simple for some users, but if you"re the kind of person who just wants to produce instant images without having to worry about it, this is a fantastic buy. The simplicity also makes it a good option for kids, who will be able to easily get the hang of operating it.

Instax prints are smaller than Polaroids, but still, look pretty great, and will develop with unbelievable speed. Plus, let"s not forget, that the film is cheaper to buy, and these costs will add up over time if you"re a frequent shooter.

The Polaroid Go is a palm-sized camera that everyone will fall in love with faster than it takes a photo to develop. Bigger instant cameras balance exposures better, and rival Instax Mini cameras deliver slightly better image quality indoors – but neither are as fun to use nor will make you as many friends, as the Go… which still produces pleasing pics.

A consideration is that Instax Mini film(opens in new tab) works out cheaper than Polaroid Go film, but then you"ll also need to replace those AA batteries on the Mini whereas the Go just needs a USB to top up the power. And the Go boasts double exposures, which you won"t get unless you opt for pricier options like the Instax Mini 90. A fun and funky little camera, the Polaroid Go will be the star of your next party and will deposit an endless amount of memories in your pocket or wallet. And if you"ve got kids, this could be the ideal camera for little hands to get started with. Don"t forget to pick up a pack of the new Polaroid Go instant film.

Available in brown or black, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is Fujifilm’s only instant camera to handily come with a rechargeable battery, which the company claims will last as long as 10 (credit card-sized) film packs. With retro styling, it feels like it"s pitched at the photo enthusiast, with some manual control over exposure and even the option to disable the built-in flash if you feel pictures are too bright.

A double exposure mode extends creativity options for the curious (although results can be a bit hit and miss here) as does a shutter-release button above its lens, which doubles up as a selfie mirror (another shutter-release button is in the usual top-plate location). The advantage here over a cheaper instant-print camera is an LCD display strip at the back revealing your chosen settings. The viewfinder is small but adequate for its purpose, while the faux leather finish adds a splash of style.

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is the big daddy of the Instax family. It"s powered by four AA batteries rather than the usual two but this chunky camera isn"t far off the size of a medium format system. It"s able to deliver much larger prints using the Instax Wide film packs which makes it much better for group shots.

However, if you"re looking for a camera to take selfies with, the chunky design of the Instax Wide 300 makes it really hard so one of the smaller cameras on this list might be better. Despite its size, it is still relatively lightweight thanks to its plastic build and it benefits from a lens that can extend up to 95mm. The built-in flash is much more powerful than on other Instax cameras and is great for use as a fill although the viewfinder is still really small. It doesn"t have any creative modes and can"t be used with an app but if you just want larger prints, then this is the best option for you.

If it wasn"t for The Impossible Project stepping in to keep Polaroid going, we would never have had the Polaroid OneStep+ - a modern, retro-look camera nodding towards the golden era of instant film photography. The OneStep+ is the second camera to be released under the new name Polaroid Originals and follows on from the OneStep 2(opens in new tab) (confusing, we know).

The Instax Square SQ1 is powered by two small CR2 lithium batteries (included) that the manufacturer claims will last a whopping 300 shots (30 packs of film). As you might expect the camera uses Instax Square film, with a size and shape reminiscent of traditional Polaroid prints.

It"s as simple as cameras get, with automatic exposure and focus (after you select between standard or close-up shooting), so you simply point and shoot and you get a pristine photograph whether you"re indoors or outdoors.

The only reason this isn"t ranked higher is because it omits a number of really useful features from the now-discontinued Instax Square SQ6(opens in new tab), such as self-timer, tripod mount and double exposures. So if you want more advanced features you"re best to look towards Polaroid"s options, but if you want straightforward shooting with sumptuous square shot, look no further.

Not only can you take photos using the Instax Hybrid Mini LiPlay but it can also print photos from your phone. It"s small enough to fit in your pocket which makes it perfect for having on you at all times and there is space for a Micro SD card so can images can be stored as well as printed. Its gorgeous design makes it stand out from the other digital instant film cameras and it comes in a range of colors including Blush Gold (our favorite), Stone White, and Elegant Black.

The Kodak Smile Instant Print(opens in new tab) is one of the best digital instant cameras(opens in new tab) – a modern update of instant photography that combines the best of analog with the beauty of digital. This slim-as-a-smartphone camera sports a sleek design and uses Zink (zero ink) technology – it"s essentially a miniature printer with a lens, producing 2x3-inch sticky-backed prints.

