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The 10 Best Instant Cameras as of June 2026

Updated 18 June 2026 ยท Reviewed by the Pickarank team ยท Prices in GBP, subject to change

We compared the best instant cameras you can buy in 2026, scoring each out of 10 on performance, value, build quality and features. Here are the ten worth your money โ€” with an at-a-glance table and the current best prices.

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Our top picks at a glance

Top pick

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12

8.9Best overall
Check price on Amazon โ‰ˆ ยฃ70
Best value

Kodak Smile+

8.2Best budget print
Check price on Amazon โ‰ˆ ยฃ100
Also great

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

8.7Best for groups
Check price on Amazon โ‰ˆ ยฃ130

Prices were correct at the time of writing and change often โ€” tap through for today's price on Amazon.

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How we ranked these instant cameras

Each pick earns a score out of 10 from weighted criteria:

  • Performance (35%) โ€” how well each instant camera does its core job.
  • Value (25%) โ€” quality and features for the price.
  • Build & reliability (20%) โ€” materials, longevity and warranty.
  • Features (20%) โ€” meaningful extras that improve the experience.

At a glance: top 10 compared

Swipe across to see all columns, including Amazon links โ†’

#Instant CamerasScoreBest forFilmApprox. PriceAmazon links
1Fujifilm Instax Mini 128.9Best overallInstax Miniยฃ70View Price
2Fujifilm Instax Mini 998.8Best creative controlInstax Mini (manual effects)ยฃ170View Price
3Fujifilm Instax Wide 4008.7Best for groupsInstax Wideยฃ130View Price
4Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo8.7Best hybridHybrid (digital + print)ยฃ180View Price
5Polaroid Now Gen 28.6Best retro PolaroidPolaroid i-Typeยฃ100View Price
6Polaroid Now+ Gen 28.6Best with appPolaroid i-Type (app)ยฃ130View Price
7Fujifilm Instax Square SQ18.5Best square formatInstax Squareยฃ100View Price
8Polaroid Go Gen 28.4Best pocketablePolaroid Goยฃ80View Price
9Canon Zoemini 28.3Best printer-cameraZink (inkless)ยฃ90View Price
10Kodak Smile+8.2Best budget printZink (inkless)ยฃ100View Price

The full ranking

1
Best overall

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12

8.9Our number one pick.

The Instax Mini 12 is the easiest, most fun instant camera, with automatic exposure, a close-up mode and reliably bright, cheerful prints, the one most people should buy. The credit-card-sized prints are small, but the ease, results and value are exceptional.

Image: 9.0Ease: 9.6Features: 8.6Value: 9.2
Pros
  • Effortless to use
  • Bright, cheerful prints
  • Great value
Cons
  • Small prints
  • No manual control
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ70
2
Best creative control

Fujifilm Instax Mini 99

8.8A superb runner-up.

The Instax Mini 99 adds manual controls and creative colour effects like sepia and light leaks for those who want to shape the look of their instant prints. It is pricier and more involved, but the creative control and results are excellent.

Image: 9.2Ease: 8.6Features: 9.4Value: 8.6
Pros
  • Creative colour effects
  • Manual controls
  • Quality prints
Cons
  • Pricier
  • More to learn
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ170
3
Best for groups

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

8.7Rounds out our top three.

The Instax Wide 400 prints larger, wider photos perfect for group shots and landscapes, capturing more in every frame. It is bulkier and the film costs more, but for wide group prints it is excellent.

Image: 9.0Ease: 8.8Features: 8.6Value: 8.6
Pros
  • Wide prints for groups
  • Easy to use
  • Captures more in frame
Cons
  • Bulky
  • Pricier wide film
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ130
4
Best hybrid

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo

8.7A standout in the upper half.

The Instax Mini Evo is a hybrid that shoots digitally so you can pick the best shots and effects before printing, saving film and giving lots of creative filters. It is pricier, but the choose-then-print flexibility and style are excellent.

