Which instax is better

Grigonis, The best instant cameras for , Digitaltrends. Erin Lodi is a freelance writer reporting on cameras and camera accessories at Wirecutter. She started her career as a photojournalist working in newspapers—shooting film—and was the mobile-imaging editor at DPReview. She is also a professional photographer who has made her living photographing everything from rock stars to humpback whales.

Our pick. Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 The best instant camera It is easy to use and produces the best instant prints at a better price than the competition. Upgrade pick. Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay A high-quality hybrid This tiny instant-and-digital hybrid camera delivers instant prints and a digital review screen. Budget pick. Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 A fun camera at a great price Fun and simple to use, the Mini 9 takes smaller, lower-quality but still good for instant photos for less money.

Also great. Fujifilm Instax Wide Bigger and wider photos The Wide produces larger, wider prints at a lower price than the Instax Square SQ6 and runs on AA batteries, but the camera is quite a bit larger than most modern instant cameras and gives you fewer options.

Everything we recommend. Why you should trust us What is an instant camera? Why you should trust us. What is an instant camera? Who this is for. How we picked. In choosing cameras to test for this update, we looked for models that fit these criteria:. Easy to use: This should be a fun camera that can be enjoyed without much instruction or a big learning curve.

Creative controls: The simple, point-and-shoot fun of instant photos is great, but better instant cameras will also let you make minor adjustments to exposures, or even make multiple exposures on a single print to keep the experience fresh.

Decent battery life: You should never have to bring more than one set of spare batteries when you take your instant camera out for the day. We looked for cameras that are rated to let you shoot at least photos with a set of batteries and gave extra points to those that were able to shoot many more than that before exhausting their power supply.

Photo: Michael Hession. Flaws but not dealbreakers. Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter. Best Black Friday deals View Deal. Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6. Specifications Lens: Film Type: Instax Square.

Viewfinder: Small optical viewfinder. Monitor: Basic settings display. Reasons to avoid - Film more expensive than Instax Mini. Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay. Specifications Lens: 28mm equivalent. Film Type: Instax Mini. Viewfinder: None. Monitor: 2. Reasons to avoid - Takes the spontaneous fun away.

Reasons to avoid - Unpredictable results - Mini format small. Fujifilm Instax Mini This bubblegum toy camera is a fun and frivolous instant option. Fujifulm Instax Square SQ1. A Kickstarter vision come to life - the first fully analogue Instax square format camera. Reasons to avoid - Bulky - Unpredictable results.

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ Monitor: 3-inch, k-dot. Some cameras have other creative options, such as a double-exposure mode. This analogue throwback means exposing a frame of film, but then exposing it again before printing it, allowing you to create bizarre, abstract compositions.

You should also pay attention to battery life. Cameras with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of being rechargeable from the mains — often without the need to remove the battery — but might take a long time to recharge.

Cameras that allow you to use AA batteries are a little more expensive to use unless you bring rechargeables and a charger with you , but you can nearly always get hold of more AA batteries, which is a real advantage if you suddenly run dry. Fun, easy to use and affordable, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 makes for the ideal first instant camera. Exposures are all calculated automatically, meaning there are no controls to fiddle with, and just about anyone can start snapping right away.

For selfies you can engage an optical close-focus mode by extending the lens barrel; this reduces the minimum focal distance down to just 0. An always-on flash ensures your subject is always brightly lit in all lighting conditions, though it can be a touch overpowering in certain situations. This is essentially the same camera as the Mini 11 but with a vintage-inspired retro redesign.

Read our full Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 review for more details. You get dedicated controls for the flash and self-timer, the ability to dial in exposure compensation, and it will even capture creative double-exposures. A standout feature is the inclusion of autofocus. Onboard there are two lenses, one standard and one close up, and the camera automatically switches depending on your distance from the subject. As with all Polaroid cameras, the only thing to watch out for is the cost of the film.

This can somewhat dampen the otherwise casual nature of the camera. Key specs — Power source: Rechargeable battery providing up to prints; Lens: mm; Shutter modes: Auto, double exposure, self-timer, flash; Print development time: 15 minutes; Dimensions: 94 x x mm; Weight: g. The Fujifilm Instax SQ1 is ideal for anyone looking to create hassle-free square prints.

We found that a lot of the results missed focus too. If you want extra features like a self-timer or exposure compensation, you can get them in the older Instax mini 70 model. Key specifications Battery life: prints Flash: Built-in flash Dimensions: 6.

Why we like it: This throwback camera is fun to use, and gives you a bit more creative control compared to the Instax offerings, with both a self-timer mode and a double exposure mode. Take note: We did find the results often look faded and blurry, which you may either find disappointing or that it gives them a retro charm.

Polaroid says it factors in the lighting conditions and changes the flash hue accordingly, but we found it overexposed photos much of the time too. Key specifications Battery life: prints Flash: Built-in flash Dimensions: It also has a double exposure mode and selfie timer.

This one would also be better for typical wide shots like landscapes or cityscapes. Why we like it: We like how this one has both automatic exposure and brightness control, so you get a bit more creative input over your eventual results.

Even in daylight, you may find the flash still fires. Like many other instant cameras, focusing can be hit-or-miss, and the images can be a mixed bag too. Like the mini LiPlay, this is another Instax model that combines both approaches. It comes with a little LCD screen, allowing you to pick and print only your best shots, and it uses the larger square film, has a digital zoom, and lets you choose whether the flash fires or not. If you enjoy borders or creative filters, we like how you can also add these to your photo before printing it out.

It also struggles just as much as most other instant cameras with overexposed, blurry and out-of-focus pictures.