Inside the camera is a relatively humble 5MP sensor (up to 10MP through interpolation), though for images this size you don"t need all the resolution in the world. Ultimately the pictures it produces look more like printer images than they do instant photographs – not necessarily a bad thing, but they don"t possess quite the same magic as instant film.

Kodak"s Mini Shot 3 is a tidy little instant print camera that"s great for anyone who doesn"t want anything too complicated. It doesn"t use Zink like the Kodak Smile above but houses a proper little printer that uses Kodak"s 4PASS all-in-one cartridges to spit out little square prints, 3 inches by 3 inches. The colors pop a good deal better than Zink, and they are also rated to be long-lasting.

The camera overall is pretty cheap and running it isn"t too expensive either, making it a good option if you want to shoot instant on a budget. It also produces 10MP digital photos that you can save via Bluetooth on the app (and you do have to do it this way; there"s no internal storage). A cheap option that"s good fun for anyone, especially those who aren"t too confident with using a camera.

We test cameras(opens in new tab) both in real-world shooting scenarios and, for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, in carefully controlled lab conditions. Our lab tests measure resolution, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio. Resolution is measured using ISO resolution charts, dynamic range is measured using DxO Analyzer test equipment and DxO Analyzer is also used for noise analysis across the camera"s ISO range. We only use real-world testing for our guides to instant and compact cameras - comparing results against similar models that we have tested.

A fan of retro photography? You might also likeThe best film cameras(opens in new tab), the10 best point-and-shoot cameras(opens in new tab)and thebest cameras for beginners(opens in new tab).Round up of today"s best deals

Even with the ability to take excellent photos with our phones and instantly share them across the world, there’s something magical about the old-school instant camera. With just a click of a button, you can capture a moment in a photo that you can see and touch almost immediately. Images captured by an instant camera aren’t as pristine or perfect as modern digital cameras, but their soft images and imperfections are often a big part of the allure.

Yet not all instant cameras are the same, and some of them are better suited for different needs and budgets. That’s why we tested some of the most popular instant cameras on the market from brands like Fujifilm, Polaroid, and Kodak.

All of the models featured in our best instant camera guide here are enjoyable to use, but each offers a different set of features at a different price point. As a result, some are more appropriate for a child or the budding photographer, while others are more advanced and provide added creative control (for a price). When it comes down to it, though, we consider print quality, ease of use, and affordability to be the hallmarks of a quality shooter. That’s why we picked Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 11 as the best instant camera for most people, as it ticks all three boxes wonderfully.

If you’re looking for more creative control or features like filters, however, the Instax Mini Evo is our choice, one that boasts great image quality and allows you to choose which photos you’d like to print. Other instant cameras, like Polaroid’s Now Plus and Kodak’s Mini Retro 3, also offer a variety of advanced creative modes for those who desire more.

PS: Black Friday is here, which means we’re seeing great discounts on instant cameras. Be sure to check out our main early Black Friday deals post where we’ll keep you updated.

Each instant camera requires a different kind of film, which means that the actual sticker price of the camera isn’t the true price. This is something you should take into account before making a purchase, as the cost of film can quickly add up. Depending on the brand, you may have to pay anywhere between $0.50-$2 per shot.

Most instant camera brands also sell films of varying quality in a range of styles. Some are decorated with colorful frames and patterns, while others are black and white. They also vary in shape and size, from small rectangular prints you can stick in your wallet to square-shaped ones. You can also buy wider prints, however, and some brands even sell film with an adhesive backing that allows you to use the resulting images as stickers.

If all you’re looking to do is just click a button and get a decent print for a reasonable price, we recommend Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 11. It’s a basic instant camera that’s easy to set up and use, which makes this a good choice for kids or those new to photography. It took us less than five minutes to insert the included AA batteries and film (not included), quickly read the instructions, take a photo, and print. The image took about 20 seconds to begin showing up and less than a minute to fully appear.

For an instant camera, image quality is better than most of the other cameras I tested, producing relatively true-to-life photos. Most of the cameras I tested struggled to capture low-light conditions well, and this one is no exception, but the camera’s built-in flash does help. On the flip side, however, the flash — which you can’t disable — can be overpowering in some instances, resulting in a few overexposed images.

True to its name, the Mini 11 is one of the smallest instant cameras I tested and very light at around 10 ounces, which made it easy to carry it around and maintain a steady grip while taking pictures. It uses a plastic build like many others and comes in a variety of fun colors ranging from pink to blue to white. The included selfie feature — which is really just a small mirror mounted on the front of the camera — is simple but effective, even if the flash was still overpowering and didn’t capture my features or skin color particularly well.