Image: 9.0Ease: 8.8Features: 9.4Value: 8.4
Pros
  • Print only the best shots
  • Lots of filters
  • Stylish retro design
Cons
  • Pricier
  • Small prints
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ180
5
Best retro Polaroid

Polaroid Now Gen 2

8.6A well-rounded mid-table pick.

The Polaroid Now Gen 2 delivers the iconic large square Polaroid look with autofocus and a charming, dreamy aesthetic, lovely for nostalgic prints. The film is pricey and results are soft by design, but the classic look and feel are excellent.

Image: 8.6Ease: 8.8Features: 8.4Value: 8.6
Pros
  • Iconic square prints
  • Autofocus
  • Charming aesthetic
Cons
  • Pricey film
  • Soft, dreamy look
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ100
6
Best with app

Polaroid Now+ Gen 2

8.6Great value in the middle of the pack.

The Polaroid Now+ adds app control with creative tools like double exposure, manual mode and colour filters via lens attachments, more flexibility for the classic Polaroid format. It relies on the app for extras, but the creative modes are excellent.

Image: 8.6Ease: 8.6Features: 9.0Value: 8.4
Pros
  • App creative modes
  • Lens filter kit
  • Classic square format
Cons
  • App needed for extras
  • Pricey film
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ130
7
Best square format

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ1

8.5A dependable pick if the price is right.

The Instax Square SQ1 prints crisp, modern square photos that suit social-style framing, with simple automatic operation. It only does square, but for clean square prints and ease it is excellent.

Image: 8.8Ease: 9.0Features: 8.2Value: 8.8
Pros
  • Crisp square prints
  • Very easy to use
  • Auto exposure
Cons
  • Square only
  • Limited controls
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ100
8
Best pocketable

Polaroid Go Gen 2

8.4Solid, if outshone by pricier rivals.

The Polaroid Go Gen 2 is the world's smallest instant camera, printing miniature Polaroid-style photos from a pocket-sized body, fun and portable. The tiny prints and pricey film limit it, but for pocketable fun it is good.

Image: 8.2Ease: 8.8Features: 8.2Value: 8.6
Pros
  • Tiny and pocketable
  • Mini Polaroid prints
  • Cute design
Cons
  • Very small prints
  • Pricey film
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ80
9
Best printer-camera

Canon Zoemini 2

8.3A budget-friendly option worth a look.

The Canon Zoemini 2 doubles as a slim instant camera and a phone photo printer using inkless Zink paper, handy for printing from your gallery on the go. The Zink prints are small and basic, but the phone-printing flexibility and value are good.

Image: 8.2Ease: 8.6Features: 8.6Value: 8.6
Pros
  • Prints from your phone too
  • Slim and portable
  • Inkless Zink
Cons
  • Basic Zink quality
  • Small prints
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ90
10
Best budget print

Kodak Smile+

8.2Rounds out our top ten.

The Kodak Smile+ is a fun, affordable Zink instant camera with effects and a phone-print mode, a cheerful budget option for casual prints. The Zink image quality is modest, but for the price and fun it does the job.

Image: 8.0Ease: 8.6Features: 8.4Value: 8.8
Pros
  • Affordable
  • Inkless Zink
  • Phone printing and effects
Cons
  • Modest image quality
  • Small prints
Check price on Amazonโ‰ˆ ยฃ100

Frequently asked questions

What's the best of the instant cameras in 2026?

Our top overall pick is the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12, which leads on our combined score for performance, value and features. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 99 and Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 are excellent alternatives depending on budget and needs.

How did we choose these?

We weight performance, value, build quality and features, drawing on hands-on use and independent testing. See the methodology box above for the full breakdown.

Are these prices accurate?

Prices are approximate UK figures at the time of writing and change frequently. Click through to Amazon for the current price.

The bottom line

If you just want the best instant cameras without overthinking it, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is our top recommendation โ€” it earns the highest overall score for performance, value and features. Have a look at the current price and see what you think.

Check price on Amazon โ‰ˆ ยฃ70

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