best instant camera with lcd screen pricelist

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!

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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

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 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.

The best instant cameras obviously aren’t going to be used by professionals shooting at sports games or up the side of mountains. However, they still offer a satisfaction and feeling that other cameras, from smartphones to the best cameras money can buy, just can’t truly replicate.

There’s a simplicity to instant camera photography that many people enjoy. It’s often nicer to shoot, print and make a memory instantly than it is to sweat over photographic perfection and spend hours in the editing suite. There’s also obviously the instant gratification and pleasing retro feeling of holding a printed photo in the hand — something that by default we aren’t used to in today’s smartphone age.

Thanks to these reasons, and their cheapness and simplicit, instant cameras are often the go-to choice for parties and weddings, and also for giving images as heartfelt gifts.

Unlike the analogue instant cameras of old, today’s instants have a range of features to help them blend seamlessly into digital society. These range from the ability to add filters, through to smartphone connectivity, allowing users to print pictures from their phone’s camera roll.

Many of the best instant cameras cost under $150, while some cost less than $100, making them great guilt-free purchases for special occasions. We’ve rounded up our favorites that you can buy right now, to help you make the right choice. Read on for our pick of the best instant cameras.

With its 38-millimeter wide-angle, multicoated f/4.5 glass lens, the Lomo"Instant Automat gives you sharper images, better low-light performance and a wider field of view than its competitors.

Auto mode lets the camera adjust aperture (f/4.5- f/22), shutter speed and flash output. The Automat has a remote built into its lens cap, so you can more easily take group shots or exposures up to 30 seconds. (It has a tripod mount, too.) Zone focusing helps measure the proper distance for the best shot, and we liked its optical viewfinder. The camera and remote use two different batteries (sold separately).

Pictures from the Lomo Instant Glass Magellan were incredibly sharp. Its size made it convenient to carry around, and it performs well in low-light; it did not even require a lighten mode to take some night shots in the yellow streetlamp of a park. Lomography sells several versions of the Lomo’Instant Automat, some of which include add-on lenses, such as a "Splitzer" gizmo that divides the frame into different sectors, and a lens for shooting extreme close-ups, up to a foot from your subject.

One of several Fujifilm Instax Mini models in this list of the best instant cameras, the Mini 40 shares many of its specs with the Instax Mini 9 at number 8 (and the newer Instax 11), but wraps them in a cool retro body.

It lacks the bells and whistles of some of the other entries here — particularly the two sitting above it — but what it loses in features it makes up for in ease of shooting; this is a really simple instant camera to get the best from.

Not that it"s without any features at all: a selfie mode is a nice extra and there"s a constantly firing flash that gives it better skills in low-light conditions than you might expect.

The Lomo"Instant Square Glass features a 95-mm (45-mm equivalent) glass lens that encourages creativity. Its old-school bellows design will be unfamiliar to most, but it folds flat to about one-third of its operational size, making it more convenient to tote.

A variety of manual controls include the ability to take multiple exposures and a long exposure mode that keeps the shutter open for up to 30 seconds. The camera has a self-timer, as well as a remote control that detaches from the camera (and requires its own battery).

Portraits have an evocative quality — clear, with soft flesh tones — while landscapes provided pinpoint detail and pleasing colors, similar those from the Lomo"Instant Automat. Night shots, with and without flash, and augmented with available streetlights, can make a storyteller out of any casual shooter.

This simple and inexpensive digital camera has a number of features we really like: A slide-open mechanism protects the lens and keeps the camera from turning on accidentally; buttons on the back make it easy to navigate menus; and you can review photos on the Smile"s small LCD display before opting to print them out.

The Kodak Smile Classic"s design riffs on the iconic Polaroid instant camera, but in a slightly more compact design. The thing we liked the most about the Smile Classic is its massive prints, which measure 4.25 x 3.5 inches—very satisfying. While the camera prints out every photo you take with it, you can also use it to print photos from your smartphone, and add filters and stickers in the process. Of course, with larger prints comes more expensive paper, but it"s a good tradeoff.

With its classic retro style and 60-mm, f/12.7 lens, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is an appealing choice for hobbyists seeking a change of pace. An easy-to-read monochrome LCD readout keeps track of your settings and film counter, while the Mode button lets you cycle through different scenarios (such as sports or landscape).