The Mini 11 has a number of other niceties as well. I appreciated the larger-than-average viewfinder and the fact the camera comes with a small counter that displays the remaining number of shots, which is a feature many of the other instant cameras I tested lacked. It’s easy to lose track of how many photos you’ve taken, especially while out for drinks with friends or sightseeing during a vacation. Yet, given each print costs about $1, it’s important to be mindful of how many shots you’ve got left.

All in all, the Instax Mini 11 is a basic camera that caters to all ages and experience levels and gets the job done — and done relatively well. It doesn’t feature Bluetooth or pair with a companion app that allows you to edit photos, nor does it offer advanced features like filters, lens options, or portrait modes. But if you’re looking for an instant camera that offers a great, traditional analog experience, this is it.

Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 11 is the best instant camera for most people. While it lacks more advanced features, the simple instant camera takes good-quality shots quickly and easily and offers a built-in selfie mode.

Fujifilm’s newest instant camera, the Instax Mini Evo, is my colleague Becca Farcase’s favorite — and it’s mine as well. A hybrid camera that bears a resemblance to Fujifilm’s more expensive Fujifilm X100 line of cameras, it looks good and boasts vintage dials and buttons so stylish that they even caught the attention of passersby as I walked around Los Angeles taking photos.

It’s easy to balk at its $199 price tag, but this camera offers a level of flexibility that could save you money in the long run if you plan on using it a lot. That’s because the Instax Mini Evo includes a full-color LCD screen that lets you see and select which images you want to print before doing so, which can help you avoid wasting film on unwanted shots. The added flexibility gave me more room for creative experimentation, too, as I wasn’t worried about running out of film. I also loved using the Instax Mini Evo app to print photos from my smartphone. Plus, unlike the Instax Mini 11, it’s not battery-powered. While it’s a shame the Evo uses a Micro USB port for charging, the fact it’s rechargeable means you don’t need to keep wasting money on buying new batteries.

The Instax Mini Evo comes with a large LCD screen that doubles as a viewfinder and allows you to choose which photos to print. Becca Farsace / The Verge

Like Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 11, the camera took less than five minutes to set up and uses Instax Mini film. However, you can actually turn off the flash on the Mini Evo, which helped me take far better photos, as did the large three-inch LCD screen you can use as a viewfinder. You can also use the menu to adjust how bright you want the film to look when it’s printed out. That was helpful given neither the Evo nor the Mini 11 is particularly great at capturing dark environments, though it didn’t solve the problem completely either.

Of course, it’s not a perfect device, and there are some downsides to consider outside the price. For instance, although you can add some filters and make a few edits using Fujifilm’s companion app, it just isn’t as feature-rich as some of the apps available for the other digital and hybrid instant cameras I tested. The Evo’s extensive menu system also wasn’t particularly easy to navigate, and it took me some time to figure out how to turn the flash on and off. Plus, if you rely on internal storage solely, you can only take 45 images before the device is full. Still, all of these are minor issues, and I was very happy overall with how portable the stylish camera is, as well as how easy it is to take good photos quickly.

Fujifilm’s stylish Instax Mini Evo is the best premium instant camera. With it, you can choose which photos to print, while also boasting good image quality.

Whereas the Instax Mini Evo’s companion app is more functional, Kodak’s hybrid Mini Shot 3 Retro is all about fun. The camera’s accompanying mobile app allows you to apply frames, stickers, filters, and a plethora of customization options to photos, making the camera great for scrapbooking. There’s even a beauty feature within the app to conceal blemishes, as well as a set of Snapchat-like filters you can use to add, say, dog ears, making this a fun instant camera to use as a mini photo booth of sorts at parties.

Like the Instax Mini Evo, Kodak’s Mini Shot 3 Retro comes with an LCD screen (albeit a much smaller one) you can use to decide whether or not you want to print a shot. It also supports Bluetooth, and you can use the Kodak Photo Printer app to upload photos to social media or to print decent, relatively crisp photos from your smartphone. Unlike the Mini Evo, however, Kodak’s Mini Shot 3 Retro retails for around $150 and includes a pack of a film (it’s also often on sale for a lot less). It also uses cheaper film; you can pick up a 60-sheet cartridge for about $19.99 at the moment, which equates to roughly $0.33 a shot. The fact the film is cheaper arguably encourages play and creative experimentation.

