Polaroid Flip: Two-minute review

Like many tech journalists and photographers of a certain vintage (aka born in the early 90s), I always remember there being a Polaroid at family parties when growing up. Later in my teenage years, when studying photography at university and trying my hardest to be cool, I bought a secondhand Polaroid Sun 600 on eBay, but finding decent film then was harder than it is now. Eventually, the cost superceded the cool, and I gave up.

Polaroid has come a long way since then, and has been revisiting its heritage with the aesthetic of newer releases. We had the Polaroid Go 2 in late 2023, similar in looks to the Polaroid 1000 Land Camera. In March this year, the brand refreshed its Now instant series with the Now 3 and Now 3+, cameras that I think share the character of the original OneStep SX-70.

I'm a Polaroid nerd, so I was excited to test the new Polaroid Flip before its official release. But given that the last camera I used was the flagship Polaroid I-2, in all its sharp lens, manual control glory, I was apprehensive about how a more affordable model could compete with the best instant camera for pros.

Polaroid's tagline for the Flip is that it's the camera for an analog life. For "instant photography over instant gratification." Presumably it means for people who appreciate physical prints over looking back through their phone camera roll. The Flip keeps things simple and easy-to-use; there are no filters or effects, and the main talking points include common instant camera features like double exposures and self-timers.

Despite lacking manual controls like the Polaroid I-2, the Flip feels like a camera that more advanced instant shooters can still appreciate and enjoy. A clever four-lens system is brilliantly effective at adapting to varying subject distances, meaning you get mostly sharp shots, even at dark parties.

And there are subtle but clever ways the camera uses 'scene analysis' to guide your images. A red viewfinder warning light alerts you to a shot being over- or underexposed, and an alert appears on the lid display when you get too close to a subject. Selfies are a tad tricky, though, and macro isn't a viable option given the camera's restricted minimum focusing distance.

Polaroid's signature tones shine with the Flip, though colors in my experience sometimes leaned unexpectedly toward green. Also, while the B&W i-Type film showed strong contrast on occasion, I found that highlights could easily blow out with Polaroid's most powerful adaptive flash yet.

It's always difficult to review Polaroid performance, because the expectations are so different from most other cameras. Part of the joy of analog lies in experimentation, and yet with Polaroid film being so expensive, you want to know that most of your shots will at least come out intended. Despite minor disappointments with the Flip, I loved the results overall. I think those willing to practice, learn and refine their shooting approach over time will too.

Polaroid Flip: price and availability

• Costs $199.99 / £199.99 (Australia pricing TBC)
• Early purchase for Polaroid members starts April 15
• On sale at Polaroid.com from April 29, retailers May 13

The Polaroid Flip is available from a few different dates depending on who you are. Polaroid members can purchase the camera on the official website starting April 15, and general access follows from April 29. It's destined for general camera retailers from May 13.

The Flip's price at release is $199.99 / £199.99. A year ago I would have thought this quite steep, but recent US tariffs and spiralling tech costs have made me reassess. Still, the Flip is at the serious end of instant cameras, at more than twice the price of the entry-level Instax Mini 12. It's more expensive than the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 model ($149.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.99) and the older, square-format Instax SQ40.

But then it sits below the Polaroid I-2 ($599 / £599 / AU$1,099) with its super-sharp lens and the hybrid Instax Wide Evo ($349.95.99 / £319.99 / AU$599) which has 20 film and lens effects and allows you to select what you print to save on film.

You're tied into using either Polaroid 600 or I-Type film with the Flip, and realistically this is more expensive per exposure than Instax. Prices vary a lot depending on what country you're in, and bundle packs can help to bring the cost down, but an 8-pack of I-Type costs roughly the same amount as 20 photos of Instax (Wide or Mini).

Polaroid Flip: specs

Polaroid Flip: design

• Heavier than the Polaroid I-2
• Flippable lid for lens protection
• Viewfinder LED and ‘lid’ display

The Polaroid Flip is a boxy, chunky camera. That much is obvious when you get it out of the box. It weighs 200g more than the Polaroid Now+ and 85g more than the Polaroid I-2, as well as being deeper and taller. But that’s because the design is so different from anything else in the current lineup.

Rather than having a lens cap to cover a protruding lens or the front face exposed, Flip has a (you guessed it) flip-up lid. This lid pulls up smoothly and clicks into position at the top when you want to take a photo. When the lid is down, the camera automatically turns off, and the most important parts of the camera are well-protected.

