The Edit — Gadgets
Instant Cameras Compared: Instax, Polaroid and Kodak
6 instant cameras across 3 systems: Instax film, Polaroid film and Kodak's inkless paper. The film decides the picture and the running cost more than the camera does.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick. How we choose
The 6 cameras here are ranked by rating, then by how many owners rated them, read on 13 October 2026, as How we choose describes. Each is set against the film or paper it needs, from the makers’ published specifications. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for A first instant camera
Watch for Small picture for groups
Best for Square pictures
Watch for Film costs more per shot
Best for Parties and events
Watch for Blurry shots recur
Best for The classic Polaroid frame
Watch for Dark or pale pictures
Best for A child
Watch for Paper prints, not film
Best for Group shots
Watch for Durability complaints
The Instax Mini 12 is the safe first camera
The Instax Mini 12 rates 4.7 across 3,599 ratings, the highest here, and this bundle adds 60 prints. It takes Instax Mini film, prints a 62 × 46 mm picture, and runs about 100 shots on 2 AA batteries, per Fujifilm. Owners buy it as a gift for any age; value is the split. Mini film is the easiest instant film to find, which matters more than any camera feature a year in.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Instant Camera + 60 Photo Prints + Accessories
3,599 ratings at 4.7, a Mini camera bundled with 60 prints.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Film | Instax Mini, 62 × 46 mm picture |
|---|---|
| Power | 2 AA batteries, about 100 shots |
Owners describe a fun gift for every age and welcome the 60 prints and accessories. Value divides them.
Buy it if
- A first instant camera, for a teen or a party
Don't buy it if
- Group shots, which crowd the small picture
The Instax Square SQ1 is the pick for square pictures
The Instax Square SQ1 rates 4.5 across 2,538 ratings and prints a 62 × 62 mm square on Instax Square film. It runs on 2 CR2 lithium batteries, rated for about 300 shots. Owners receive it well, and no complaint recurs on the listing. Square film costs more per shot than Mini, so this suits someone who wants the format, not a cheaper Mini.
Fujifilm Instax Square SQ1 Instant Camera
2,538 ratings at 4.5, a Square camera owners receive well.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Film | Instax Square, 62 × 62 mm picture |
|---|---|
| Power | 2 CR2 lithium batteries, about 300 shots |
Owners respond well to the square format and the camera as a whole. No complaint recurs.
Buy it if
- Someone who frames pictures like a phone grid
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants the cheapest film per shot
The Instax Square SQ40 trades sharpness for looks
The Instax Square SQ40 takes the same Square film and CR2 batteries as the SQ1, and rates 4.4 across 407 ratings. Owners enjoy it at events. The recurring complaint is blurry or badly exposed pictures, which the SQ1’s owners do not raise. Between the 2, the SQ1 is the safer Square camera.
Fujifilm Instax Square SQ40 Instant Camera
407 ratings at 4.4, a Square camera owners enjoy at events.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Film | Instax Square, 62 × 62 mm picture |
|---|---|
| Power | 2 CR2 lithium batteries, about 300 shots |
Owners like it for parties and events. Blurry or badly exposed pictures are the complaint that recurs.
Buy it if
- Parties and events, where the look matters more than sharpness
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants sharp pictures, as blur is the recurring complaint
Polaroid Now is the classic frame, with exposure complaints
The Polaroid Now Gen 2 rates 4.3 across 1,395 ratings and takes Polaroid i-Type and 600 film, not Instax. Owners like its fun, vintage feel. Dark or pale pictures are the recurring complaint, and the newer Polaroid Now Gen 3, at 4.3 across 543 ratings, draws the same one. Polaroid film is larger and costs more per shot, so buy it for the frame, not the value.
Polaroid Now 2nd Generation I-Type Instant Film Camera
1,395 ratings at 4.3, the classic Polaroid look, with exposure complaints.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Film | Polaroid i-Type and 600 |
|---|
Owners like the vintage feel and the fun of it. Pictures that come out dark or pale are the complaint that recurs.
Buy it if
- Someone who wants the larger, classic Polaroid frame
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants reliable exposures, as dark or pale pictures recur
The Kodak Smile suits a child who shoots everything
The Kodak Smile is a digital camera with a built-in printer and battery, and rates 4.3 across 584 ratings. It prints 2 × 3 inch pictures on ZINK inkless paper, per Kodak, rather than on instant film. Owners praise quality for the money, the retro-looking prints and how much children enjoy it. A child can shoot freely and print only the good ones, which film cannot do.
KODAK Smile Instant Print Digital Camera
584 ratings at 4.3, a digital camera that prints on inkless paper.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Prints on | ZINK paper, 2 × 3 inch |
|---|---|
| Power | Built-in rechargeable battery |
Owners rate it for the money, like the retro look of the prints, and say children enjoy it. No complaint recurs.
Buy it if
- A child, who can take many shots and print only the good ones
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants the look of real instant film
The Instax Wide 400 is for groups, with reservations
The Instax Wide 400 prints the widest Instax picture, 62 × 99 mm on Instax Wide film, and runs about 100 shots on 4 AA batteries. It rates 4.0 across 334 ratings, the lowest here. Owners find it easy to use, but picture and function problems and durability concerns recur. The Instax film guide sets the 3 film sizes side by side.
Fujifilm INSTAX Wide 400 Instant Camera
334 ratings at 4.0, the widest Instax picture, with durability complaints.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Film | Instax Wide, 62 × 99 mm picture |
|---|---|
| Power | 4 AA batteries, about 100 shots |
Owners find it simple to use. Problems with pictures, with how it works and with durability come up repeatedly.
Buy it if
- Families who shoot groups and landscapes
Don't buy it if
- Anyone wary of recurring durability and function complaints
What did not make the list
The Kodak Smile+ adds printing from a phone and rates 4.1 across 284 ratings, below the plain Smile, and owners split on its print quality. For a teenager, the gifts for teens guide puts the Mini 12 beside 4 other gifts.
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