However, there are notable drawbacks to the Kodak Mini Shot 3. For one, the camera prints larger, 3 x 3-inch square photos on Kodak’s film — which feels lower-quality and more flimsy than Fujifilm’s and Polaroid’s. Also, although you can add colorful borders within the app, they’re modern-looking as opposed to retro, which might be a turnoff for some.

Perhaps my biggest issue with the Kodak Mini Shot 3, however, was that it doesn’t print photos taken with the camera itself anywhere as crisp nor as clearly as it does pictures shot with a smartphone. Photo quality wasn’t consistently as good as the Mini Evo’s or Mini 11’s nor, for the most part, as clear and sharp. The photos also sometimes had an excessive pink tint that interfered with quality. It doesn’t store images the way the Mini Evo does, either, which means you can’t decide whether or not you’d like to print them later.

Design-wise, the Mini Shot 3 is noticeably heavier and not as stylish as the Mini Evo. Having said that, there is the option to buy a white and black model that, at least on paper, looks nicer. Also, while I eventually got the hang of the camera and found it easy to use, it took a little longer for me to set up out of the box, as there were more instructions to follow than with Fujifilm’s cameras. The instant camera doesn’t run on disposable batteries and wasn’t fully charged when it arrived, which means I was also only able to use it for a few minutes before charging. Yet after recharging it with the included Micro-USB cable, it lasted most of the day afterward.

Nonetheless, if you don’t mind compromising on photo quality and want a relatively affordable hybrid camera that comes with a bunch of fun app features, the Kodak Mini Shot 3 Retro is a good choice.

Kodak’s hybrid Mini Shot 3 Retro instant camera comes with a fun companion app you can use to add frames, stickers, filters, conceal blemishes, and more. As long as you don’t mind the so-so image quality, this is a good digital instant camera for parties.

The Polaroid Now Plus is a good combination of old school and modern but was way too big for me to hold with just one hand. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The Verge

If you’re looking for an instant camera that offers the most old-fashioned, instant-film experience, the Polaroid Now Plus is the camera for you. Compared to the other instant cameras on this list, the Polaroid Now Plus most closely resembles vintage instant cameras like the Polaroid 600 with its classic, retro-inspired design. Meanwhile, its square I-Type film prints and iconic Polaroid-style frame give photos a more authentically vintage look.

Yet, at the same time, the Polaroid Now Plus also comes with the convenience and usefulness of more modern features, like the ability to recharge with the included a Micro USB charging cable. It also offers Bluetooth support and a companion app boasting several creative modes that allow for greater photographic control. These include a remote shutter, a self-timer, and a “Polaroid Lab” where you can adjust the exposure and various color settings. The app also features a handful of shooting modes — including a manual option and one for capturing multiple exposures — while the camera includes a set of five colored lenses you can snap onto the front. These were enjoyable to play with and allow for more artistic expression.

If there’s one thing the Polaroid Now Plus isn’t known for, it’s portability. Given how heavy, large, and awkwardly sized it is, it’s not the kind of instant camera you can easily slip into your purse or carry around. Plus, it takes up to 15 minutes for prints to develop, and you have to make sure it’s not exposed to light while developing. That’s quite an inconvenience if you’re out with friends, say, at the beach on a sunny day.

If you’re looking for an instant camera that can easily print a good, clear photo without much effort on your part, this is not the camera for you. Of all the cameras on this list, the Polaroid Now Plus struggles with low-light environments the most, making it extremely difficult to capture a good shot in darker conditions. Images are not as clear in comparison to Instax film, and both contrast and color saturation levels tend to be quite low. While this gave my pictures more of a vintage, dreamy look that felt artistic — and you can use the Polaroid Lab to slightly adjust saturation and exposure settings — that could prove to be a lot of work and frustrating for some.

For the most part, I barely could see images I took indoors, and I found I was only able to get the clearest shots when the light was directly behind me during the day — more specifically, in the morning. Given the Polaroid Now Plus lacks an LCD screen for selecting photos, it’s easy to waste film, which can prove expensive. After all, you only get eight I-Type sheets for $16.99, and that’s in addition to forking out $149.99 for the camera. Luckily, the Polaroid Now Plus has a small counter on the back so you can keep track of your shots.

Truth be told, however, you could argue that many of these shortcomings are typical of a retro, Polaroid-inspired instant camera and thus part of the experience. If that’s what you’re looking for, and you don’t mind the price, the Polaroid Now Plus is the perfect camera for you.

