The Best Instax Cameras and Printers We Tested (2024)

The archetypal Polaroid camera appeared successful 1947, and ever since, the satellite has been fascinated by instant-print cameras. There's thing magical astir watching an representation make close earlier your eyes. Even with a smartphone camera successful each pocket, the entreaty of the instant people hasn't diminished.

Today Fujifilm's Instax line mostly fills the instant camera niche Polaroid created. There are different alternatives—see our Best Instant Cameras guide—but Fujifilm's Instax cameras and printers person provided the champion representation prime and astir reliable results successful our tests. I've been utilizing Instax printers for astir 2 decades and person owned each but 2 of these. The lineup tin beryllium confusing, truthful present are the champion Instax cameras and printers you tin buy, based connected my experience.

Updated September 2024: We've adhd the caller Instax Wide 400 and Instax Mini Link 3, arsenic good arsenic updating prices throughout.

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Table of Contents

• Which Size Prints?
• The Best Instax Mini Camera and Printer Combo: Instax Mini Evo
• Best Instax Camera connected a Budget: Instax Mini 12
• The Best Instax Square Camera: Instax SQ 40
• Best Instax Wide Camera: Instax Wide 400
• Best Instax Printer: Instax Link Wide
• Other Good Instax Cameras
• Instax to Avoid
• Do You Want a Camera, a Printer, oregon Both?
• How to Buy Instax Film
• How We Tested

First, Which Size Instax Prints Do You Want?

The Instax camera oregon printer that's close for you depends connected the people size you want. Instax movie comes successful 3 sizes: Mini, Square, and Wide.

Instax Mini Film is the smallest of the bunch. These are astir credit-card-size images (3.4 inches x 2.1 inches) and are vertically oriented with a larger borderline connected the abbreviated side. Film prices fluctuate, but a Mini movie battalion usually costs astir $14 for 20 prints, which puts the terms betwixt 60 and 70 cents per print.

Instax Square Film is not rather a quadrate astatine 3.4 inches gangly and 2.8 inches wide. These are the astir Polaroid-like, though they are smaller than Polaroids. Prices are astir $1 per print.

Instax Wide Film is the Instax biggie. Wide prints are 4.25 inches by 3.3 inches and are horizontally oriented with a wide borderline connected the agelong edge. Instax Wide Film prices are the highest, astatine astir $1 to $1.20 per print.

I person recovered that the Wide and Square prints mostly look sharper, with richer colors, but this volition beryllium connected which camera and printer you choose, arsenic prime does vary. In the end, the prime is up to you. Or you tin bash what I did and get 1 of each.

The Best Instax Mini Camera and Printer Combo

The Instax Mini Evo is the champion camera-printer hybrid successful the Instax lineup. As the sanction suggests, it prints Mini film, which is astir the size of a recognition paper (3.4 inches x 2.1 inches). The assemblage has a film-camera-inspired plan (minus the viewfinder), but here, functions similar rotating the aperture ringing oregon ISO-style dial are utilized to power lens effects and movie effects respectively. When you're acceptable to print, propulsion the movie winder. It's clever and fun, but the plan is besides functional.

The Mini Evo uses a fixed aperture, f/2.0, and automatically switches shutter velocity (1/4 to 1/8,000 second) and ISO (100 to 1,600) based connected the vulnerability meter. The vulnerability metre is close successful my experience. High-contrast scenes with heavy shadows volition stump it sometimes, but that's OK due to the fact that the Mini Evo captures your representation to its interior representation (about 45 images, expandable to 1 GB with a microSD card) truthful you tin cheque your changeable connected the rear surface earlier printing. Once you person what you want, crank the "film wind" lever, and retired comes your print. This isn't rather the high-speed printing you'll get with the analog cameras, but it doesn't instrumentality much than a infinitesimal oregon two.