The Mini 90 has an electronic macro setting for more creative shots, as well as two shutter buttons to make it easier to snap portraits or landscape photos. Unlike with some other instant cams, you can turn the Mini 90"s flash on or off.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 comes in a variety of bright colors: Cobalt Blue, Flamingo Pink, Ice Blue, Smoky White and Lime Green. Combined with a smooth, curved design and a dotted hand strap, it looks a bit toy-like. Still, it is exceptionally easy to use.

An included close-up lens accessory snaps on with an audible click. From there, an LED lamp on the side of the lens guides you on where to adjust the exposure. A high-key option lightens images and assists in exposing darker environments. The camera automatically lights up on the mode that"s best for your shot, but you have to rotate the lens to the right place before taking the shot and be sure to keep the proper distance from your subject.

The default 60-mm f/12.7 lens has a minimum focusing distance of about 2 feet, while the close-up lens lets you focus from approximately 1 foot away. Because of the camera"s automated functions, there are limited customizable settings. The close-up lens made focusing tricky; you have to center the focus circle just slightly to the upper right of the subject.

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a bulky beast. It has a 114-mm, f/14 lens and uses only Instax Wide film for a picture that"s ideal for capturing landscapes or groups of people. While the camera has a digital readout, it has fewer controls than the Mini 90.

It includes a snap-on close-up lens which is easy to lose. The camera"s auto flash optimizes the lighting according to distance, and you can choose the fill-in flash with a flash-on LCD button.

The best thing about the Instax Wide 300 is the size of its pictures: They are big. And despite the camera"s weight, its handgrip makes it comfortable to hold. Daylight images were bright with accurate color, though the focus was a bit soft. The default focus distance is almost 9 feet. Unlike some Instax cameras, the Wide 300 lets you twist the lens one way to focus from 3 to 9 feet and the other way to capture images from 9 feet and up.

Fujifilm"s Instax Square SQ6 is the company"s first fully analog square cam with a 65.75-mm lens. The camera features three focusing ranges: macro (1 to 1.6 feet), auto (1.6 to 6.6 feet) and landscape (6 feet and up).

Auto exposure control calculates the brightness to adjust the shutter speed and flash, but the SQ6 gives you plenty of flexibility, including flash suppression and various shooting modes. Whichever one you pick, the camera will make its own internal adjustments. The package also includes three color filters — orange, purple and green — that can be fitted over the flash to add a color cast to your photo.

The camera also includes a self-timer and a tripod mount. You get some control over your images — including flash and double exposure — but this camera gives you much larger square prints.

With the Automatic setting, the SQ6 captured accurate color and skin tones, though the image was not super sharp. As I got closer to the subject, the skin tones were truer, even with the flash on.

Instant cameras are not exactly instant. You have to wait at least 90 seconds for the picture to "fill in" to view the finished result, but we often found it took several minutes for the completed image to fully bake, revealing richer color and sharper focus.

Some instant cameras use the Fujifilm Instax film cartridges, which come in several sizes and varieties. This is the photo paper that Polaroid cameras have traditionally used: the paper is exposed to light, and the chemicals react to produce an image.

Other instant cameras use Zink paper, which uses heat to activate colors in the paper. The advantage to Zink is that you don’t have to worry about accidentally exposing the paper to light, as you do with Instax film. However, we’ve found that Zink prints tended to be less vibrant overall.

With traditional instant cameras, every photo you took was printed out. That"s still the case for a good number of modern instant cameras, but given the cost of film, that approach can be very pricey — 50 cents and higher per shot, in some cases. However, some instant cameras now let you preview each shot so you can decide if you want to print it out or not. It could save you money in the long run.

While not universal, some of the new instant cameras have a microSD card slot, and save a digital copy of every photo you take. Not only does this make it easier to make a second print, but you can also share that photo on social media a lot more easily.

Still other instant cameras can connect via Bluetooth to a smartphone app. This opens up a few more features, such as the ability to use the camera to print photos taken with your smartphone, add filters, stickers, and more.

Not only can you once again buy a new Polaroid camera, but Fujifilm’s Instax has become a global phenomenon, and other companies like Kodak have gotten in on the action too.

Some instant cameras even now pack digital tech too, allowing you to do things like take multiple shots before picking which to print, save digital copies of photos for your Instagram, or even print shots straight from your phone. Thanks to connected apps, others even offer interactive games and the chance to tweak your prints with stickers, filters, or QR codes to access videos and the like.