For retro fans, Polaroid Now Plus is a great instant camera that prints vintage-style photos. It also offers a variety of creative modes, making this a solid choice for artistic photography as well.

Whereas the Polaroid Now Plus is huge, the Polaroid Go is tiny. When I first held it, I couldn’t help but find it adorable. It easily fits into the palm of my hand — which is saying a lot given I’m petite and a little over five feet tall. In fact, it’s so small there were times I forgot I was even carrying it in my purse, making this easily the most portable instant camera on our list. It even produces the tiniest prints of all the instant cameras I tested, which could be nice if you’re trying to save some space and want something even smaller than Instax Mini prints.

Weighing just over a pound, the Polaroid Go is also the lightest instant camera I’ve ever held, and you can easily use it with one hand. That’s actually pretty convenient, given I sometimes struggled to take pictures with the heavier Polaroid Now Plus and, to a lesser extent, some of the other instant cameras I tested. In fact, if the images produced looked more true-to-life and didn’t require you to hide them from light for about 15 minutes while developing, I’d be tempted to call this the best instant camera for travel or small children.

The Polaroid Go is one of the most affordable Polaroid cameras currently on the market, with film that costs just a little more than Fujifilm’s Instax Mini shots (or about $19.99 for a 16-sheet double pack). Thankfully, the low price doesn’t come at the expense of image quality. While the Go struggles with capturing low-light environments like the bulk of the cameras on our list, it’s not to the same extent as the Polaroid Now Plus. Surprisingly, it was easier to capture clearer photos indoors, which meant I didn’t waste as much film. Contrast and color saturation levels are still low, but in a way that still exudes the vintage, almost dreamy look of the photos the Now Plus prints.

Unlike the Polaroid Now Plus, however, it lacks creative modes and more advanced features, although double-pressing the flash button does give you double-exposure shots. There’s also no Bluetooth support and thus no fancy app that will allow you to add extra effects – although, thankfully, it is rechargeable and includes a Micro USB charging cable. In addition, as mentioned, the prints are even smaller than the Instax Mini, which could be a drawback for those who prefer larger, more traditional Polaroid photos. While it produces similar vintage-style shots, design-wise, it doesn’t look anything like old-school Polaroid cameras either, which could also take away from the retro experience some desire.

That said, none of the older Polaroid cameras came with an app either. All in all, the Go’s simplicity makes it a suitable candidate for those seeking a camera that provides a more traditional instant film experience – one they can take advantage of just about anywhere.

Whether you’re taking a road trip or just hanging out with friends, an instant camera is the perfect way to capture special moments. These cool gadgets are designed to instantly print out photos, making your images easy to share with others. And with nostalgia being one of the year"s megatrends, it"s no surprise that instant cameras, which rose to popularity in the 1940s, have been seeing an exciting renaissance.

Today, instant cameras come in a wide range of shapes and sizes to suit your needs. The best instant cameras will create images worthy of hanging on the fridge, but keep in mind that the quality will never rival DSLRs. However, the children and teens in your life — and your own inner child — will appreciate the instant gratification and immediacy of the product, which saves you from having to connect to a full-size home printer to preserve memories.

Instant cameras use special film to print out your images, so as you shop, you’ll want to look at the size of the film, whether it’s color or black and white, and how much replacement film costs. Some cameras can also be used with sticky-backed paper, allowing you to use your photos as stickers.

While classic instant cameras simply print out the photo once, more modern models allow you to save digital copies of your images as well. Some have slots for microSD memory cards, while others can transfer images to your smartphone or computer via Bluetooth or a USB cable.

Some instant cameras simply take and print photos, while others come with more advanced features, allowing you to adjust the camera settings, add filters to your images, and more. Self-timers and selfie mirrors are two popular features of instant cameras, as they make it easier to take photographs of yourself.

We spent hours reviewing the best instant camera options, researching expert opinions, and when possible, testing them ourselves. We sought out a wide range of styles and price points, looking for cameras that would suit those looking for a low-tech retro cam, as well as those who want all the bells and whistles. All of the cameras we include are rated highly by customers for ease of use, quality, and customer service, with a minimum rating of 4.2 stars on websites like Amazon.

Instant cameras range from retro throwbacks oozing with nostalgia to cameras that walk the line between analog and digital. We list the best of the best below.