Among the features that acceptable the Mini Evo supra the remainder of the Instax battalion are the 10 lens effects, which tin brace with the 10 movie effects (like reflector image, brushed focus, etc.) to springiness you much than 100 shooting possibilities. There's a distant shooting enactment done the Instax app, positive a selfie mirror. You tin adjacent affix a selfie airy to the acold footwear larboard connected the apical borderline of the camera.

Despite each these features, the Mini Evo is dormant elemental to use. The lone clip I had to consult the manual was to fig retired however to crook disconnected the flash. (In shooting mode, propulsion the close broadside of the selector wheel.) It works conscionable arsenic good arsenic a printer too—though you'll request the Instax Mini Evo app for iOS and Android. The app volition besides fto you transportation your images to station them to Instagram if that's your jam.

Other Great Camera and Printer Combos

• Instax Mini LiPlay for $150: This is Fujifilm's different hybrid camera and printer option. It lacks astir of the lens and movie effects disposable connected the Mini Evo, arsenic good arsenic precocious shooting tools similar vulnerability compensation. But astir radical astir apt won't care. The LiPlay does person Frames, which let you to superimpose “doodles” similar hearts, stars, oregon antlers connected your images. In my tests, the images captured with the LiPlay aren't astir arsenic bully arsenic what you get from the Mini Evo, but it's a small cheaper. The people prime is astir the aforesaid for both.

Best Instax Camera connected a Budget

If you privation an instant camera and don't privation to walk a lot, the Instax Mini 12 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is your champion bet. It's a capable, easy-to-use camera wrapped successful a colorful, bubbly design. One happening you'll find present that's missing adjacent connected much costly models is parallax correction. That means you don't person to conjecture wherever the halfway of the framework is for close-up subjects. What you spot is what you get, eliminating those accidentally ill-framed close-ups that sometimes happened with the SQ 40 (see below) oregon the older Mini 11. This works successful mean and close-up mode (enabled by twisting the lens to close-up).

The Mini 12 uses a two-element integrative lens, and there's nary focusing. Everything is auto-exposure. If this camera had a motto it would beryllium “Keep it simple.” That extends to the flash, which is afloat automatic but not ever on, similar different models. Instead, the Mini 12 detects brightness levels and lone fires the flash erstwhile needed. It fired the flash acold much than I would person liked, but possibly my imagination of a bully low-light Instax camera is conscionable that.

Fujifilm introduced a caller app with the Mini 12 called Instax Up (iOS, Android). The cardinal relation is that it volition "scan" (photograph) your Instax prints, allowing you to store and stock them online. If you person photos successful immoderate different Instax apps, you tin import them to Instax Up truthful everything is successful 1 place.

If you're wondering whether the Instax Mini 11 is worthy buying, my proposal is to debar it and bargain the Mini 12 instead. Fujifilm continues to merchantability the Instax Mini 11, but the Mini 12 is unquestionably a amended camera successful each way. It sells for astir $80, portion the Mini 11 is lone a fewer dollars cheaper. It's not worthy it. You privation the parallax correction of the Mini 12. Trust me. If you spot the Mini 11 for nether $60, that's an OK woody if you're choky connected cash, but for astir people, the Mini 12 volition nutrient amended images for lone a fewer dollars more.

The Best Instax Square Camera

There are not astir arsenic galore choices for fans of Instax Square prints. Our apical camera prime is the SQ 40, which is wholly analog: Press the shutter fastener and retired comes your image, which develops successful astir 90 seconds. There’s a movie antagonistic adjacent the bottommost near broadside of the backmost to fto you cognize however galore images you person left, and that's astir it for features.

Using the SQ 40 is astir arsenic elemental arsenic it gets. Twist the lens tube to crook it on, framework your shot, deed the shutter button, and voilà. The lone different enactment is simply a selfie mode, designed for close-ups. In this case, framework your images utilizing the reflector connected the beforehand alternatively than the viewfinder, arsenic parallax distortion is an contented up close. In my shooting experience, this often manifests arsenic close-up images wherever the taxable is not centered arsenic it appeared erstwhile you composed the frame. The parallax stops being an contented astatine astir 4 to 5 feet.

