Image: Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Instant cameras are a fantastic tool for capturing memories on the move, making them ideal gifts for both novice and seasoned photographers.
In addition to being able to purchase new Polaroid models again, Fujifilm’s Instax has emerged as a worldwide sensation, prompting other brands like Kodak to enter the scene.
Some instant cameras now incorporate digital functionalities, allowing users to make multiple captures before choosing which to print, save digital images for social media, or even print directly from a smartphone. Connected applications provide interactive features, letting you enhance your prints with stickers, filters, or QR codes to link to videos.
However, the myriad of competing film formats, sizes, and brands can complicate the selection process. Fortunately, we’ve tested the leading models available today, and here’s our comprehensive guide.
If you’re thinking of purchasing one soon, this week might be opportune, as various models could be on sale for Amazon’s Prime Day.
Top Instant Camera Reviews for 2025
1. Instax Mini 12 – Best Overall
Advantages
- Easy to operate
- Modern and playful design
- Affordably priced
- Images can be uploaded to mobile devices
Disadvantages
- Performs poorly in extremely bright or dim lighting
- May be too simplistic for photography enthusiasts
Reviewed Price:
$79.99
Best Prices Today:
$35.20
$79.99
$83.95
$93.95
The Instax Mini 12 delivers exceptional value, striking a balance between style and performance, producing delightful compact photos. Its trendy, lightweight design is available in five soft pastel colors. A newly designed twistable lens enhances user-friendliness compared to its predecessor, the Mini 11.
It features an automatic flash and auto-exposure mode, although its performance is lackluster in very high or low brightness conditions. Users can leverage the Instax Up! app for digital uploads and edits, if desired. Images print on Instax’s Mini film, yielding pocket-sized polaroid-like prints, making this camera an appealing choice for younger, less experienced photographers.
Read our complete
Instax Mini 12 review
2. Instax Mini 99 – Best Premium Instant Camera
Advantages
- Customizable options
- Timeless, sleek design
- Creates high-quality instant prints
Disadvantages
- Petite price tag
- Lacks a selfie mirror
- Guides for specific modes would enhance usability
Reviewed Price:
$199
The Mini 99, akin to the more affordable Mini 12, produces credit card-sized images. However, it shines with a myriad of customizable features.
This camera boasts a plethora of adjustment options, including five color filters, five exposure compensation settings, and four shooting modes like Double Exposure and Bulb modes. While experimentation is necessary for best results, this advanced camera is geared toward those who appreciate detailed control, albeit at a steep price point.
Read our complete
Instax Mini 99 review
3. Instax Mini Evo – Best Digital Hybrid
Advantages
- Compact and retro style
- Long-lasting battery
- Excellent physical controls
Disadvantages
- Higher price point
- Storage limitations
Reviewed Price:
$199.95
Best Prices Today:
$199.99
$232.72
$234
$234.99
The Instax Mini Evo from Fujifilm combines traditional digital camera capabilities with instant print features. Not only can it print photos taken on the Evo itself, but it also connects to your smartphone for direct printing.
The convergence of digital and analog controls creates an enjoyable shooting experience, and its dual functionality as an instant printer adds exceptional versatility.
Sporting a more polished appearance than lesser Instax variants, the Evo has a retro-inspired aesthetic. However, it demands a higher price tag for those qualities.
Read our complete
Instax Mini Evo review
4. Instax Square SQ1 – Best for Simple Square Prints
Advantages
- Iconic square format
- User-friendly
- Appealing design
Disadvantages
- Bulky size
- Films are pricier
Reviewed Price:
$119.95
The Instax SQ1 is Fujifilm’s second fully analog square format camera, designed to be user-friendly.
It uses Instax Square film, making it somewhat larger and bulkier than Instax Mini models, yet it retains charm with its colorful selection.
Simplicity is its strong suit, offering just two shooting modes—standard and a macro/selfie mode via a twistable lens. While it may lack intricate options, this is the go-to camera for hassle-free performance.