Don’t expect the kind of photo quality you might get from a basic camera or your phone – your shots can frequently look washed out or blurry even with perfect lighting conditions – but you’ll often get that retro aesthetic of old Polaroid pictures too. If you’re into sharp, detailed images with a lot of colour, look elsewhere, but these little cameras still make for a fun gift for kids or teens, or for quick snapping at weddings and parties.

Replacement film: On your phone, you have an unlimited camera roll, but for any of these cameras, you’ll need compatible instant film. Fujifilm"s Instax film comes in three formats, Instax Mini, Instax Square, and Instax Wide. For Polaroids, you’ll need i-Type film for most of the brand’s instant cameras, or Go film for its little model. It’s worth knowing how much replacement film will cost you too – it’s £15.99 for eight colour i-Type shots, for example, while you get 20 Instax mini shots for around the same price.

Battery life: Some of these models charge via a USB cable and some need batteries. They’ll often last for around 100 shots, but some cameras can manage up to 300.

Flash: Every instant camera featured on this list has a built-in flash on the front. Many of them won’t allow you to control how bright the flash is, and direct light can leave portrait subjects looking washed out. Some of these cameras will automatically choose the best exposure and change the flash and shutter speed settings for you, while others will give you more control and let you choose whether to turn the flash on or off.

Print development time: The time it takes for prints to be ready varies depending on the brand and model, and you’ll need to make sure to keep the pictures out of bright light while they’re developing. The Polaroid models on this list will give you a print that looks black straight out of the camera and gradually develops over 15 minutes. Other models, like many of the Instax cameras, will give you pics that develop in just over a minute or as little as a few seconds.

With its compact size, excellent image quality, and a myriad of additional features, the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay came out on top as the best instant camera that we tested. Its sleek and thin design makes it incredibly easy to carry around, as it will fit in any bag and most pockets. Many of the smaller cameras sacrifice image quality for portability, but not this one. The LiPlay is a hybrid that utilizes the best parts of digital and film, all in one convenient and compact package. The review screen, in-camera filters, and frames offer quick and easy creative control over the image, and the digital storage option allows for more than one copy of a photo to be printed. A world of possibilities opens up with the use of a compatible app. By connecting your phone to the Mini LiPlay, features like remote capture, time stamping, and adding recorded sounds via a scannable QR code are easily accessible. Although some of the prints came out a bit dark, this camera"s numerous settings give the user more creative control, enabling them to get a great shot in any situation.

While it"s helpful to be able to make adjustments in the camera"s settings, the additional control features, especially those offered by the app, also require a little more time to get familiar with, giving the Mini LiPlay a bit of a learning curve. When using the autofocus, the printed photos often come out dark, so it"s important to get the settings just right for different types of light. Being less point-and-shoot-ready means it"s harder for anyone to just pick this camera up and start snapping pics, so if you"re looking for a camera that you can easily pass around a party, others require less time to understand. But overall, the Instax Mini LiPlay has supreme portability while also taking high-quality photos, and offering numerous creative options, making it the best of the bunch.

If you"re looking for an instant camera that takes great photos without needing to mess with settings beforehand, the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ1 is a nice, easy-to-use option. Along with being straightforward to operate, this camera produces square mid-sized photos, which were among the most accurate with their range of colors in various lighting conditions. The stunning images displayed vivid blues, rich reds, vibrant yellows, and lush greens, with realistic highlights and contrast. The design of the SQ1 is modern and stylish, and its performance was consistent and reliable throughout our testing. We happily kept reaching for this camera, as it excels at capturing fun and cherished moments by simply pointing and shooting.

Even though the SQ1 is user-friendly and consistently takes great pics, it doesn"t allow for much creativity. While it does have a selfie mode and a little mirror to help with framing, that"s as far as the additional settings go. There is no adjustable flash, timer, filters, or multiple exposures, so the controls are as minimal as it gets. The biggest annoyance with this model is that the film packs are susceptible to jamming. This only happened to us with two packs, but it"s worth noting because, along with wasting film, it caused the shot counter to malfunction and display an inaccurate reading. Fortunately, this hiccup wasn"t a constant occurrence, and we found this camera to be otherwise reliable in its functionality and ability to produce amazing images.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is one of the best options for instant photos at a lower price. It excels at taking pictures in low light, making it ideal for sharing at parties and other social gatherings, and it"s also small and rugged enough that we had no qualms with just throwing it in our bags just in case the right moment presented itself. This camera is also very simple to operate, as the focus, flash, and exposure are all triggered automatically, allowing friends or kids to easily pass it around to get some fun and quirky shots. It comes in a variety of colors to match any personality, making it a great and fun option for everyone, from children to grandparents.