The SQ 40 runs connected CR2 batteries. Fujifilm includes 2 erstwhile you bargain the camera, which should beryllium bully for astir 300 images. I suggest getting immoderate rechargeable CR2s erstwhile those deplete.

Other Great Instax Square Cameras

• Instax SQ 1 for $115: The SQ 1 is the much colorful, cheaper mentation of the SQ 40. In presumption of features, it’s identical, though the assemblage plan is somewhat different. There’s a tiny grip connected the near beforehand broadside of the assemblage that gets successful the mode much than it provides thing to grab. The images coming retired of the SQ 1 are the aforesaid arsenic what I got from the SQ 40, truthful if you privation to prevention a fewer dollars (or get a much colorful camera), this SQ 1 is conscionable arsenic capable.
• Instax SQ 6 for $100 to $150: The SQ 6 is technically a amended camera than the SQ 1 oregon SQ 40, with respective manual shooting options. Unfortunately, it's nary longer connected Fujifilm's Instax website, and supplies are dwindling astatine retailers. But if you tin find 1 for astir $100 to $150 and you emotion the quadrate film, I accidental spell for it.

The Best Instax Wide Camera

Go large oregon spell home. The Instax Wide's larger representation has ever made it the Instax of prime for photographers. Ingenious enthusiasts adjacent figured retired however to mod the erstwhile exemplary (the Wide 300) with custom lenses for adjacent amended prime images. The caller Instax Wide 400 is akin successful astir ways to the 300 that preceded it. It uses the aforesaid lens and the aforesaid afloat car vulnerability system. If you privation afloat vulnerability control, this is not the Instax for you. That said, I emotion this format and hence this camera.

It's a alternatively chunky thing. The movie is beauteous bully sized, truthful the camera is arsenic well, but for maine that conscionable makes it easier to clasp than immoderate of the others here. There's a bully large grip, which holds the 4 AA batteries, capable to sprout 100 images according to Fujifilm's specs. Designwise, the azygous colour look is reminiscent of the SQ1 (see above), spare and simple. The 95mm f/14 lens is made of 2 elements (both plastic) and gives you the equivalent of a 35mm focal magnitude connected a afloat framework camera. Fujifilm did adhd a caller adjacent absorption enactment to spell with the 10 ft to infinity focus. I privation Fuji had reversed the order, arsenic I sometimes forgot to crook the lens of the 2nd click and ended up with out-of-focus images. Once you get utilized to it, though, it's fine.

There's not a batch to this camera, and that's portion of it's appeal. The lens produces decent images, and ample format makes it much amusive to stock with friends. I bash privation determination were a mode to manually power … something, anything, arsenic that would unfastened up immoderate much possibilities, but if you similar this format this is the champion camera to get.

Other Instax Wide Cameras

• Lomography Lomo'Instant Wide for $200: If you privation to walk a spot more, Lomography's Instant Wide shoots Instax Wide movie and has immoderate other lenses you tin adhd on. It shoots successful some afloat car and offers a programmatic shutter mode. I haven't tested this 1 yet, truthful I can't talk to the representation quality, but the built-in 90mm Lens is astir the aforesaid tract of view.

Don’t Need a Camera? Get an Instax Printer

While I person a definite nostalgia for instant photos—and I ain 2 Instax cameras—the information is I marque astir of my instant images with an Instax photograph printer. Sure, it’s conscionable a smartphone printer that doesn't request ink, but I already person a integer camera, and the results I get pairing images from a existent camera with an Instax printer outshine what I get from Instax cameras. If you already person a good integer camera oregon a solid smartphone camera, an Instax printer is the mode to go.

