Short answer: if you want the iconic square Polaroid look and don't mind paying for it, get the Polaroid Now+ Gen 3. If you want the cheapest cost per shot and a camera you'll actually carry everywhere, get an Instax Mini. And if you're a serious photographer, the Polaroid I-2 or the Instax Mini 99 will reward you. Now the long answer — because an instant camera is a commitment, and the right choice depends entirely on how you'll actually use it.

What Actually Matters When Choosing an Instant Camera

Three things decide whether you'll love or abandon an instant camera:

  • Film cost. The camera is a one-time purchase; film is forever. Polaroid film runs roughly $2.25–2.75 per shot, Instax Mini around $0.75–0.90. Over a year of regular shooting, the film gap dwarfs the camera price.
  • Print format. Square Polaroid prints are the cultural icon. Instax Mini prints are credit-card sized — cute, but small. Instax Wide gives you the largest image area of any mainstream instant format.
  • Control vs. simplicity. Point-and-shoot models are forgiving and fun at parties. Manual-control models produce dramatically better images in tricky light — if you're willing to learn.

Polaroid Now+ Gen 3 — Best Overall Polaroid

Around $140. For: the classic Polaroid experience, modernized.

The Now+ Gen 3 is the sweet spot of the current Polaroid lineup. You get autofocus, a capable flash, double exposure, and — via the companion app — aperture priority, tripod modes, and creative controls that older Now models lacked. It shoots both i-Type and 600 film, so the full range of Polaroid stocks (color, black and white, special editions) is available. It's chunky, it's slow, it's occasionally moody in cold weather — and that's exactly the charm. Prints are the full-size square format that made Polaroid famous.

Polaroid I-2 — Best for Enthusiasts

Around $600. For: photographers who want real control over instant film.

The I-2 is Polaroid's flagship: a sharp three-element lens, LiDAR-assisted autofocus, full manual exposure controls, and a proper viewfinder with an information readout. It's the first Polaroid camera in decades built for people who think in stops and shutter speeds. The catch is obvious — at this price plus Polaroid film costs, it's a serious commitment. But if you've been frustrated by the exposure roulette of cheaper Polaroid bodies, the I-2 delivers the most consistent integral-film results money can buy.

Polaroid Go Generation 2 — Best Pocket Polaroid

Around $80. For: portability above all.

The Go is the world's smallest analog instant camera, and the second generation improved its exposure accuracy. The prints are miniature versions of the classic square frame — undeniably adorable, though the small image area limits detail. Go film costs about the same per shot as full-size Polaroid film, which makes it the format's weakest value. Buy it for the size and the smile it puts on people's faces, not for economy.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 — Best Budget Buy

Around $80. For: first-timers, gifts, and parties.

The Mini 12 is the camera to buy when you just want instant photography to work. Automatic exposure, a built-in close-up mode for selfies, cheerful pastel bodies, and the cheapest film per shot of any option here. The prints are small and the look is crisp and modern rather than moody and vintage — but for a teenager's first camera or a wedding-table camera, nothing beats it.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 99 — Best Creative Instax

Around $200. For: Instax economy with creative control.

The Mini 99 is what happens when Fujifilm builds an Instax for photographers: an aluminum-accented body, manual brightness control, a proper tripod socket, and color-effect modes that tint your prints in-camera (the "Light Leak" effect is genuinely fun). It keeps Instax Mini's low film cost while offering the kind of intentionality usually reserved for Polaroid's high end. Arguably the best value-to-capability ratio in instant photography right now.

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 — Best for Groups and Landscapes

Around $150. For: the biggest prints in mainstream instant film.

Instax Wide film gives you a 3.9 × 2.4 inch image area — nearly double a Mini print — which transforms group shots, landscapes, and events. The Wide 400 body is large and plasticky, and controls are basic, but nothing else at this price puts this much instant real estate in your hands. Wide film costs roughly $1–1.30 per shot, sitting between Mini and Polaroid.

Quick Picks

  • The icon: Polaroid Now+ Gen 3
  • The enthusiast's choice: Polaroid I-2 or Instax Mini 99
  • The budget pick: Instax Mini 12
  • The pocket companion: Polaroid Go Generation 2
  • The group-shot machine: Instax Wide 400

Still torn between the two big ecosystems? Our detailed Polaroid 600 vs. Instax comparison digs into the film aesthetics and format differences shot by shot.

Try the Look Before You Buy the Camera

Here's a genuinely useful trick before spending $80–600 plus film: spend ten minutes living with the Polaroid aesthetic first. RetroPolaroid runs free in your browser — a live webcam viewfinder, the classic frame, real film grain, and a handwritten-style caption, with every finished shot downloading automatically as a PNG. No signup, no cost, unlimited shots. If you find yourself delighted every time that framed print appears, you're ready for the real thing. And if you're weighing digital effects against physical film more seriously, our honest digital vs. film comparison breaks down exactly what each gets you. Try it now at retropolaroid.com.