Read our complete
Instax Square SQ1 review
5. Instax Mini LiPlay – Affordable Digital Instax
Advantages
- Prints photos from digital files
- Easy to navigate
Disadvantages
- Divisive aesthetic
- Still somewhat costly
Reviewed Price:
$159.99
Best Prices Today:
$159.95
The Instax Mini LiPlay offers a more budget-friendly alternative to the Mini Evo. While we favor the newer model, the LiPlay remains an excellent choice if found at a lower price.
This model operates as an instant printer, allowing effortless photo printing directly from your smartphone with the companion app.
Its user interface is intuitive, offering various shooting modes to enrich the experience. The camera can produce decent-quality images, though its design could be polarizing.
The Mini LiPlay also boasts audio recording capabilities to be linked with prints via QR codes, adding a unique touch though perhaps appealing only to a niche audience. While it’s priced a bit above average, the flexibility it provides justifies the extra cost.
Read our complete
Instax Mini LiPlay review
6. Instax Mini 40 – Best for Nostalgia
Advantages
- Vintage design
- Simple to use
Disadvantages
- More expensive than Mini 11
- Lacks intricate features
Reviewed Price:
$99.99
Best Prices Today:
True to its name, the Mini 40 evokes nostalgia with a retro, blocky design characterized by a faux-leather finish and metallic touches.
This camera takes Instax Mini film, offering an almost identical functionality to the Mini 11, with the premium design accounting for the higher cost.
Users are presented with straightforward features: a flash, a selfie mirror, and dual focusing lengths. While it doesn’t offer much versatility, its simplicity is perfect for spontaneous capturing.
If the aesthetics don’t appeal to you, consider saving money with the Mini 11; however, if you seek a camera that exudes charm while retaining functionality, the Mini 40 is a great choice.
Read our complete
Instax Mini 40 review
7. Kodak Smile+ – Best Zink Camera
Advantages
- Fun, retro aesthetic
- Cost-effective compared to competitors
- Lower operating costs
Disadvantages
- Inconsistent image quality
- No image preview option via the app
- Lacks a selfie mirror
Reviewed Price:
$99.99
The Kodak Smile+ strikes a fine balance between performance and budget. It’s a lightweight and compact camera that allows microSD saving and produces color prints in under a minute—note that it functions as a digital camera printing onto Zink paper rather than utilizing traditional film.
Unlike Instax Mini film, Zink paper employs heat to create images, utilizing micro-crystals for color production. This makes printing more economically feasible compared to traditional models.
Best results occur in well-lit environments; however, prints can falter in exposure. Automatic flash assists in low-light conditions. The Kodak Smile+ is an economical solution tailored for casual users while also offering portable printing options via the companion app.
Read our complete
Kodak Smile+ review
8. Polaroid Now+ – Best Polaroid
Advantages
- Classic design
- Tripod mount compatibility
- Comes with useful accessories
Disadvantages
- Large and heavy
- On the pricier side
Reviewed Price:
$149.99
Best Prices Today:
$89.95
$91.49
The Polaroid Now+ stands out in the brand’s range of modern instant cameras, especially for those with a solid grasp of photography basics.
Equipped with various shooting options and an app that provides remote control and additional functionalities, it offers more complexity than simpler Instax models. While appealing to experienced users, this complexity might deter casual photographers.
As with most Polaroid cameras, its bulkiness and the high running costs of the film add to its weight, yet the appeal comes from its iconic design and classic square prints.
Read our complete
Polaroid Now+ review
9. Instax Wide 300 – Best for Wide Format
Advantages
- Generates large prints
- Ideal for landscapes
- Straightforward to use
Disadvantages
- Bulky and heavy
- Less attractive design
Reviewed Price:
$129.99
Best Prices Today:
The Instax Wide 300, as suggested, produces larger images compared to other instant cameras—double that of Instax Mini prints. This larger size requires a heftier camera design, resulting in a more substantial grip and lens, leading to a less streamlined appearance.
