Life
When it comes to taking photos, technology has gone full circle and instant cameras are now making a major comeback. The best instant cameras on the market allow you to take quality, creative photographs and print them instantly, with both film cameras and digital cameras that have built-in printers taking center stage.
People who take tons of photos could just look back at their phone or social accounts anytime, but how often do you actually do that? Keeping a physical picture is its own little souvenir of those photo-worthy moments that you can put up on your wall (the one in your room, of course), carry in your wallet, or gift to someone special.
A lot of instant film cameras have plenty of modes and features — like portrait mode, macro lenses, and impressive aperture — that help you take crisp, clear photographs. And many still take photos that have a distinctly vintage look to them.
Whether you're a serious photographer looking to add a novelty camera to your collection or just someone who'd love to snap some immediate pictures of friends and family, these instant cameras will help you take and print gorgeous photos in a matter of seconds.
1
An Affordable Camera With A Selfie Mirror
Fujifilm Instax Mini 9, $60, Amazon
This affordable mini film camera has a flashing LED light that indicates the recommended aperture setting, allowing you to take a well-lit photo every time. It also has a portrait mode and a selfie mirror, making it beyond easy to take selfies and group photos. The convenient camera also runs on AA batteries and weighs less than a pound, so you can take it anywhere and don't have to worry about bringing a charger.
2
A Camera That's Supirior At Capturing Moving Objects
Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic, $114, Amazon
This film camera has tons of features that make each photo you take look professional — automatically detecting brightness, adjusting flash, and shutter speed, and offering a double exposure mode, party mode, and kids mode. It's also ideal for taking pics at sporting events or of rowdy pets who won't sit still, thanks to its shutter speed, and the camera can take macro shots as close as 30 centimeters away.
3
A Polaroid Camera That Instantly Prints Digital Images
Polaroid Snap Touch Instant Print Digital Camera, $159, Amazon
This digital camera can immediately print your photos with the quality of digital but the speed of film. This way, you still have a screen to check out your photos, so you can decide which to keep and which to delete. Using the Polaroid Zink Zero Ink Paper, you don't even need ink or toner. You can also sync the camera to your smart phone and use it as a printer for other pictures you've taken.
4
A Camera With A Manual Focus Program
Leica Sofort Instant Camera, $299, Amazon
This instant camera offers various modes — including party, self-portrait, sports, and macro — as well as built-in flash and mechanical shutter. It also has a three-zone manual focus system, allowing you to take shallow depth of field shots and get creative with the composition of your film photography. Plus, its design (available in mint, orange, or white) gives you a retro vibe befitting of the instant film photos.
5
A Film Camera That Offers The Longest Exposures & A Variety Of Lenses
Lomography Lomo'Instant, $139, Amazon
This instant camera comes with a variety of lenses, including a fisheye lens and a portrait lens to help you properly frame your subject — and it has the largest aperture available of any film camera currently on the market. This, in combination with the ability to shoot with lengthy exposures, means you can take clear photos even in darker settings. You can also add color gels, switch between automatic or manual flash, and more.
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