Our main gripe with this camera is its performance in bright light. The majority of the outdoor photos we took ended up overexposed, with the background being washed out. There"s no way to turn the flash off, which further increases the chances of the images looking overexposed. The images are small (about the size of a credit card), which can be disappointing, as smaller details tend to get lost due to the size of the prints. This camera also lacks the creative controls present in some of its more expensive competitors, so it"s difficult to know if/how the photo will turn out until you see it. Another slightly annoying thing was that the shot count indicator was often inaccurate; at times, it would show that there were prints left when it was actually empty, which may not seem like a big deal, but it"s enough to ruin the moment of more candid shots. However, if you can live with these drawbacks, the Instax Mini 11 is a fun camera for all ages that can produce nice keepsakes.

Many people are drawn to instant cameras because the format and flexibility are fun and offer creative opportunities. The Lomography Lomo"Instant Wide is a great option for more experienced photographers or those who don"t mind taking some time to get familiar with their camera settings before use. This camera provides far more adjustability than most of the others, as it comes equipped with interchangeable wide and macro lenses, color flash filters, a lens splitter, and the ability to take multiple and long exposures. These extra features are backed up with beautiful photo quality and an extra-wide format that clearly shows a wide range of colors and smaller details. In fact, the Lomo"Instant Wide had the best color accuracy and consistency of saturation of all the cameras we tested and did the best at adapting to the different lighting conditions, proving its high-level capability in any situation.

Like most of the cameras we tested, the Lomo"Instant Wide has a tendency to overexpose photos that are taken in bright sunlight, though not to the extent of most of the others. It is also one of the bulkier models on the market and costs a bit more due to its premium creative features. The most frustrating thing about this camera is that the printer is susceptible to jamming, which often results in wasted film — we even had some entire packs of film that were unusable after removing a jam. The film is also quite temperature-sensitive, so shooting in colder conditions can lead to prints showing signs of damage with weird lines and/or vignetting. However, when the camera functions properly, the images that it produces are beautiful. So, for those who are willing to spend a little more to get extra creative control and larger, high-quality prints, the Lomo"Instant Wide is definitely worth checking out.

If you"re a fan of the classic Polaroids from back in the day, the Polaroid Now+ i-Type is a fun and updated version from the brand that started it all. While keeping with the same vintage styling as the originals, this model is compatible with a mobile app that gives it a modern upgrade. By connecting to the app, creative features like double exposure, remote shutter, light painting, and more are easily accessible, giving the user many options for self-expression. This camera also comes with a set of five color lens filters, along with a carrying case, so getting creative is easy even without the app. Most of the competitors that have app connectivity are digital cameras that print digital photos, but the Now+ i-Type is an analog machine that prints on film while also offering many of the benefits of digital.

Even though the Now+ i-Type has some updated features, the quality and consistency of the images could have been better. Its limited color range and tendency to overexpose resulted in prints being blown out most of the time and small details often got lost due to the lack of clarity. This camera is also a bit bulky, which makes it harder to transport, and its shape and design make it somewhat awkward to shoot with. On top of that, the film for Polaroids is more expensive and takes longer to develop than most of the others, which would be more understandable/acceptable if the image quality was better. Still, we found this camera to be easy to operate, and the app gives it a fun and contemporary update. If you find the retro look and feel appealing but would also like the option of making adjustments to your film prints, this camera is worth checking out.

For this review, we dedicated weeks to using each camera in numerous places and under all kinds of lighting conditions to determine how each performed. Our test results represent more than 100 hours spent taking over 1000 photos in lighting conditions ranging from dimly lit bars to sun-soaked beaches. We also let our creativity run wild and took hundreds of images using long exposures, flash filters, multiple exposures, and every other creative option these cameras offer. We then compared the different results to determine the best contenders.

Our testing for instant cameras is comprised of four rating metrics:Image Quality (40% of overall score weighting)User Friendliness (35% weighting)Features (15% weighting)Battery (10% weighting)

Our testing experts for this review were professional photographer Laura Casner and product tester Genaveve Bradshaw. Together they put each camera through dozens of tests, comparing all the prints side-by-side. They were joined by Adam Yee, who has been around all types of cameras for his whole life, as his grandfather was a professional photographer for more than 50 years. Adam first developed an interest in photography as a teen when he started shooting skateboarders, documenting the antics of his young friends. These days, Adam works in the production field producing everything from studio shoots to photojournalism projects worldwide. Together, this trio brings a wealth of knowledge to these fun little devices.