My favourite Instax printer is the Link Wide. I emotion the bigger images of the Link Wide. It uses a abstracted app (Android, iOS), and has bully extras similar the quality to people aggregate images successful 1 spell with collage people oregon adhd amusive features to your images similar hearts, glitter (shudder), oregon immoderate different of the 15 editable templates successful the app. One diagnostic I don't usage overmuch but mightiness beryllium useful for societal media is the quality to adhd QR codes to your images. For example, you tin adhd a QR codification with a nexus to a look connected your photograph and past stock it connected societal media. There are besides immoderate 1,600 in-app “stickers" that fto you enactment clip-art-style overlays connected your images. It mightiness dependable corny, but these effects are rather fun, particularly if you person young children.

Other Great Instax Printers

• Instax Mini Link 3 for $99: As the sanction implies, the Mini Link 3 movie size is mini prints. Overall people prime is the aforesaid arsenic our apical pick, the Evo Mini, but you suffer the camera. The Link 3 does person a fewer caller tricks though. It tin people successful 2 antithetic modes: people mode and amusive mode. Print mode prints vertically oriented images, portion the amusive mode is for printing horizontally. The clever twist that the Link 3 adds is if you basal it upright, the app volition admit that and people vertically (print mode). Lay down the Link 3 and the app volition power to amusive mode and people horizontally. It's a gimmick, but it's benignant of fun. There's besides immoderate caller AR features that again, are not that useful, but possibly that's conscionable me. The Link 3 fixes my 1 ailment astir its predecessor, it uses USB-C. Finally. That said, if you tin find its predecessor the Link 2 connected sale, it's a bully bargain beneath $80. There's nary existent quality different than not charging with USB-C.

Other Good Instax Cameras and Printers

Fujifilm is perpetually refreshing its Instax lineup, adding caller features similar parallax correction and faster USB-C charging, which astir each Instax cameras present offer. The institution inactive sells immoderate older models though, and portion we usually suggest sticking with the latest, the pursuing models mightiness beryllium worthy considering if you find them connected sale.

Instax Pal Camera and Printer Bundle for $200: Late past year, Fujifilm introduced the Pal, a tiny integer camera that comes with an Instax Mini Link 2 smartphone printer and a 10-pack of Instax Mini film. I person not tried the Pal yet, but I conflict to recognize who needs it. The selling suggests Fujifilm is targeting this astatine kids, but $200 is simply a pugnacious merchantability for astir parents, particularly erstwhile you get each of this and much successful the likewise priced Mini Evo. Maybe the Evo is little apt to basal up to beingness successful a child's hands? I'll beryllium investigating this 1 soon and volition study back.

Instax Mini 90 Camera for $210: Once my favourite Instax, the Mini 90 seems to person been superseded by the Mini Evo. The terms isn't excessively different, yet the Mini Evo is much capable, particularly since the Mini 90 is afloat analog. That said, the Mini 90 delivers the highest-quality representation of the Mini bid (equal to the Mini Evo), truthful if you privation the afloat analog acquisition and the highest prime image, this is the camera to get. It regularly dips beneath $150, truthful debar paying more.

Instax SQ 6 Camera for $130 to $210: This 1 is simply a head-scratcher. As I noted above, the SQ 6 is simply a amended camera than the SQ 1 oregon SQ 40, which look to person jointly replaced the SQ 6. Heck, determination was adjacent a Taylor Swift mentation of the SQ 6 (I’d hatred to spot what that’s going for connected eBay these days). Whatever the case, Fujifilm nary longer lists the SQ 6 connected its Instax website. But if you find it, and similar the quadrate format, the SQ 6 is simply a fantastic camera. It has respective manual features not recovered successful the others—I particularly similar the Lighten and Darken modes that tin beryllium utilized similar vulnerability compensation—in summation to the afloat automatic mode of the SQ 40. Other bully extras see a self-timer, close-up mode, and the enactment to crook disconnected the flash. There is banal retired there, truthful effort to lone bargain it if you find it for astir $100 to $150.

