The best instant cameras

Best instant camera: a young girl holding a vintage instant camera over her face to take a photograph
(Image credit: Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty)

The best instant camera can offer immediate gratification. You get a hard copy physical image at the touch of the button, which can be hugely useful if you're working on a project and need to line up images on a board for comparison. While instant cameras have been around for a long, long time, the best instant cameras today, including the best Polaroid camera, offer increasingly improved capabilities and modern features such as bluetooth connectivity, glass lenses and dual-lens autofocus. 

Many people may have consigned instant cameras to the past considering the quality of cameras now available on phones (see our guide to the best camera phones), but smartphone snaps tend to get forgotten about in the cloud, and if you want to print them, ink costs a fortune. As a result, owning one of the best instant cameras is still a good idea. In the guide below, we outline our top choices for a variety of print sizes, aspect ratios, prices and brands, including the best Polaroid camera. You'll find something for everyone, including models for children, and direct links to the best current prices.

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Jason Parnell-Brookes
Managing editor, ecommerce, Space and Live Science

 Jase Parnell-Brookes is the Managing Editor for e-commerce for Space and Live Science. Previously the Channel Editor for Cameras and Skywatching at Space, Jase has been an editor and contributing expert across a wide range of publications since 2010. Based in the UK, they are also an award-winning photographer and educator winning the Gold Prize award in the Nikon Photo Contest 2018/19 and named Digital Photographer of the Year in 2014.

After completing their Masters degree in 2011 and qualifying as a teacher in 2012, Jase has spent the last two decades studying and working in photography and publishing in multiple areas, and specialises in low light optics and camera systems.