Best Instant Camera 2025: Our top picks for instant photography

The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo is Fujifilm’s best hybrid instant camera and the only one in this list to be awarded 4.5/5 stars.

The Mini Evo has a vintage aesthetic reminiscent of the Fujifilm X100V compact camera with its black faux leather finish and silver details and the plastic construction keeps it lightweight. There’s a 3-inch LCD screen for previewing photos and controls include a lens that turns to switch on the camera, two shutter buttons, flash, a preset dial and a physical lever to print your snaps.

The hybrid design means you don’t need to waste paper and ink printing out every shot you take and the camera can hold 45 images (or more with a microSD card), while still delivering on the charm of an instant camera.

We found the image quality of the Mini Evo to be comparable to other Instax cameras with punchy colours and a decent amount of detail, but skin tones can come out quite pale and the camera struggles with focus in less-than-ideal lighting situations.

There’s also an array of filters to choose from, including vivid, pale and monochrome, as well as lens effects like vignetting, soft focus and blur.

The Fujifilm Instax SQ1 is a stylish instant camera ideal for printing larger images and capturing selfies.

The SQ1 has an attractive but rather chunky design in a choice of three vibrant colours and a large lens taking up the majority of the space on the front of the camera. Everything important, such as the textured grip, the shutter button and the small viewfinder, sits on one side of the camera making it a little less ideal for left-handed people. However, we found the camera to be durable and comfortable to shoot with.

Unlike Fujifilm’s Mini cameras, the SQ1 uses Instax’ 62mm x 62mm Square film and there’s no display to preview your images here, giving it a slightly more spontaneous feel than the hybrid Mini Evo. However, there’s also no USB port, meaning you’ll need to change the CR-2 battery when the camera runs out of charge. We found this to be the case after around 100 shots.

Shooting with this camera is simple, with no fiddly settings here and only two shooting modes: regular and a selfie mode that uses a small mirror to help you line up your shot.

As far as image quality goes, the auto-exposure does a good job at getting light from dark scenes, as does the flash. Colours are soft and natural, but photos aren’t the sharpest. We found the fixed-focus lens to be great for portraits but hit and miss for landscapes, blurring objects further in the distance.

Ever since instant cameras returned to market some years ago, there have been attempts to modernise the concept with app controlled features or seamless smartphone connectivity. While those features are usually good fun, there’s something to be said about returning the pure simplicity of a shoot-and-print camera, just like those of the 1990s. If that sounds like your cup of tea then you’ll love the Instax Mini 41.

You may have already noticed from the picture, but the camera very much adheres to its retro sensibilities. The device honestly looks like an instant camera that you might have found before the turn of the century, but it is still compact enough if you want to fit it into a coat pocket or inside of a bag.

Despite its fairly compact size, the Instax Mini 41 is capable of producing massive credit card-sized shots that are perfect for framing or hanging up around your home. With each shot you take, there’s a wonderful lo-fi aesthetic to the colour and the overall detail that makes them stand out from shots that you could typically take with your smartphone.

Because of its lack of app connectivity, the point-and-shoot design of the Instax Mini 41 makes it a great option for kids who want something that they can easily take pictures with, and without any type of learning curve to go along with it. Plus, given that the camera is quite reasonably priced against its closest competitors, you won’t have to worry too much if you pass it on to a child.

If you are taking pictures in low-lit scenes however then there is a helpful flash on the front that can quickly inject a bit of light, giving you a dazzling photo in return. This is great for parties and outdoor bonfires where the camera might need a bit of help with focusing on the subject at hand.

The Lomo’Instant Automat is an instant camera with a vintage style for those looking for a non-Instax option great for taking on the go.

The camera is automated, making it easy to get to grips with for beginners. However, the focus is manual, allowing you to choose between close for portraits, mid-range for group shots and infinity for landscapes. You can also turn the flash on and off and experiment with exposure by adding and removing exposure compensation or turning to the Bulb mode for long exposure images.

The standard lens have an equivalent focal length of 35mm but you can also invest in converter lenses for added functionality.

The small viewfinder is used to frame images, though we found it wasn’t always the most accurate and doesn’t adjust when you change lens adapters, meaning you’ll only see a rough approximate of what you’re shooting. There’s also the option to take selfies, with the shutter release button doubling as a mirror.

We found that images shot on the Automat were mixed but that’s part of the charm of shooting with an instant camera. The camera produces colourful results in bright conditions and surprisingly natural ones with the flash on in darker settings, though we did see the odd light leak or lens flare

Though this camera is built by Lomography, it uses the Instax format of film, making it readily available when you need to stock up. It’s also powered by two CR2 batteries with no USB charging on board. There’s also no display on the back, meaning you can’t preview your images before they print.

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ40 is Fujifilm’s latest square format instant camera and a great alternative to the Instax SQ1 for anyone looking for something with a more classic appearance.

Internally, the SQ40 is largely identical to the SQ1. Both cameras have large but lightweight designs and are incredibly simple to operate, making them ideal for anyone new to instant photography.

The image quality on the SQ40 is great too. We found the camera picked up a decent amount of detail and contrast during our time reviewing it. Meanwhile, the automatic exposure and flash provide enough light to brighten up the subject regardless of the time of day.

The results were blurry at times – especially when snapping pics from a shorter distance – but small imperfections like fuzzy text and blown-out lights can also add character to an instant photo so we didn’t find this to be a dealbreaker.

Because the biggest differences between the SQ40 and the SQ1 lay in the physical design, the SQ40 is less an upgrade and more of an alternative option for anyone who wants a square format camera but prefers the black faux leather finish and silver details already found on the Instax Mini 40 and Instax Mini Evo, as opposed to the brightly coloured design of the SQ1.

Like the SQ1, the SQ40 accepts Fujifilm’s Instax Square film, which measures 62 x 62mm or 86 x 72mm including the borders. The company sells this film in packs of 20 with 10 shots available from each of the two cartridges in the box. This should work out at around 85p a shot, though anyone hesitant about wasting film may want to check out the Instax Square Link before making a final decision on either of the Square models.