Digital cameras are leaping ahead in image quality but there's still something to be said for the spontaneity and charm of an instant camera. I like theFujifilm Instax 210, at $60.
(Last Updated June 26th 2012: Polaroid has a new digital camera with a printer built in called the Z2300. It costs $160 and film costs $15 for a pack of $30. It takes 720p video and since the film is really special printer paper, you can print photo frames and effects on each shot. I don't think it's a better idea than the Fuji, but it is more compelling than previous digital polaroids which were more bulky and expensive. It comes out in August.)
It's one of the least expensive around, versus vintage or modern instants. Its film is easily available, simple to take care of, is long lasting, and costs less than a dollar a shot in bulk. It's much more reliable and simple than ancient or even new Polaroid cameras. And compared to other instant cameras by Fuji, it offers double the print size at about 4 x 2-1/2 inches.
Why would you need an instant in an age of smartphones and amazingly powerful digital cameras? Well, it's not the kind of camera you always keep with you but it's definitely something you can take to a friend's going-away party or to a bar on a summer night when you know things are going to be fun. My van is filled with shots of travellers, visitors and sunsets through my windshield. And every time I see these candid shots, I can't help but smile. (My subjects always smile, too.)
Unfortunately, there are few editorial reviews available for instant cameras.
But I have spent a year using various Instax Mini cameras, as well as a modern polaroid camera. Additionally, I interviewed a few photographer friends who have used various vintage Polaroids as well as Fujifilm instant cameras, and the resounding call is for the Fujifilm. It's not even close, which is why I feel safe making this recommendation.
Cole Rise, a photographer who designed the Instagram app's icon and some of its filters, says, "I played a lot with the Instax 210. The film's great and really cheap."
Jessica Zollman, a member of the Instagram community team, says, "I went for the Wide for its larger images that capture more detail from the scene and resemble the size of an original Polaroid more closely. It just seemed like a no brainer to get the larger format. My Instax Wide has me falling in love with instant photography all over again. The images are clear and crisp, the colors are vibrant and beautiful — reminiscent of the 600 Polaroid film days of yore, and its film is cheap and available in bulk and on Amazon Prime. I haven't experimented with the Mini, but heard that the images are a bit too small. If you carry around a bag often, or don't mind just throwing a conversation-starter camera over your shoulder before you head out, the Wide is absolutely perfect."
Foster Huntington, a vanlife friend of mine and author/photographer of The Burning House: What Would You Take?, says, "Instax is the way to go. Fuji's colors are great and predictable."
The competition is really thin. The modern Polaroid Z230E is terrible. It is a bad digital camera with a built-in printer. I used it for a few days and found it loud and heavy, not to mention expensive at $173.
Older Polaroids like the beautiful SX-70 need to use old Polaroid or special film from The Impossible Project. The cameras are about $300 and up at The Impossible Project's website, but there are lesser models that cost $150. The problem is that the film is unreliable.
Huntington says, "I've shot a bunch of the Impossible film and it's very hard to use." Cole Rise adds, "The Polaroid stuff is, well, Polaroid, but the Impossible film is pricey and not very trustworthy. I've been using both the Spectra and the SX-70, but the results have just been OK."
Part of the problem with the Impossible Project film is that you have to shield it from the light after shooting it and handle it carefully to expose it well. But even if you do all this, there can be problems with the longevity of your prints. Zollman says, "I have six packs of Polaroid 600 in my fridge and most of it is expired and very difficult to work with. I've dumped hundreds of dollars into Impossible Project, which took fantastic photos once I learned the tricks specific to my One Step/Spectra/SX-70, only to discover that my Polaroids are ruined six months later even with proper storage."
(Cole Rise also chimes in to say that the vintage Polaroid Land cameras, like the 200 model, are a good option reissued because they use new Fuji film. But these cameras are still large and, at $200 and up, relatively expensive compared to the Fujifilm Instax 210.)
Fujifilm's mini Instax cameras cost between $50 to $100 and they shoot credit card-sized shots. The camera is smaller at 4.4 x 4.8 x 2 inches for the 50s model which has a more advanced metering system than its cheaper siblings. In our experience and in the experience of some gear reviewing friends, the 50s takes photos that are better exposed. But at $100, the camera costs almost twice as much as the Wide. I like this camera, but unless you prize its portability over image size, I think the Wide is better. Film costs about $14 for a pack of 20 Mini shots vs. $17 for a pack of 20 Wide shots, so the differences in the cost of film isn't a factor. The only drawback to the Instax 210 with its wide shots, is that its body is almost comically big. But I think that adds to the experience of shooting with it. It's a fun body for a fun way to take photos. If you want portability, use a digital point and shoot, or get a Mini Instax.
Key Specs
Power Source: x4 AAsFilm Type: Fujifilm Instax WIDEFilm Cost: Single - 20 shots for $17 (85¢ per shot), Bulk - 100 shots for $77 (77¢ per shot)Image Size: 3.9 x 2.44 in / 62 x 99 mmAccessories: Close-up lens, strap, disposable batteriesSize/Weight: 7.03 x 4.63 x 3.72 in. / 21.5 oz., without batteries, close-up lens, and film pack
I like the 210 but if portability is more important, the 50s is our next best pick
There really aren't many other cheap, great instant cameras out there.
That's why the affordable Fujifilm Instax 210, with its wide shots, cheap and reliable film, is my pick.
