10 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. 

At a retail price of $149.99, the Polaroid Now+ is only $30 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 INSTAX Mini Evo from Fujifilm costs $199.95 and only comes in a single color — black. Although finding an instant camera to match your personality is a plus, 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.

If you can get your hands on one, the INSTAX Mini 90 from Fujifilm has a classic design and some awesome modes and features. The outer casing resembles leather, making it look like a retro camera, and it comes in red, brown, and black. Despite its vintage look, the INSTAX Mini 90 has powerful specs that easily compete with other instant cameras.

The many available modes on the INSTAX Mini 90 offer a simple way to capture different scenes or create a unique snapshot. Party mode brightens everything up, kids mode captures fast-moving children or animals, and landscape mode targets the distance while macro mode targets close-up shots between 30 and 60 centimeters away.

Then, double exposure mode lets you superimpose two images in one frame, and bulb exposure mode leaves the shutter open for up to 10 seconds while the shutter button is depressed, letting light streaks come through. You can easily swap between any mode by rotating the Mode Dial on the camera's front.

There's a NP-45A rechargeable lithium-ion battery inside that can last about 100 images, or 10 packs of INSTAX Mini Film. The 60mm f/12.7 lens operates with a move-in/move-out mechanism. Without the battery, shoulder strap, or any film inside, the INSTAX Mini 90 weighs 0.65 pounds and measures 4.46 inches long, 3.62 inches wide, and 2.25 inches high.

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.

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.