Instax Square, then, is the perfect answer to these complaints about size. This film gives us a larger image than we get with Instax Mini (image size of 2.4 x 2.4″) but without the bulk of the Instax Wide camera.

In addition, because Polaroids take up to 15 minutes to develop (and contrary to what Andre 3000 says, DO NOT shake it!), they are not the format of choice if you want instant gratification –or if you're out shooting with friends or family on a sunny day, if you don't have somewhere dark (like a camera bag) to stash the prints while they expose. Don’t get me wrong – I love Polaroid’s classic cameras and their new models as well. I own and use and love my Polaroid One Step 2 (in gorgeous Mint Green). But that love also comes with a fair amount of frustration. Polaroid film simply isn’t that good. Both Instax and Polaroid offer their own printers using the same instant film used in their instant cameras. However, they each goes about this in very different ways.Not suitable for: Vintage Polaroid 600 cameras, Modern i-Type Polaroid cameras (Polaroid Now, Polaroid Now+, Polaroid OneStep2, Polaroid OneStep+), Polaroid Go, Polaroid Lab

You can shoot a video up to 15 seconds long and select the image that captures the best moment of a moving subject. With timeshift collage, you can take four images with a time difference at one time. Special filters “sequence” allows you to make an image that show’s the motion of the subject to create a sense of action. The new addition is an Impossible frog tongue to shield photos as they exit the camera. It also has a built-in automatic flash that you can turn on and off. It has a fixed-focus lens and sliding close-up lens that lets you focus on a subject up to 23.5″. The Now and Now+ are the latest versions of the iconic Polaroid camera, which produces familiar medium-sized square-shaped photos. These modern cameras have built-in batteries, which means they can take the newer i-Type film as well as traditional 600 film (more on this below).Paired with the Mini Evo smartphone app, your prints can be shared to social media and you can even use the Evo to print pictures taken on your smartphone. The Neo Classic has substantially more bells and whistles than more basic instant cameras, giving adventurous photographers far more creative freedom. Digitizing your prints is as simple as taking them, courtesy of the 'Instax Up!’ app. All the pictures in the sample gallery were digitized using the app, which includes guides for all film types, including the SQ40’s square format, and handy features like Remove Reflections. Fujifilm Instax SQ40: Price and release date This camera with fun kids imprints is available in pink and blue color. It’s designed for kids aged 4-11. It’s simple to use with a 2-inch color screen, anti-drop silicon design, and five simple buttons. The key things to look for are the lens and the range of shutter speeds supported. Not all instant cameras have variable shutter speeds, which means that when the light drops you’ll need the flash to fire to get a decent image. If you’re feeling creative and want to do things such as light-painting you’ll want a camera that has a wide range of shutter speeds or, better yet, a bulb mode, where the frame of film is exposed for a chosen period.

The 62 x 62mm square prints that the SQ40 churns out are perfect in size – equal in height as Instax Mini film but in a wider square format, with the film itself measuring 86mm x 72mm. Lomography Cameras for Instax Mini Film – The Lomo’ Instant and Lomo’ Instant Automat use Instax Mini film and come in a variety of colors, tending more toward the retro/analog look than the basic Instax Mini cotton candy shades. The two cameras are similar in appearance and features, but the original Lomo’Instant has a wider 48mm lens (27mm equivalent in 35mm) vs. the Automat’s 60mm lens (35mm equivalent). Both cameras automatically set exposure but give the user multiple creative options, including multiple exposure, bulb mode, exposure compensation, and flash control (i.e. you can turn it off, or add funky color gels). Optional add-on lenses allow for wide-angle, closeup, and fisheye shooting, and the lens cap on the Automat can be used as a remote shutter release. The Lomo Instant Automat Glass pairs these features with an even wider 38mm f/4.5 glass lens that allows more depth of field control than is possible with any other mass market instant camera, if you can nail the zone focusing. Modern Polaroids like the Now and Now+, however, have their own batteries –so they can accept both i-Type and 600 film. Other than the battery, though, there is no difference between the two film types in terms of quality or performance.Instax film is excellent in all its forms. Whether Instax Mini, Instax Wide, Monochrome or Color, Fujifilm simply makes a good product. The colors are beautiful, contrast is heavy without being overbearing, and consistency is perfect. But I’ve often been frustrated by the size of both Instax film itself and some Instax cameras, and these size issues have kept me from truly enjoying Instax film at large. Want the biggest Instax instant photo you can get? Then you want to shoot Instax Wide film. And to do that with an official Fuji camera, there’s only one option.

We’re heading into the holidays of yet another year in which film photographers have seen price increases, discontinuations of beloved films, and supply chain issues. But if there’s one thing we know about the future of film, it’s that instant film isn’t going anywhere. Fujifilm and the latest incarnation of Polaroid are still manufacturing loads of film, and if you walk into a Target or CVS you’re more likely to find instant film and instant cameras than rolls of 35mm film. Using an LCD rather than a physical viewfinder, the Evo lets you preview your exact shot, tweak your exposure compensation and even add lens and and film filters. Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo – This is the newest Fuji Instax Mini camera, and it might be the best one ever made. James reviewed it recently and said as much, after all. But we can’t stop there. It would be impossible to talk about Instax Square film without also comparing it to the original square format instant film – Polaroid.

To add high and low-key effects in the picture, you can use light and dark controls. It has an automatic flash for low-light shooting. For shots up to 16 inches from the subject, you can use a close-up lens and for zooming on a subject, you can use a focal zoom dial with two focus zones. It’s a hybrid digital/instant film camera, which means that we have ultimate control over whether or not the camera prints the photos we make. Take the photo, and we choose to print it or not! It also offers ten different “lens effects” (double exposure, light leak, etc.) and ten “film effects” (pale, vivid, sepia, etc.) to apply to your digital images. It can even print images directly from your smartphone using the (amazingly good) app! The I-2 is as comfortable to hold as other Polaroid cameras, which is to say it's a little bit bulky and awkward. The squarish footprint makes the bottom of the camera the natural handgrip. I keep three fingers under the camera and my right index finger over the shutter release on the front, which leaves my thumb to rest on the rear info display. To help keep the camera steady when the viewfinder is at eye level, I use my left hand to support it. I'm a left-eye-dominant photographer, which actually makes the I-2 a little easier to hold centered. If your head is spinning from all that, take a deep breath and get ready for the Square and Wide Instax cameras! If you’re looking for something with a little more style, Fujifilm has recently released the Instax Mini 40. This is essentially the same camera as the Mini 12 but with a vintage-inspired retro redesign.