An instant camera hands you a physical photograph seconds after you press the shutter — a tangible little keepsake in an age when almost every picture vanishes into a phone. They are brilliant fun at parties, on holiday and as gifts, and there is a real thrill in watching an image slowly appear in your hand. An extensive test of instant cameras sorted the best, and these are the top picks, checked against current UK prices.
What to Look For
Analogue or hybrid. This is the fundamental choice. A pure analogue camera is point-and-shoot: whatever you frame is printed, with all the charm and the happy accidents that brings. A hybrid model adds a digital sensor and a screen, so you can review a shot, apply effects and only print the keepers — and reprint favourites later. Hybrids cost more but waste far less film.
Film format and size. The film decides the look and the running cost. Fujifilm's Instax Mini gives credit-card-sized prints; Instax Wide produces big landscape photos around 8.5 by 10.8 cm; and Polaroid's square format has that classic retro frame. Bigger prints are lovelier but pricier per shot.
Film cost — the real expense. The camera is only the start; the film is where the money goes. A pack holds 8 shots on Polaroid and 10 shots on Fujifilm, and Instax Mini film works out at around £10 for those 10 pictures, while Polaroid's square packs run to £15 to £19 each. Buying film in double packs is usually cheaper, but factor this ongoing cost in before you choose.
Useful features. Small touches make a big difference: parallax correction stops the annoying framing offset on close-ups that plagues cheap analogue cameras, a selfie mirror and a close-up mode help with portraits, and hybrids add exposure control, filters and, increasingly, modern USB-C charging. On a hybrid, look at the sensor and screen too — the best pack a 15.9 megapixel sensor and a 3.5-inch display.
Fun and design. These are joyful objects, so colour, styling and pocketability matter. A light, pretty camera you are happy to carry will get used far more than a serious one that stays at home.
The Winner: Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo
The Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo (around £287.97) is the best instant camera for those who want the most from the format. As a hybrid, it marries the charm of instant prints with digital control: it is the first hybrid camera for the big landscape Instax Wide film, pairs a 15.9 megapixel sensor and a wide 28 mm-equivalent lens with a 3.5-inch screen, and offers up to 100,000 different effect combinations so you can craft a shot before committing it to film. Its 740 mAh battery is good for around 100 shots, and you choose which pictures to print and can reprint the best, which tames film costs. It is pricey, but as an all-rounder it is unmatched. Check the price on Amazon
Best Budget: Fujifilm Instax Mini 12
Related Articles
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 (around £68.98) is the cheap, cheerful, do-anything instant camera to buy. It is a pure analogue point-and-shoot that anyone can use, and its headline improvement over the older Mini 11 is a new parallax correction that avoids the off-centre framing many cheap instant cameras suffer at close range. It comes in a range of pastel colours, has a built-in selfie mirror and close-up mode, and delivers that classic credit-card-sized Instax Mini print through its fixed 60 mm f/12 lens. For pure fun per pound, nothing beats it. Check the price on Amazon
Best Compact: Polaroid Go Generation 2
If you love the unmistakable square Polaroid look in the tiniest possible body, the Polaroid Go Generation 2 (around £67.20) is the one. It is the "small and chic" pick — genuinely pocketable at just 42.3 mm by 44.4 mm by 43.0 mm — and this second generation adds a modern USB-C charging port while keeping the same adorable design. Its square prints with the iconic white frame have a retro character all their own. Bear in mind Polaroid film is dearer and gives 8 shots a pack, but for portable, characterful fun it is a delight. Check the price on Amazon
Also Tested
Related Articles
A few other cameras are worth knowing. The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo is the smaller hybrid that the Wide Evo dethroned and remains a superb, more affordable hybrid in the Mini format, with a 51.1 mm lens. The Leica Sofort 2 is a premium hybrid with clear parallels to the Instax Mini Evo but at a much higher price, and the Lomography Lomo Instant Wide is a characterful, more manual take on the wide format. Check current prices and film availability before choosing any of them.
How to Choose
Decide how you want to shoot. If you want the best all-rounder and do not mind paying for it, the hybrid Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo lets you perfect a shot before printing and rescue your film budget. For pure, affordable fun that anyone can pick up, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is unbeatable value. And if you want the classic square Polaroid look in your pocket, the Polaroid Go Generation 2 is made for it. Whichever you choose, remember that the film is the real ongoing cost, so pick a format whose refills you are happy to keep buying.
Verdict
The Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo is the instant camera to buy for enthusiasts at around £287.97: a clever hybrid that combines big Instax Wide prints, a proper screen and endless effects. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 (around £68.98) is the joyful budget champion, while the Polaroid Go Generation 2 (around £67.20) packs the classic square look into a pocket. Load some film, start snapping, and enjoy holding your photos again.
