We Tried Every INSTANT CAMERA for 30 Days Here's What Happened

INSTAX MINI FILM: SDP.io/MINIFILM
Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Camera: SDP.io/MINI12 ($80)
Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 Camera: SDP.io/MINI40 ($100)
Fujifilm Instax Mini 99 Camera: SDP.io/MINI99 ($200)
Lomo'Instant Automat Camera: SDP.io/AUTOMAT ($160)

INSTAX SQUARE FILM: SDP.io/SQFILM
Fujifilm Instax SQ1 Camera: SDP.io/SQ1 ($140)
Lomo'Instant Square Camera: SDP.io/SQUARE ($150)

INSTAX WIDE FILM: SDP.io/WIDEFILM
Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 Camera: SDP.io/WIDE400 ($150)
Lomo'Instant Square Camera: SDP.io/LOMOWIDE ($200)

NOTE: We do not reivew the "Hybrid" instant cameras. These do not use film; they are digital cameras with built-in printers. We have tested them and the image quality sucks.

Tony & Chelsea Northrup review EVERY instant film camera! They quickly dismiss all cameras that use Polaroid film. Even though the Polaroid cameras themselves are great, and the aspect ratio has the most nostaglia, the current Polaroid film formulations are NOT what you remember. Polaroid lost that technology. The Impossible Project, which later started using the Polaroid name after the company's bankruptcy, has done a ton of work to create an instant film from scratch, but it's not as good as the old Polaroids and nowhere near as good as the Fujifilm Instax film. Watch our Polaroid History video for more information:    • Polaroid History: Can a dead brand REALLY ...  

Tony & Chelsea DO like the Fujifilm Instax film, which comes in three sizes. First, pick the size of film (and aspect ratio of the photo) that you like. Then, select the camera model that suits your needs within that film size.

The most popular film size is the smallest: the Fujifilm Instax Mini Film. The cameras are reasonably sized (unlike the bigger film which requires huge cameras). But, the pictures are SO SMALL. We suggest the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 or Mini 40 for casual shooters; they're the same camera, either in a bubbly colorful body or a square black body, depending on your aesthetics. For advanced photogarphers who want creative and manual controls, try the Fujfiilm Instax Mini 99 or Lomo'Instant Automat cameras.

We liked the Fujifilm Instax Square film sizes the best. The cameras are a little big, but still a reasonable size. The pictures are much larger than the Instax Mini and more reminiscent of the Polaroid film we're all nostalgic for. There's really only two Instax Square cameras: the fully automatic SQ1 and the strange but creative Lomo'Instant Square.

If you want the biggest possible film, get a Instax Wide camera. The cameras are outrageously large, but not too heavy. The pictures are big, but very wide and short, and best used horizontally rather than vertically. There's really only two Instax Wide cameras: the fully automatic Fujifilm Wide 400 and the creative Lomo'Instant Wide.

0:00 Introduction
0:15 Polaroid (it sucks)
0:37 Fujifilm Instax film sizes
1:15 Instax Mini 12 Camera Review
1:33 Instax Mini 40 Camera Review
1:45 Instax Mini 99 Camera Review
2:48 Lomo'Instant Automat Camera Review
3:32 Fujifilm Instax SQ1 Camera Review
4:00 Lomo'Instant Square Camera Review
5:27 Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 Camera Review
5:59 Lomo'Instant Wide Camera Review
6:30 Summary