Which instant camera should I buy? 2016 Instax mini roundup

Hi, thanks for the detailed review. Instax Mini 8 seemed like a great option until I came across an article mentioning some crazy user reviews.

The example of a crazy review is that Instax starts to act really bad after a month of two of usage. One user reported that the camera started to print on two papers at the same time! (both of images were half done)

I was a bit concerned when I saw that. Can someone else share their own experience? (I'm considering getting some higher quality polaroid, like Impossible SX).

By the way, this was the article I saw a bad review http://www.photographyanytime.com/best-polaroid-camera-reviews/
Hope to see some of your experiences

What about the printing costs per camera? Is instant film same cost (per print) on all those cameras? Which are the models that give a variety of films to shoot with ? (color, black and white variations)

Hmmm... one of these toy cameras or a portable printer to use with my superior smartphone. But then - which one of those is best? Thoughts??

Owning all of them (except Automat of course), I would say TL70 is the best you can possibly get for instax mini film. Fuji Mini series is easy to use but no feature at all. All you can do is to press shutter button and that's it. But with TL70, it's much more fun and control over the camera. If I want to overexpose, I can. If I want underexpose, I can too. That's the fun with a highly controllable camera. I would say the best pick must be TL70!

I bought the Mini 90 (and somehow lost the damned thing) and it's a fun camera. These instant film cameras though do not appear to be cameras for the lonely. I tried using it alone, and well, it's awkward not having someone to show/give the film to. I did bring the Mini 90 to a couple social events, and my friends/family seemed to appreciate the instant film more than a shared photo from the smartphone.

I backed the Lomography Automat on Kickstarter a while back, and I should be receiving it in the next 3 weeks. I was actually going to give it as a Christmas gift but... since I don't want to shell out another $100 on eBay for another Mini 90, I'm keeping it, ha! Merry Christmas to me!

It would be nice (and I don't know if these do or not) is if they had something like 8 or 16GB of internal memory so you could both print your photos using the instant film, but also keep a digital JPEG copy that you could download to the computer as well. Would appeal to more people I would think. Might add a little to the cost, but probably not much.
However, from what i see, these don't seem to do much more than what a cell phone is capable of capturing, so maybe being for instant capture and print is all the intention was. Of course, like most "consumable" consumer products, they're making a ton on the film sheets and probably nothing on the camera itself.

Nice to know the shoe box in the attic will start filling up again...

...minus that annoying trip to the corner store photo lab.

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What I really want is good color film for my Spectra.

I'm waiting for the 8 X 10 one.

You also have anIther option and prob get better images fuji camera that can send a wifi signal to a mini instax printer. You can use also use a cell phone with the instax printer....

Do all these cameras use the same film? The cost of the film should also be a deciding factor in their purchase and evaluation!

Like some others here, I found that the best way was to use my iPhone 7+ with the Instax App and their SP2 printer. The quality seems a little better than using one of the Fuji cameras. By the way, the local Costco store is now selling bulk packages of the Instax film at a great price.

I would love a instax mini (or the square) back for my Bronica

instant camera is in my instant cellphone

I just want an Instax Wide printer.

Instax Wide 300 wasn't tested. I wish they did.
If I'm going instant, even the wide is small. So why not wide.

I would love to see Fujifilm develop a robust, high quality "pro look and feel," retro style camera for Instax Wide film (...perhaps something similar to Polaroid Land 250, or better?) I would enjoy immensely taking instant photographs with a "non-plasticky" camera offering more advanced controls and creative options.

Brilliant! Loved this write up. Thank you, I may have to treat myself to an instant camera now.

Nine different models! I had absolutely no idea there were so many instant print cameras available.

I guess someone must be buying them.

I'm interested in an instant film camera but want the largest print (but not 8x10) - I like the MiNT InstantFlex but it only uses the mini film.

Ideas? Use it for art photography, mixed media projects, THanks! Deena

I got the Mint TL70 and it is a beautiful camera. It is fun to use when it works we The light meter is extremely inconsistent. There is no way to predict how the camera is going to respond. Most of the images I get are eaithwr overexposed or really underexposed even when the camera indicates that good exposure can be achieved. A very few come out well exposed.
Last night I took two images of exact same scene with exact same light conditions and the outcome of the two images was completely different, both underexposed, one more than the other.
I was expecting to have fun with this camera but the reality is that I'm having a tough time getting decent images. Maybe I got a faulty one.

The square one

They are all fun!!!

Hahahaha.... "The leica experience... if you never owned a leica, you would not understand". The lulz

This roundup is only about the integral Fuji Instax mini film. Fuji makes also Instax Wide film, twice as big as the mini format. The wide film is not that much more expensive.
Vintage integral Polaroid cameras (SX-70, 600 and Spectra series) can use Impossible instant film but this film is expensive compared to Fuji Instax. Impossible released this year their own I-1 instant camera.
Sadly Fuji discontinued this year the FP-100 C pack film that could be used with Polaroid pack film cameras.
This is all analog.

If you would like to go the digital way there is the new released Polaroid Snap Touch or the original Polaroid Snap. With the Snap Touch you can decide to print or not to print. The original Snap prints every picture.

I'm using instant cameras for 46 years and prefer the analog instant. Besides the already mentioned there is also the New55 for b&w picture with negative in the 4x5 format.

Best

Very good roundup.
I came from film world too, but never looked at instant cameras.
I may not buy an instant camera but find this roundup very educating in terms of what these little cameras can do.
I will come back to re-read this one multiple times.
Thanks.

No Polaroid Snap? The latest version is compelling because it functions as a printer as well.