Whether you are being nice to yourself or someone else, instant cameras make an excellent gift. Not only are they fun to bring out to parties, family functions and trips but it’s the fact that you end up with a print to hold (and give!) that makes a lasting impression.
But where do you start? Here is a handy Instant Camera Guide for instant cameras and smartphone printers. Skip here for a quick recap.
Size comparaison
The first deciding factor for our in-store customers is the look of the camera itself. Not only the design and colours, but the size as well. For some, if the camera is too big it won’t be taken out. For others, the size of the print is the most important consideration. Let’s start with the size of the camera.
The tidiest and smallest are the Canon Zoemini S2, Instax Mini LiPlay and Instax Mini Evo. As there names suggest, mini, these are the ones to get for slipping into a purse or small bag on the way out. They make it easy to always carry the instant camera with you, meaning that you will end up with very special photos. Think parties with your best friends, everyday shenanigans and a bit of street photography.
A special mention goes to the Instax Mini Link and Square Link, which are instant printers with a small foot print. In this case you are using either your mobile phone as the camera or the absolutely cute Instax Pal micro camera.
As we move up in size we have the Instax Mini 12, Instax Mini 40, Instax Mini 99 and Lomography Lomo Instant. The Mini 12 comes in bright playful colours, matching accessories and with its rounded design is perfect for kids to hold. The Mini 40 is stylish and sleek with its black and silver trim, plus it is super easy to use. Great for passing around at a party. If you want compact but with loads of features, it’s the Mini 99 with its tripod mount and timer (quick! Get in the shot 🙂 ), its unique built-in colour filters and ability to layer multiple shots on one print. And let’s not forget the Lomo’Instant: made for does that want something different, this model adds extra features (coloured flash, multiple exposures, focus adjustments) allowing you to create unique instant prints.
If there’s one thing that influences the size of the camera, well, it’s the size of the print. Now we are in big instant print territory!
Starting with the Square print (keep reading for print size comparaisons bellow) we have the Instax SQ1 and SQ40 which both use the Instax Square paper. These are super easy to use and only differ in there design. If you want that bigger print but want something sleek, look no further than the Instax Square Link, which connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and gives you those classic square prints with the white border to write. And speaking of classics, we can talk about instant cameras without mentioning Polaroid! The original, with its BIG square print (about 1.5x the size of Instax Square prints) and immediately recognisable look!
And lastly, the biggest of them all the Wiiiiiiiiide cameras. Whether you go for the Instax Wide 400 or the Lomography Lomo’Instant wide, rest assured you are getting a nice, big, landscape orientation print after your shot! The Instant Wide 400 is Fujifilm’s latest wide camera and these have always been very popular in studios, hair salons, tattoo parlours, at weddings and big events. It is super easy to use, just point and shoot. The Lomo’Instant Wide is for the experimentalists out there. With it’s tripod mount, wireless remote trigger and PC flash port, this is the camera to get to push the limits of instant film.
And if you want a big print but are travelling and need something relatively compact, Instax have thought of you. The Instax Wide Link is a wide printer for your smartphone. it will allow you to make collages of several photos on one print and it can even print a QR code to the print, which can link to things such as a website (business owners, THIS is great for you!), location info and more.
Types of cameras
Now that we’ve gotten the size factor out of the way, we can start exploring the three major categories of instant photography products:
First we have the analog instant cameras. These are by far the simplest to use and can be summed up by point, shoot and the camera will take care of instantly printing the photo. They are great for kids, weddings and for having up on a shelf for using from time to time. The catch is that you have to be mindful that every time you press the shutter you will get a print.
Then we have the hybrid cameras and, wow, these have really caught on! Cameras like the Instax Mini LiPlay and Instax Mini Evo double as digital cameras with memory to store the photos (handy for reprinting later or sharing on socials), special effects to customise the photos before printing and the option to redo a photo before printing. These are great features for those that want to have a say before pressing print. But that’s not all! These also connect to your smartphone if you wish 🙂 Imagine your friend just took the funniest photo of the two of you on their phone. Want a print? Just get them to send it via Bluetooth to your hybrid Instax. Amazing!
And if you like that last feature and are mostly a mobile phone photographer, well the last category is tailor-made for you: Smartphone printers like the Canon Zoemini and Instant Link (Mini, Square and Wide) connect to your phone wirelessly via Bluetooth and will print out instant prints for you to share and hang up all around you. These are particularly great when travelling around the world, great ice-breakers!
Conclusion
So there you have it our Instant Camera Guide! We are well used to helping our in-store customers navigate the many many options so please do not hesitate to get in touch!