The downside is that there are now multiple competing film formats, sizes, and brands, and it’s hard to know which instant camera is right for you. Luckily for you we’ve tested the leading cameras that are on the market, and here’s what we think.

The auto-exposure dial makes low light photography reasonably visible, and the design is slimmer and more refined than its predecessor overall. There aren’t any manual adjustments that users can make to the camera, but at this price point that’s to be expected.

The Mini 11 prints on Instax’s Mini film – which produces pocket-sized polaroid-style photos. This instant camera is a compelling option for younger audiences with not much photography experience.

Combining the digital camera features with analogue buttons results in a fun shooting experience, and the fact that it doubles as an instant printer is the icing on the cake.

It looks more professional than cheaper Instax models, with a retro-inspired design. That said, be prepared to spend a pretty penny to get your hands on one.

The Instax SQ1 is Fujifilm’s second fully analogue square format camera, and it’s a simplified version of the old SQ6, which is now hard to find in stock.

The SQ1 takes Instax Square film, which in turn means this is a bigger, chunkier camera than the Instax Minis. It comes in a similar range of attractive pastel colours though, and there’s a definite charm to the camera’s look.

We wish it had a few more options to be honest, especially given its price, but if you want an easy-to-use Instax that shoots on square film, this is your best bet.

The camera is also an instant printer, which allows you to print photos directly from your smartphone via the companion app very easily on to the Instax Mini film.

It’s also generally an easy camera to navigate. The design is user-friendly, and you can choose from a number of different shooting options to enhance your experience. The camera itself is enough to give you a decent-quality image, with a little flair if you wish. However, the design may not be to everyone’s tastes.

The Mini LiPlay lets you record audio and play it back via QR codes, though this feature may only be useful to a small portion of users. It sits just slightly higher than average on our price range, but the flexibility that this camera offers seems worth the extra bump in cost.

Even by the standards of instant cameras, this is driven by nostalgia. The blocky plastic design screams ‘retro’, accentuated by the textured faux-leather finish and silver accents.

As the name suggests, the Mini 40 takes Instax Mini format prints, and in fact this is essentially the same camera as the Mini 11 above – the functionality is almost identical, with the higher price driven by the premium, retro design.

If you’re not fussed on the design then save money and grab the Mini 11, but if you want an Instax Mini camera that feels like a camera, not a toy, then this is the one.

With a range of shooting options, supported by an app that enables remote controls and other modes, this is more complicated than some of the simple point-and-shoot cameras from Instax. That will appeal to capable photographers, but might put you off if you want something more straightforward.

Like other Polaroid cameras it is big and bulky, and the film runs fairly expensive – but that’s the price you pay (literally) for getting the classic Polaroid camera design and iconic large format square prints, which obviously up the appeal.

The Kodak Step captures the happy middle ground between quality and budget. For a reasonable price, you get a compact and lightweight camera which supports microSD saving, and prints colour photos within a minute – though it’s worth noting that this is a digital camera that prints onto Zink paper, rather than an analogue camera that exposes real film.

Unlike the film used in an Instax Mini 11 camera, Zink paper uses heat to form images. Each sheet contains micro-crystals that produce either cyan, magenta or yellow hues depending on the intensity and duration of heat applied. When combined, you are left with the final image. This makes printing on the Step more affordable too.

Colours are the most impressive when you have good lighting – but the prints can struggle with exposure. That said, there is an automatic flash available if you’re in darker conditions. The Kodak Step is a budget-friendly tech toy best suited for casual point and shoot use, making it ideal for students and scrapbook keepers.

As the name might give away, the Instax Wide 300 takes photos that are wider than other instant cameras – double the size of Instax Mini photos. The camera itself has to be large enough to accommodate the bigger prints, and Fujifilm has committed to a chunky aesthetic all round, with a large grip and an enormous lens – the Instax Wide isn’t the most attractive instant camera around.

Portraits can turn out great once you get used to framing for landscape though, with warm skin tones. The new orientation is also great for parties – it takes a lot less work to cram multiple people into the same shot now.

There are a few factors to consider when you’re trying to buy an instant camera. First up you need to think about how complex you want the camera to be. Some are simple point-and-shoot devices that don’t give you much control beyond turning the flash off or setting a timer.

All of these advanced features are nice to have, but you have to think about whether you’re the sort of photographer who’s really likely to use them. If you want to play around with multiple exposures or shoot photos in varied conditions then they might be worth it, but if you just want to take photos of your mates at parties, a simpler point-and-shoot will probably be plenty.