User controls include two autofocus levels, basic flash adjustments, and exposure settings that enhance its performance for landscape shots. However, while it excels in capturing wider scenes, it can be less effective for close-range photography or selfies, despite the included close-up lens aiding usability.
Wide 300’s capability shines in group settings, simplifying the process of fitting multiple subjects into the frame without fuss.
Read our complete
Instax Wide 300 review
10. Instax Pal: Complimentary Instax Camera
Advantages
- Tiny and portable
- Offers fun app features
- Decent battery life
Disadvantages
- High price for its capabilities
- Requires a separate device to print
- Mixed image performance
- Lacks a viewfinder
Reviewed Price:
$199 (bundle with Mini Link 2 only)
Best Prices Today:
$200
The Instax Pal is not technically an instant camera, but if paired with a printer like the Mini Link 2, Link Wide, or the Square Link, it can serve as a complementary product. In the U.S., it’s only available as a bundled offer with the Link 2.
This diminutive digital camera captures images ready for printing via any compatible Instax device. Best performance occurs in bright daylight, featuring unique functionalities like customizable shutter sounds and animations for captured moments.
That said, it feels overpriced considering the absence of a viewfinder, making photography somewhat challenging. It’s best suited for users already equipped with a printer or those wanting a compact digital camera.
Read our complete
Instax Pal review
Tips for Choosing an Instant Camera
1.
Features to Consider in Instant Cameras
When shopping for an instant camera, it’s crucial to determine the complexity level you desire. Some models are straightforward point-and-shoot options with minimal adjustments beyond flash settings or timer functionalities.
Conversely, there are more intricate models complete with features such as long exposure, double exposure, varied focus capabilities, and customized brightness settings.
While such advanced features can be exciting, consider whether you are likely to utilize them. If you’re primarily photographing casual moments with friends, a simpler model may suffice.
For those uncertain about mastering a different type of camera, you might find better value in an instant printer, allowing for direct smartphone printing.
2.
Exploring Digital Hybrid Instant Cameras
The next consideration is whether you prefer a traditional film camera or a digital hybrid like the Mini Evo.
With digital hybrids, you can export images to other devices and select the best image to print, conserving valuable film resources.
However, this flexibility may come at the expense of the instant film experience. The unique charm of shooting on film often comes from the urgency of one chance to capture a moment, discouraging excessive posing for perfection. If you’re not ready to embrace the old-school approach, you might reconsider the impulse to invest in instant cameras for the experience.
Additionally, the quality of digital images can be lower compared to those from budget smartphones and other phone cameras.
3.
Understanding Instant Camera Film Formats
Film format is another vital consideration. Fujifilm’s Instax line dominates, offering three film sizes: Mini (small portrait), Wide (landscape), and Square (medium square format).
Most cameras can only utilize one specific film type, making it essential to choose a size that aligns with your preferences beforehand. Also, keep in mind that larger prints tend to be more expensive throughout the life of your camera.
Some brands, like Lomography, also operate using Instax film, so you need not be confined to Fujifilm to experience those prints.
Polaroid has its own I-Type film that resembles classic Polaroid prints, featuring a square shape akin to Instax Wide. This film is compatible with models like the Polaroid Now+ in our lineup, along with previous models such as the Polaroid Now, OneStep+, and OneStep 2.
4.
Real Film vs. Zink Paper Explained
Lastly, there are instant cameras that rely on Zink technology instead of traditional film, such as the Kodak Step, which is a digital camera printing onto Zink—zero ink paper.
Zink models are frequently more affordable along with lower printing costs; however, since the images are digital, they may lack warmth and nostalgia compared to genuine film photographs.
While we prefer classic film photographs, Zink can still be a viable choice if you’re managing a tighter budget.
