The Best Instant Cameras of 2017

If Fujifilm's cameras leave you cold, then check out what Lomography's whipped up. Its Instax Mini-compatible Lomo'Instant Automat cameras are actually pretty great, but my personal favorite was the top-tier Automat Glass Magellan. It has an impressive wide-angle lens packing high-quality glass elements. In the box, you also get colored gels to alter the hue of the flash and a multiple-exposure Splitzer lens cover to encourage creativity. Read our Review | $189

Polaroid Originals is picking up where the old Polaroid left off around a decade ago. Its first new camera, the OneStep 2 is competitively priced and very easy to shoot. It has a USB-rechargeable battery, too. The biggest problem with the OneStep 2 is that film is very expensive (around $2 per frame) and I found my photos came out looking less colorful than what I expected. But, if you need your fix of that square film, Polaroid Originals has the camera for you. Read our Review | $99

Fujifilm's wider film requires you buy a separate camera to shoot it. Unfortunately, the Instax Wide 300 is the only first-party camera to shoot said Instax Wide film and it's only an OK camera. Sure, it has the right features, but its huge, plasticky body means you sacrifice portability compared to a Polaroid-compatible or Instax Mini camera. Its biggest drawback is that the viewfinder can make framing close-up shots challenging to frame the way you want. $89

For those of us who value portability, Fujifilm offers the Instax Mini 70. This tiny camera can go anywhere with you, and doesn't skimp on things like the valuable selfie mirror. There are two wrinkles that I think make the Mini 70 less desirable than either the Instax Mini 9 or Instax Mini 90: it's more expensive than the Mini 9 and it requires the less common CR-2 batteries. Thankfully, you can usually find it sold at a discount just about anywhere. $139

This stylish but expensive camera is actually good, but it's simply not for everyone. Unless you value eye-catching design and the signature Leica red dot over getting what you've paid for, the Sofort has little to offer. I enjoyed shooting with it but routinely questioned why it costs more than twice as much as the incredibly similar Fuji Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. Don't let its aesthetic loveliness fool you: unless you're a dedicated Leica owner, you should probably just get the Fujifilm version. Read our Review | $299

The first Fujifilm camera to shoot square pictures, the SQ10 is underwhelming for the price. It's essentially an analog camera tethered to a printer that exposes analog film. Though that setup should yield some unique benefits, I found it to be less than the sum of its parts. Unlike the Instax Mini and Wide film, the new Instax Square film packs are significantly pricier, which is another bummer. Read our Review | $279