Remember that if you don’t want to get your head round a whole new camera, you don’t have to – you might be better off buying an instant printer, which lets you print photos directly from your smartphone instead.

The downside to that flexibility is that you lose some of the immediacy of a pure film camera. Part of the charm of using film is that you only get one chance – it saves you from fussy posing for the perfect shot. If you’re not going to commit to the old-fashioned appeal, why are you looking at instant cameras at all?

Plus, the quality you can expect from the digital photos you export is pretty low – nothing compared to what you could expect from the camera on a budget smartphone, let alone any of the best phone cameras around.

Most cameras can only take one type of film, so make sure you know which size you prefer before you pick your camera. You should consider price too – the larger prints tend to cost more, so your choice will affect the long-term running cost of your camera too.

Some cameras from other manufacturers – such as Lomography – use Instax film too, so you don’t have to commit to a Fujifilm camera to take advantage of the film prints.

There are also some instant cameras that don’t technically use film at all. The Kodak Step is technically a digital camera that print photos onto Zink – zero ink paper.

Zink cameras tend to be cheaper – and so are the prints – but since the photos are digital they tend to have a bit less warmth to them, and the physical prints don’t have quite the same nostalgia value to them.

Instant cameras are a fun and extremely easy way to dive into photography. They are typically fully automatic, making them a great option for kids, enthusiastic amateurs, or seasoned pros. Prints are produced in just a few seconds and come in a variety of sizes. Lots of the cameras come in fun colors, and you can find film borders in all sorts of colors and designs. If you have never tried instant photography, the best instant cameras are sure to make you fall in love.

The instant camera was invented by Edwin H Land of Polaroid in the late 1930s. The medium then became an incredibly popular–and approachable–way of shooting photographs in the 60s and 70s. It appealed to growing families in the suburbs, as well as professional artists like Andy Warhol, who used the cameras to produce some of his most famous works of art. Although there are still plenty of vintage working instant cameras on the market, it can be difficult to find the correct formats of film for them or the batteries that make them run.

Luckily there are plenty of modern instant cameras being made that provide the joy of instant photography in smaller packages that use easy-to-find (and more affordable) film. These include the likes of Polaroid, Kodak, and Fujifilm. Below are some of our favorite instant cameras that are widely available today.

Why it made the cut:It’s easy to use, but thanks to app connectivity, it also provides full manual control, should you want it. Plus, it’s compatible with two types of film for more versatility.

The Polaroid Originals Now+ is an analog instant camera for the modern age. Its built-in Bluetooth allows you to connect to the powerful Polaroid app. With the app, you can easily create double exposures or even light-painting images on instant film. It also has a portrait assist mode, which tells you where to put your subject to get some background blur. And you can even shoot with full manual control with the app. The camera works without it, but the app opens up a lot of possibilities.

The Now+ provides a powerful flash for shooting indoors. It also features a self-timer for capturing selfies and group photos and features a tripod thread to make those types of shots easier. It, conveniently, is rechargeable via micro USB. And the camera is compatible with both I-type and 600 films, which each come with eight frames per pack. This particular bundle also comes with five filters for even more creative and fun images.

Why it made the cut:The Polaroid Lab is like a mini darkroom. It turns digital photos from your phone into analog instant photos using a lens and authentic Polaroid photochemistry.

The Polaroid Lab accepts both Polaroid 600 and Polaroid Originals i-Type films. It charges via USB and provides Bluetooth connectivity to pair with your phone. Within the Polaroid app, you can edit your photos before printing. It even offers Collage mode, which splits up your photo into up to nine frames and then prints on separate pieces of film. And for something really different, you can use  Augmented Reality to assign video playback to still images, layering motion onto your photos.

Why it made the cut:The Instax Square SQ1 produces classic square instant photos, is extremely easy to use, comes in three colors, and produces quality prints.

The SQ1 is an easy-to-use instant camera that is a great option for beginners. It has a retractable 65.75mm f/12.6 lens, fully automatic exposure control, and a flash that always fires. You pull on the lens to activate the camera’s selfie mode and can use the little mirror on the front of the lens to check your frame before you fire.

Two CR2 batteries power the camera, and it comes in orange, blue, or white. It also features a nice grip on the right side which makes it comfortable to hold. Although it lacks some of the creative features of other Instax or Polaroid cameras, it consistently prints beautiful, nicely exposed square frames.

