Top 5 compared
The best instant cameras
A photo you can hold before the moment’s even over, to pass around, pin up or keep.
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The top 5 at a glance
An instant camera prints a photo moments after it’s taken, on film that develops within minutes, right there at the party, on the beach or at the wedding. Each camera takes only its own film, so the film decides the print: credit-card-size instax mini, the bigger instax SQUARE, the classic full-size Polaroid square, or Polaroid Go’s smaller version of it.
Film is the running cost, so budget for a few packs; the two Polaroids come with 16 shots to get going, the instax cameras without film. The mini Evo works differently from the rest: every shot goes to its screen first, so only the keepers get printed, and it prints from a phone as well.
What matters
- A self-timer, for group shots with everyone in them.
- A selfie mirror and close-up mode, for shots at arm’s length.
- Rechargeable or battery power, and how many packs it lasts.
#1instax mini Evo Hybrid Instant Camera
$150–$200
Check each shot on the 3-inch screen and print only the keepers, so a pack of film goes much further. It also prints photos from your phone over Bluetooth, which turns it into a pocket printer for vacation pictures.
What owners say: Printing straight from a phone is the big draw, along with the retro looks, the easy controls and plenty of filters to try before printing. Image quality divides owners, though: sharp to some, pixelated to others, and a few balk at the price.
A closer look: Every shot is saved to its memory, about 45 pictures, or to a microSD card (sold separately), so it doubles as a small digital camera. The free instax mini Evo app lets you shoot remotely, handy for getting everyone into the group photo, and it takes the same instax mini film as the mini 12.
- 10 lens × 10 film effects
- Remote shutter from the app
- Saves about 45 pictures
- MicroSD slot, card not included
- Selfie mirror
Best for: Choosing shots before printing
- Film
- instax mini
- Picture size
- 2.4 × 1.8 in
- Power
- Rechargeable (about 100 prints)
- Self-timer
- 2 or 10 sec
- Screen and phone printing
- 3-inch screen, prints from phone
#2instax mini 12 Instant Camera (Lilac Purple)
$75–$100
Twist the lens to switch on, point, shoot: exposure and flash are automatic, so there’s nothing to get wrong at a party. The credit-card prints slip straight into a phone case or a birthday card.
What owners say: Easy and fun from the first pack, and the lilac purple wins plenty of fans. Results are less consistent: clear for many, blurry for others, and a few had a camera that stopped firing for no obvious reason.
Heads up: Fujifilm also makes the newer instax mini 13; it takes the same film and adds a self-timer.
A closer look: Film is sold separately: a pack gives 10 shots, so buy a couple of twin packs with it. Prints take around a minute and a half to appear, and they come out best if you keep film out of hot cars and direct sun. The two AA batteries last about 10 packs.
- Twist lens to switch on
- Automatic exposure and flash
- Selfie mirror and close-up mode
- Develops in about 90 seconds
Best for: Parties and first-timers
- Film
- instax mini
- Picture size
- 2.4 × 1.8 in
- Power
- 2 × AA (about 10 packs)
- Self-timer
- No
- Screen and phone printing
- No
#3instax SQUARE SQ1 Instant Camera (Chalk White)
$150–$200
Square prints, bigger than a mini’s, that look great pinned to a wall or stuck in a scrapbook. Exposure is automatic, and a one-touch selfie mode with a mirror makes it easy to turn the camera around.
What owners say: Simple to use, with a classic, nostalgic look to its prints. Not every shot lands, though: some come out dark or blurry, a few cameras gave up unexpectedly, and opinion on the price is split.
A closer look: It takes instax SQUARE film only, not mini, at 10 shots a pack, so check the box before buying film. The two CR2 batteries last about 30 packs, and a spare pair in the camera bag covers plenty of beach days and parties.
- One-touch selfie mode and mirror
- Automatic exposure
- Textured grip and thumb grip
Best for: Scrapbooks and photo walls
- Film
- instax SQUARE
- Picture size
- 2.4 × 2.4 in
- Power
- 2 × CR2 (about 30 packs)
- Self-timer
- No
- Screen and phone printing
- No
#4Polaroid Now+ Generation 3 Instant Camera (Arctic Blue, with 16 photos)
$150–$200
Full-size Polaroid prints, the big white-framed squares most people picture when they hear the name, from a camera with a two-lens autofocus system. Pair it with the Polaroid app over Bluetooth and you get manual mode, aperture priority and a remote shutter.
A closer look: Buy a few extra packs of i-Type or 600 film with it, as the bundle’s 16 photos go quickly. Keep each print shaded as it ejects, face down or tucked in a pocket, and to link the camera to your phone, press the plus button on the front: it pairs over Bluetooth, with no Wi-Fi needed.
- Two-lens autofocus
- Manual mode via the app
- Remote shutter in the app
- 16 photos in the bundle
Best for: Classic full-size Polaroids
- Film
- Polaroid i-Type or 600
- Picture size
- 3.1 × 3.1 in
- Power
- USB-C rechargeable (15+ packs)
- Self-timer
- Yes, plus double exposure
- Screen and phone printing
- No
#5Polaroid Go Generation 2 Instant Camera (with 16 photos)
$100–$150
Polaroid calls it its smallest instant camera, and at 8.4 oz it really does come out with you. Seventy-odd years after Polaroid sold its first instant camera in a Boston department store in 1948, the white-framed prints still look the part.
What owners say: Cute, retro and fun to use, say owners. Picture quality is hit and miss, though, with some getting blurry, washed-out shots, and a few find the flash unreliable and the film pricey.
Heads up: It only takes Polaroid Go film, which is smaller than regular Polaroid film, so check the pack before you buy.
A closer look: Instant film develops best at room temperature: on a cold day, tuck the fresh photo into a pocket while it comes through. Double exposure is fun for layering a face over a view, and the 16 photos in the box are two packs of eight, so order more Go film with it.
- Weighs 8.4 oz
- Selfie mirror
- Two 8-photo film packs included
Best for: Carrying everywhere
- Film
- Polaroid Go
- Picture size
- 1.9 × 1.8 in
- Power
- USB-C rechargeable (up to 15 packs)
- Self-timer
- Yes, plus double exposure
- Screen and phone printing
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1instax mini Evo | #2instax mini 12 | #3instax SQUARE SQ1 | #4Polaroid Now+ Gen 3 | #5Polaroid Go Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best square prints | Biggest prints | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 8.2 |
| Price | $150–$200 | $75–$100 | $150–$200 | $150–$200 | $100–$150 |
| Film | instax mini | instax mini | instax SQUARE | Polaroid i-Type or 600 | Polaroid Go |
| Picture size | 2.4 × 1.8 in | 2.4 × 1.8 in | 2.4 × 2.4 in | 3.1 × 3.1 in | 1.9 × 1.8 in |
| Power | Rechargeable (about 100 prints) | 2 × AA (about 10 packs) | 2 × CR2 (about 30 packs) | USB-C rechargeable (15+ packs) | USB-C rechargeable (up to 15 packs) |
| Self-timer | 2 or 10 sec | No | No | Yes, plus double exposure | Yes, plus double exposure |
| Screen and phone printing | 3-inch screen, prints from phone | No | No | No | No |
| Best for | Choosing shots before printing | Parties and first-timers | Scrapbooks and photo walls | Classic full-size Polaroids | Carrying everywhere |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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