In a world where we increasingly rely on digital platforms to preserve cherished experiences, instant cameras offer refreshingly real, physical keepsakes of time spent with friends and family. To find the best analog or hybrid machine for capturing memories, we focused most of our testing on overall image quality. We also carefully considered how easy each camera is to use, the different image settings and creative options offered, and how long the batteries last. Ultimately, our goal is to help you find the best fit for your lifestyle and photography desires.

While instant camera prices occupy a relatively narrow range, there are certainly opportunities to maximize your dollar. If you"re seeking the best price-to-performance ratio, we suggest the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11. This relatively inexpensive camera offers the classic instant camera experience at a fraction of the price. For some fun features, great portability, and fun tiny prints, the Polaroid Go Instant Mini comes at a great price. If you have a background in photography and want to try a bit more experimentation, spending more on something like the Lomography Lomo"Instant Wide may serve you well. It is the most reasonably priced model we"ve found for what you get, and it offers creative extras like flash filters, multiple exposures, and interchangeable lenses. For those seeking a compromise between all of these attributes, the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 presents a middle point, both in functionality and price.

We spent the majority of our testing time meticulously comparing photo quality from camera to camera. In doing so, we made sure to take photos that spanned the entire gamut of lighting conditions, from bright sunny days to dimly lit parties and pubs. We then compared all of the resulting photos side-by-side, focusing on clarity, color saturation, and exposure. We also paid attention to how consistently each camera produced usable photos versus a costly dud destined for the trash. The reality is that no camera was perfect, but some had more of a propensity to churn out top-tier keepsakes.

Earning the top score in this metric, the Lomography Lomo"Intant Wide provided the most consistent, high-quality photos in the broadest range of conditions. Its images generally came out with vivid colors, good clarity, and proper exposure, all with that vintage analog patina that is a hallmark trait of film. It is also one of the few instant cameras we"ve found that can handle outdoor shooting on sunny days without washing out large areas of the image. Lovers of old Polaroid cameras will undoubtedly appreciate the wide film format, which more closely approximates those older models" size than many of its modern siblings.

Not too far behind, the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay provides similarly high-quality images. Compared to the Lomo"Instant Wide, its only shortcoming is that the prints are much smaller and tend to shoot dark, especially when using the autofocus. However, it does offer numerous creative modes that allow the user to make the necessary adjustments and get a great shot in any situation.

Only slightly below the podium in this metric, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 provides excellent clarity and color composition for indoor use. However, if you take the camera outside, the photos look noticeably washed out compared to the other top models. It can still produce good outdoor images, but the results will be much better without shooting towards the open sky or when shooting in the shade. Like the Mini LiPlay, it also downgrades the image size to about the size of a credit card. This allows the film to be cheaper, but it may not be what some people want in an instant photo keepsake.

Dropping just out of the high-quality tier and into the upper end of average, the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 creates larger wide-format photos, which often come out dark but display rich colors. The available settings allow the user to make the necessary adjustments for differing conditions. This camera captures textures well, shoots best in ambient indoor lighting with dispersed natural light, and produced the most lovely black and white images of any camera we tested.

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 consistently captured a wide range of colors, with blues and cooler tones showing up especially vibrant. The images that were shot outdoors with indirect light were gorgeous and did the best job of displaying accurate skin tones. This camera took some great shots indoors, but required a little more messing with the settings to accomplish this.

Instant cameras shine in social situations. Thus, you"ll want their operation to be simple enough that you could pass it around at a party and end up with some nice photos. If you"re looking to get more creative with your camera and try out some advanced features like double exposures, the controls for selecting those modes must be intuitive and straightforward. Every double exposure that goes awry because you didn"t have the correct settings dialed in is wasted film and just a bit heartbreaking. To assess user-friendliness, we used every function on every camera, passed them all around to newbies to get their thoughts, and loaded dozens of film packs throughout the course of our testing.

Of all the cameras we laid our hands on, we would consider the Fuji models (the Instax Square SQ1, Instax Mini LiPlay, Instax Mini 11, Instax Wide 300, and Instax Square SQ6) foolproof enough for anyone to pick up and get a good photo with minimal instruction; all of these models offer basic point-and-shoot functionality. The SQ1 came out as the best in this category, which wasn"t s