8 Instant Cameras That Are Actually Worth Your Money

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Modern instant cameras have taken the world by storm. They're nostalgic, simple to use, and provide the instant gratification of print a photo right after you take it. Because of how easy they are to use, they're the perfect choice for beginners, kids, or anyone who feels intimidated at the thought of buying an expensive digital or DSLR camera. 

You can find instant cameras that are reminiscent of the original Polaroid camera released in the late 1940s. Of course, these cameras have been updated with the latest camera tech, but their main purpose remains to snap a photo, wait for it to print, and then display it proudly wherever you want to. Then, there are instant cameras that have built-in Bluetooth, allowing you to connect your phone and send photos to be printed on your camera. There are also cameras that land somewhere in between, combining certain aspects of digital cameras with traditional instant cameras. 

While there aren't any major variations among modern instant cameras, there are enough differences to make it difficult to choose. You have to consider the brand – the four major options are Polaroid, Fujifilm, Lomography, and Kodak – as well as what size film you want your pictures on and whether you want any special features, like autofocus, autoexposure, or Bluetooth. 

The Polaroid Now is a great option for anyone who's new to instant cameras. It's relatively affordable — retailing at $129.99 — and comes in seven different colors in addition to the classic black and white options. You can wear the camera around your neck while you're on the go, and recharge the 750 mAh battery as needed with the included micro USB charging cable with a wall brick or a portable power bank.

One of the best features of this camera is its two-lens autofocus system, which makes your photos effortlessly sharper without you needing to know what you're doing. The camera decides which lens is better for the photo and automatically adjusts and focuses for the perfect snap. The 94.96mm lens is great for close-up pictures, while the 102.35mm lens is perfect for distance shots of landscapes.

In addition to autofocus, the Polaroid Now has a built-in self-timer that lasts nine seconds and lets you take selfies or a group photo without leaving anyone out. And don't worry if you're taking a picture at night because the Now's flash is human-friendly and won't give anyone weird red eyes or a messed up complexion. The camera also has built-in double exposure, which lets you layer two separate photos for a unique result.

This instant camera uses Polaroid's i-Type Film or 600 Film. It has a 41-degree vertical field of view and a 40-degree horizontal field of view. Without the film pack, the Polaroid Now weighs less than a pound and measures 5.9 inches long, 4.4 inches wide, and 3.7 inches high.

At a retail price of $149.99, the Polaroid Now+ is only $20 more than the Polaroid Now. There aren't nearly as many color options, but you can still choose between black, white, and blue, and there are a ton of other great features that more than make up for it. The Now+ weighs just over one pound without the film pack, and it's only 0.1 inch higher than the Now; its length and width dimensions are the same.

With the Now+, you'll get everything that the Now offers in terms of specs. You can experiment with double exposure mode, which lets you layer two separate photos over one another, and take effortlessly sharp photos with the autofocus feature. Just like the Now, the Now+ is rechargeable and compatible with i-Type Film and 600 Film, and has the same sized lenses and horizontal and vertical fields of view.

The two major differences between Polaroid's Now instant camera and Now+ instant camera are Bluetooth capability and five included lens filters. Because the Now+ has Bluetooth, you can use the Polaroid mobile app, which is available for Android and iOS. Connecting the mobile app to your Now+ lets you use aperture priority to help you find the focus easier and tripod mode to create more cinematic shots.

The five lens filters — red vignette, orange, blue, yellow, and starburst — come in a separate pouch to keep them safe when they're not in use. All of these lens filters let you alter your photo without digital editing.

The Polaroid Go has a budget-friendly price tag of $89.99, and its pocket-sized form factor makes it easy to bring along everywhere. This tiny camera measures 5.9 inches long, 3.3 inches wide, and 2.4 inches high, and it weighs just barely over half a pound without the film pack. You can choose to go bold with a red exterior, or stick with a classic color like black or white.

Despite its small size, the little Polaroid Go shares many of the same features found on the Polaroid Now and Now+. The reflective selfie mirror makes it easy to snap the perfect picture, and the self-timer lets you do so from a distance. You'll also find the same 750mAh battery inside that can be recharged via a micro USB cable, which is included. However, there are some differences as well.

First off, the Polaroid Go is only compatible with the Polaroid Go Film, which you can find with a classic white frame or a matte black frame. Then, because Polaroid's Go instant camera has such different dimensions compared to the Now and Now+, its fields of view are different. It has a 65.1-degree diagonal field of view, along with a 48.1-degree horizontal view and a 49.1-degree vertical view. Plus, because it's marketed as a camera for adventurers, there's an included wrist strap to easily carry the camera around.

The INSTAX Mini Evo from Fujifilm costs around $230. There's something charming about the old-timey design of the Mini Evo that seems like it would appeal to quite a lot of people.

Fujifilm's INSTAX Mini Evo lets you combine 10 unique lens effects with 10 film effect options for 100 total possible combinations. In other words, there are a lot of ways to make a photo your own! For example, you could play around with Rich Mode for a bright and catchy look, or try out the Double Exposure lens effect to layer two separate photos together for one brilliant creation.