Similar to the SQ1, the Instax Mini 11 is an easy-to-use camera, but the Mini shoots the smaller Mini film. Mini film has a frame size of 2.1 x 3.4 inches with an image area of 1.8 x 2.4 inches. The camera is also nice and small, which is great for bringing with you on outings. It automatically selects the shutter speed depending on the scene, so you don’t need to worry about figuring out camera settings.

The Instax Mini 11 comes with two shutter button accessories that allow you to customize the camera. In addition, it is available in five different colors: lavender, blush pink, light blue, white, or black. And it’s powered by two AA batteries, so you don’t have to keep track of cords. And it features a pull-out lens to activate selfie mode with a tiny mirror on the front that lets you check your frame before you shoot.

Why it made the cut:Fujifilm’s take on a hybrid instant camera allows you to print photos from your phone or take and print photos with the camera and then send those files to your phone. Plus, you can’t beat the camera’s retro styling.

If you like the idea of the Polaroid Lab but still want an actual camera, the Instax Mini Evo will hit that sweet spot for you. It is a hybrid camera that allows you to take and print photos with the camera itself. You can also choose not to print a photo and just store it as a digital file on the camera. The camera can hold 45 photos with internal memory, or you can use a microSD card for additional storage.

The Instax Mini Evo provides 10 lens effect options and 10 film effect options, giving you up to 100 different image styles. It also uses Instax Mini film, which will give you a  3.4 x 2.1-inch print with a 2.4 x 1.8-inch image area. It provides Bluetooth connectivity so you can use your phone as a wireless remote control, print photos from your phone, and save photos taken and printed from the camera to your phone.

For those wanting the joys of instant photography at a lower price, The Kodak Printomatic is a great choice. Not only is the initial purchase price lower than other instant cameras, but it uses Kodak Zink paper instead of more expensive film packs. It’s built around a 5MP sensor and features a wide-angle f/2 lens.

The prints that it makes are water-resistant, tear-resistant, and smudge-free. Plus, they have a sticker back, so you can display them on anything. You don’t need an ink cartridge to print, and if you are out of paper, the camera will save images to its microSD card to be printed on a later day. Although Zink paper is an inexpensive way to print instantly, the quality isn’t quite as good as what you might get with a camera that is using instant film packs.

The price of instant cameras varies quite a bit based on the technology and film size, but in general, they will run you from $75 to $150. Instant cameras with more technology–such as connectivity options–will be at the more expensive end of the spectrum.

Like instant cameras, the cost of instant film varies quite a bit. Polaroid i-Type films cost $16.99 per pack. Limited or special edition borders will cost a dollar more in most cases. 600 films are pricier, with standard editions running you $19.99. The special edition 600 film is $21.99. You can save some money by purchasing film bundles or even bundling film with your initial camera purchase.

Instax has no shortage of frame designs and colors, with prices differing for each style and size. But, for standard white frame Instax Mini film, you can find a two-pack (20 frames) for about $14. A twin pack of Instax Square will run you $22.99, while a two-pack of Instax wide is $24.95. You can also find bundle deals for these films if you’d like to save some money and stock up.

Instax cameras do not create images using ink, so they will never run out of ink. Instead, all the chemicals needed to develop and fix the image are within the film itself. So, as long as you have film in the camera, you will have the materials needed to create photographs.

Whether you are shooting with a Polaroid camera or an Instax camera, you will want to keep your film in the camera once you’ve loaded it up. Instant cameras use light-sensitive film, so pulling out a film pack before you have shot through all frames will expose it to light and ruin the film.

Modern-day Polaroid cameras have a Li-Ion battery that is charged via USB. Cameras like the Instax Mini 11 are powered by two AA batteries. Some older Polaroid cameras, like the SX-70, do not have batteries in the camera and instead rely on batteries in the film packs.

Instant photography is a fun and incredibly approachable way to capture the world around you. There is something immensely rewarding about firing the shutter and watching an image appear before your eyes a few minutes later. Regardless of the instant film format that you choose to shoot, we think that these instant cameras will put a smile on the face of the photographer and the subject.

The writers and editors at PopPhoto have decades of experience in photography across genres and equipment types. That includes seeing the development (pun intended) of the instant film industry over the years. When selecting the best instant cameras, we prioritized film quality. We also considered the camera’s design and usability. Features like connectivity and creative tools were also important to our decision. Finally, we looked at cameras at a range of price points to suit various budgets.

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