Instant film photography has had a rough decade or two with the advent of smartphones and more affordable point-and-shoot cameras. While most of us have a smartphone glued to our hands for random shots on the go, more and more people are returning to a style of photography our parents and grandparents grew up with: instant cameras. An instant camera—also known as a Polaroid camera to older generations—is a fun, retro little gadget that uses self-developing film to print your pictures straight from the camera itself. You can find an instant camera in practically any color, with an onboard mirror for taking selfies, and numerous photo filters to enhance the vibe of the print. Thankfully, instant cameras have made a comeback in recent years and are now enjoying a resurgence in popularity with younger generations. It’s not hard to understand why instant cameras have made a huge comeback recently. There are lots of reasons to reach for an instant camera. Capturing a photo and having it immediately delivered in your hands has a certain magical appeal that can’t be matched by digital photography. The ability to hand off a photo to someone right after you've snapped it can't be matched with digital capture.
Still though, it persists in various formats from two notable companies, Fujifilm and Polaroid. To help you better pick out what camera is best for your needs, we’ve listed down best instant cameras which are in the top of the review list.
1. Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 - $57+
It's compact size, user-friendly operation, attractive exterior, and affordable price makes it is the most popular instant cameras around. And it is the cheapest among Fujifilm’s line of Instax cameras.Perfect for teens or trendy fashionistas. The adorable Instax Mini 9 is Fujifilm’s latest entry-level camera. It comes in five colors including Cobalt Blue, Flamenco Pink, Ice Blue, Lime Green, and Smokey White.The Instax Mini 9 shoots the smaller Instax Mini format. It features an integrated selfie mirror. And it determines the best brightness setting for you and lets you know by lighting the corresponding lamp. A close-up lens attachment, and a five-setting ring that allows you to dial in the proper exposure. Focus is fixed with a claimed range of 0.6 meters to infinity, which should be good enough for most arm-length selfies.
2. Polaroid PIC-300 - $70+
When you think of instant cameras, you think of Polaroid. If you are a die-hard Polaroid fan, then the Pic-300 might be the best instant camera for you. This instant camera by Polaroid comes in four color options and produces business card-sized photos. As opposed to other instant cameras on the market, the PIC-300 has a more modern look. PIC-300’s performance is good, delivering quality images for the size, kind of dark in certain lighting. Polaroid PoGo Zink Photo Paper produces full-color glossy prints without using ink. So each photo print is dry to touch and water resistant the moment it slides out.Operating the camera is easy, and the choice of modes should fit well most situations. Polaroid’s PIC-300 is a well-received product in the instant camera community because of its balanced features and the affordable price.
The battery life is decent, you will need four AA batteries to power the PIC-300. It has 4 scene settings for different lighting situations, a built-in automatic flash for low-light shooting, and a handy energy-saving feature that turns off the camera's lamps after 5 minutes of inactivity to help conserve battery power.
Outdoor scenery, and selfies, this model works excellently though. And the cool thing is, you can take photos in every light setting so bring it with you to your next wedding, anniversary, birthday, or other big event and you'll be the life of the party.
3. OneStep 2 i-Type Camera - $100
The The OneStep 2 boast a retro design with angled back,big red shutter button and rainbow Polaroid logo you'd expect to see on a vintage model. The OneStep 2 can actually deliver a photo in just one step. Just press the shutter and everytime you do.
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The Impossible Project rebranded itself as Polaroid Originals late last year, launching new film and an affordable instant camera, the OneStep 2. Exposure is completely automatic, based on ambient lighting. Polaroid Originals recommends using the flash indoors at all times—even with window light you're shots will be underexposed without it, and the film is color balanced for the daylight color temperature used by the flash.It only has a few buttons so it should be easy enough to operate at any age. Polaroid's original OneStep camera is as iconic as it gets in th world of instant and photography in general.
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The Impossible Project rebranded itself as Polaroid Originals late last year, launching new film and an affordable instant camera, the OneStep 2. Exposure is completely automatic, based on ambient lighting. Polaroid Originals recommends using the flash indoors at all times—even with window light you're shots will be underexposed without it, and the film is color balanced for the daylight color temperature used by the flash.It only has a few buttons so it should be easy enough to operate at any age. Polaroid's original OneStep camera is as iconic as it gets in th world of instant and photography in general.
4. Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic - $120+
The Instax Mini 90 offers a rechargeable battery, an integrated LCD display, and manual exposure control for more precise snapshots. There’s a total of seven modes which you’ll get used to in no time but the double exposure mode will probably take a bit more until you get the hang of it. Use the Macro mode for really up-close shots, and you can turn to the Kids mode to capture your little rascals as they refuse to sit still.
If you aren’t really that serious about photography, the features packed with this camera are more than enough. As for features, this camera definitely has a lot to offer. It has a front-facing selfie mirror, brightness control, Automatic Exposure Control, and a plethora of shooting modes (Party Mode, Kids Mode, Macro Mode, Double Exposure Mode, and more) for every occasion.
It also comes with a rechargeable battery and a battery charger, so you won’t ever have to worry about repurchasing batteries.
5. Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 - $84+
Unlike the first two cameras on this list, the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a more sophisticated instant camera that prints pictures in a larger format, This camera is relatively easy to use. This instant camera with great build quality, simple focusing, a really nice grip and is overall quite fun to use .Something particularly odd is how there’s no reliable way to tell the camera to not activate the flash. You can either choose forced flash or automatic flash.
The build quality of the Instax Wide 300 is decent though Fujifilm relied on too much plastic. Taking into account the fact that this camera uses a plastic lens, the quality of the photos will give off a pleasantly LoFi look. This fully-featured model also comes at a surprisingly affordable price so you get a lot for the money.
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