Inside, there's a 0.2-inch CMOS image sensor with a primary color filter, and you can find so many unique film frames for your photos, just as long as it's INSTAX Mini film. You can store up to 45 images on the camera's internal memory, and about 850 images per 1GB of storage space on a microSD or microSDHC memory card, should you choose to invest in extra storage.

You'll also find a few in-demand features for most instant cameras, like autofocus, flash with multiple customizations, and a self-timer that lasts between two to 10 seconds. With Bluetooth 4.2, the self-timer can even be controlled using your smartphone as a remote. The mobile app is available for Android and iOS, and it can also be used to send photos from your smartphone right to the Mini Evo to take advantage of the Direct Print feature.

Fujifilm's INSTAX Mini 11 isn't a digital camera, but it is a bit smarter than your average instant camera. It's sitting pretty with a lower price tag of around $100, and surprisingly has a ton of fun colors to choose from: blush pink, ice white, sky blue, lilac purple, and charcoal gray. It's easy to find an INSTAX Mini 11 that matches your style, and then you can cart it around with you everywhere. The camera alone weighs just over half a pound, and it measures 4.77 long, 4.24 inches wide, and 2.65 inches high.

This instant camera excels at selfies and close-ups, with features like automatic exposure and high-performance flash to help subjects appear brighter and well-lit, even if the environment is particularly dark. Unfortunately, the INSTAX Mini 11 has a slight shift between the viewfinder and the actual photo that prints out. Fujifilm recommends aiming just a little to the right of your photo subject, and your image should come out how you want it!

Just like Fujifilm's INSTAX Mini Evo, and all the other INSTAX Mini models, this instant camera only uses Fujifilm's INSTAX Mini instant film. After taking a photo, it takes about 90 seconds for the film to develop. Per every 10 INSTAX Mini film packs of 10 exposures each, you'll need to replace the two AA-size alkaline batteries in the camera. The camera automatically shuts off after five minutes of inactivity, so there's never any danger of running out the battery accidentally.

The Kodak Smile Instant Print Camera is the perfect option if you want something small, unique, and friendly to your wallet. Retailing at $99.99, the Kodak Smile has a slide-open design that allows the camera to be incredibly thin and lightweight. It weighs less than a pound and measures 4.8 inches long, 3.1 inches wide, and 0.9 high. There are also a wide variety of bold colors, including red, black, white, blue, and green.

You can edit photos directly through the Kodak Smile on its LCD viewfinder, applying color filters or borders before printing the photo. The photos are printed on Zink photo paper that measures 2 inches by 3 inches and has a sticky back so you can easily peel and stick them to a photo board or a picture frame.

The Kodak Smile's battery is rechargeable via an included micro USB cable and lasts roughly 40 prints per charge. This instant camera also has an automatic flash, fixed focus, and a 10-second timer you can use for selfies. Then, you can add up to 256 GB of extra storage via a microSD card.

Instant cameras are great for printing small photos that fit well in collages on the wall or in a wallet, but what if you want larger photos? Check out Lomography's Lomo'Instant Wide camera, which has a 90mm focal length and captures twice the amount that an INSTAX Mini would. Plus, it's compatible with many creative attachments, like an ultra-wide lens, a close-up lens, or a Lomo'Instant Splitzer, which lets you split up a photo in unique ways.

The Lomo'Instant Wide has a fully programmatic shutter that smartly determines exactly how much light is needed for each exposure. There are manual flash controls that put you in charge of how much light a photo has, or you can experiment with different modes like Auto, 1/30, and Bulb, which allows for unlimited long exposures and layering.

This camera retails for $159, and it comes with a lot more than just the camera. There's a remote control shutter release built into the lens cap for selfies and group shots, colored gel flash filters for fun effects, and inspirational shooting tips if you have no clue what you're doing just yet. Also, it's powered by four AA batteries, weighs almost three pounds, and uses INSTAX Wide Film that measures 3.39 inches by 4.25 inches.

Lomography's Lomo'Instant Automat camera is perfect for beginners because it has fully automatic f/8 and f/22 apertures, shutter speed, and flash. This makes it nearly impossible to snap a bad photo. The Automat has a 60mm focal length, weighs over two pounds, and takes two CR2 batteries.

The various colors that the Lomo'Instant Automat comes in are attached to locations around the world. For example, the black option is called the Playa Jardín Edition. Then, you can also find a white Bora Bora Edition and a red South Beach Edition. No matter which edition you choose, all Lomo'Instant Automat cameras use Fujifilm INSTAX Mini Film.

Just like the Lomo'Instant Wide, the Automat is compatible with all sorts of attachments that shake up your photography experience. These attachments are all sold separately, but you can attach a close-up lens, a wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, and of course, Lomography's iconic Splitzer piece. Then, with your purchase, you'll also get some inspirational photography tips, colored gel filters to go over the flash, photo stands, photo clips, and the removable lens cap that has a built-in remote control for selfies or group pics.