Reviews of cameras that take instant films such as Instax or Polaroid. Instant photography like other traditional mediums has had a huge resurgence in recent years. Be that because of Fuji’s success with Instax film, the return of Polaroid, or just the overall appeal of a type of analogue photography that gives instant gratification in the form of a tangible photo, instant cameras here to stay.
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If you asked me to list my favourite types of cameras from most to least favourite, two types of camera that definitely wouldn’t be near the top would be instant cameras and TLRs. Well, without wanting to sound too hyperbolic, that was until I tried the Mint InstantFlex TL70 Plus which has genuinely got me …
Mint InstantFlex TL70 Plus Instax Square TLR Review Read More
Instant photography is going strong. It’s no wonder the easy, fast, and deliciously nostalgic way of capturing memories continues to grow as it is the most accessible form of analogue photography. Many instant cameras are simple, automatic, and even kid-friendly.
Press one button and they shell out a piece of film magic. A moment captured and transformed into a tangible mini keepsake. No decisions or know-how necessary. But what if you want more control over your instant images? What if you want to explore techniques like long exposure or using off-camera flash?
Well, this is where NONS Camera has stepped in. The company, from Hong Kong now based in Shenzhen, has created a line of cameras that use Fujifilm’s Instax film but places the control back into the hands of photographers. Featuring manual settings for shutter speed and aperture as well as an interchangeable lens mount, these cameras are instant photography powerhouses.
It’s hard to believe but Fujifilm Instax cameras & film have been around for less than 25 years. This is a review of the Share SP-2 printer, released in 2016.
The first camera, the Instax mini 10 was released in November 1998 since then Fujifilm has released many more Instax mini cameras along with the wide & square format cameras and whilst these cameras are arguably aimed more at the teen market, their Instax printers are a different story.
The announcement of the Lomography Lomograflok some time ago was something that really grabbed my attention – being able to shoot Instax film with my 5×4 camera is just something that appeals to me! The last time I used instant film was some peel-apart and that was about four years ago when I managed to nab some FP100C on eBay. I thought it was expensive even back then, great fun but not an everyday film by any means. Looking at the prices now I just can’t justify buying any, especially with no guarantee of how well it’s been stored and its subsequent results based on that, it just feels too risky.
If you are an instant photography veteran my revelations may not be for you, but I confess that I am a late comer to instant photography. I never photographed with Polaroid when instant photography was in its prime, even though I photographed on film through the 1980’s through to the early 2000’s. Even when I started shooting a Holga in 2010 I managed to miss the resurrection of Polaroid in the form of the Impossible Project. It was not, in fact, until the end of 2019 that I photographed my first instant photo on Instax.