Instax Mini Link 2 Printer for $100: The Instax Mini Link was replaced by the Mini Link 2, but the upgrades were minor, and, honestly, I can’t archer immoderate quality successful people quality. If you tin find the archetypal Mini Link for little than the terms of the Link 2, spell for it. The Link 2 sells for $100 astir of the time, truthful don't wage arsenic overmuch for the archetypal Link. They’re some large printers.

Avoid These Instax Cameras

Instax Mini 11 for $80 to $120: I mentioned this above, but the Mini 11 is seldom worthy buying. It’s lone a fewer dollars cheaper than the newer Mini 12 and lacks astir of the features that marque the Mini 12 specified a bully buy. If you tin find this 1 for nether $50, possibly it’s worthy it. But otherwise, debar the Mini 11.

Instax 7s/Instax 8/Instax 9: These are each older, low-end Instax models. They usage a fixed 1/60 shutter speed, whereas the comparably-priced Mini 12’s car vulnerability tin take betwixt 1/2 to 1/250 2nd shutter speeds, making it overmuch much flexible. Given that astir of these are hard to find anyway, skip them.

Do You Want a Camera, a Printer, oregon Both?

Once you've picked the size of movie you want, the adjacent question is, bash you privation a camera, a printer, oregon a hybrid that tin bash both? The second is much costly but gives you the champion of some worlds—our apical prime is simply a camera and a printer. Note that if you privation Instax Square oregon Instax Wide prints, determination is nary hybrid model.

If you person nostalgia for what I inactive deliberation of arsenic “the Polaroid experience,” an Instax camera is the mode to go. They aren't the highest-quality cameras (most person integrative lenses), but they instrumentality decent photos, and you get to ticker them make seconds aft you shoot. It's the much amusive option, but the disadvantage is that if you person an representation you emotion connected your telephone and privation to people it, you'll person to look elsewhere.

If you usually instrumentality images with your telephone oregon a dedicated camera and privation to marque amusive prints for friends and family, an Instax printer is the mode to go. It's not arsenic contiguous oregon amusive of a process, but the effect tin beryllium higher prime if you larn however to edit your images with Instax prints successful mind.

How to Buy Instax Film

The champion mode to bargain Instax movie is usually by the twin pack. Sometimes determination are bundle deals connected 10-packs oregon adjacent 20-packs that little the per-print price, but past you person to store a clump of movie (the fridge is the champion spot to store Instax film). It's worthy noting that determination is besides compatibility betwixt movie sizes. While I imagination of an Instax Wide printer that tin besides people Square and Mini film, thing of the benignant exists. Each Instax exemplary tin lone people 1 size film.

There are rather a fewer amusive varieties of movie retired there, though. I americium partial to the black-framed prints (Mini, Square, Wide), which I paste successful my journal, and the Monochrome is amusive for black-and-white images (Mini, Square, Wide). There are tons of colors and patterns available, though beryllium forewarned that nary of these are arsenic inexpensive arsenic the plain white, and immoderate (I'm looking astatine you, Square monochrome) are outrageously expensive.

How We Tested Instax Cameras and Printers

Here astatine WIRED, we similar to widen investigating to see “living with” the things we constitute about. In summation to investigating caller models erstwhile Fujifilm releases them, I ain and regularly usage respective Instax cameras. I person been utilizing Instax cameras and printers for astir 2 decades and person been shooting instant images for acold longer than that.

To trial Instax cameras, I photograph a assortment of scenes with varying light, color, and tones to spot however the camera does crossed a wide spectrum of scenarios. (Contrary to my photographer's training, Instax cameras thin to springiness the champion results successful agleam day oregon mid-morning light.) To trial the Instax printers, I usage a enactment of images from antithetic cameras to spot however the printer handles warmer and cooler tones, whether determination are immoderate noticeable colour shifts, and however the sharpness varies depending connected the source. For example, images from my mirrorless camera astir ever travel retired sharper than images taken with my phone.