I really like the design, which gives the camera a clean, modern silhouette and means you can pop it in a bag without fretting about dust getting in the lens grooves. And I still felt it was distinctly Polaroid. The Flip comes in a subtle matte black colorway or white with a pop of orange for more daring users.

I found the exterior of the white model prone to marks, but the plastic casing is easily wipable. And twice when I was out shooting, two people stopped to tell me that I had “a really cool-looking camera”. Street credibility points to me.

According to the specs sheet, the Flip is made from four types of plastic, including acrylic and polycarbonate. These have all been chosen for properties that would make sense in a take-anywhere camera, and they keep the body as lightweight as possible but also strong and impact-resistant.

The build quality doesn’t feel brittle or cheap, the buttons are solid to press and flipping up the lid is super satisfying. That said, the handling is a bit awkward and I had to turn the camera around to get a good hold of the lid every time. It’s a two-hand job. You also get a strong rope strap in the box so you can wear the camera – comfortably, I might add – around your neck.

Controls are pared back, as is usual with Polaroid and most instant cameras. Two buttons at the back right let you toggle through settings such as flash, double exposure, self-timer, and exposure compensation. These show up as icons on the nifty LCD screen on top of the camera, and they’re easy to see even in bright sunshine. It took me a while to work out what button combo activated each mode, but the fold-out paper guide in the box – in itself another well-thought-out analog nod – gives you pointers.

There’s a USB-C power input on the right side of the camera for recharging, and an eject button on the left to open up the film door and pop in a pack. The big orange shutter button on the front is easy to find with your fingers and can be depressed slightly to focus and pressed fully to fire. The viewfinder itself is basic but easy to use, and I found that what you see through it matches closely with what’s printed, helping with composition.

Polaroid Flip: performance

• 4-lens system for different distances
• Sonar autofocus detects subject distance
• Adaptive flash for up to 4.5 meters away

Despite there being no option to focus manually as with the Polaroid I-2, I found almost all of my shots with the Flip were critically sharp. The camera uses sonar waves to detect your subject distance, then selects the best lens from its four-lens system (0.65m, 0.85m, 1.2m, 2.5m). It’s very clever, and even in a party marquee, portraits came out crisp.

When half-pressing the shutter button to focus, you hear a noise when one of the four lenses has been selected. What’s clever is that an alert on the lid display will flash if you’re trying to shoot a subject that’s too close and out of the camera range.

Still, it’s worth noting that the Flip’s minimum focusing distance is around 0.4m, which isn’t quite far enough to get a sharp, frame-filling selfie. I could just about hold the camera far enough away at arm’s length to trial it but ended up with unwanted empty space around my head and shoulders. If you’re into your flora and fauna, there isn’t yet a macro filter or attachment for Polaroid to make true close-ups work.

Exposure was a mixed bag. Polaroids like light, and it's recommended that you keep the flash on for all shots except bright sunshine. This is meant to be the brightest flash of any Polaroid, and the strength adapts based on the subject distance for anything up to 4.5m away. I experienced this power, but not always in a good way, and often my outdoor shots were overexposed to the point of losing details, even on a cloudy day. As with the Polaroid Go 2, the flash gets activated by default when you flip up the lid, and a few times I forgot this.

The tones you get from Polaroids have always felt distinctive, yet anecdotally the hues from my Flip shots felt a little richer and bolder than those from the I-2. On a warm spring day in the UK, the exposure of a pink blossom tree felt warm and well-saturated, while the vibe of a cooler sunset party was also captured effectively, if not tending towards more of a green hue than I’d have liked.

Of course, there’s no way to change the white balance in-camera. What you get is dictated by the film and the shooting environment. The B&W i-Type film I used showed great contrast, and I loved the amount of depth I could capture down a long, narrow street in my home city of Bath, UK. But again, it was easy to overexpose the bright Cotswold stone and lose that detail with the flash.

You can’t control the Flip’s exposure settings manually. For inexperienced users or people who just want to point and shoot, this is probably a good thing. The Flip does the hard work of choosing the aperture and shutter for you, meaning fewer wasted shots if someone decides to grab the camera at a party. But if you’re a more advanced photographer, as I am, you may find Flip’s setting choices creatively limiting.

As far as battery duration and charging times go, I couldn’t find any official specs from Polaroid. When I first got the camera I left it plugged in overnight to ensure it was full of juice for the start of testing, and it still hadn’t passed the halfway mark when I’d finished three packs. I tended to shut the lid after every shot, though, so each user’s mileage may vary.

During testing, I loaded up my second pack of color I-Type film only to find it wasn’t ejecting from the camera after each exposure. Polaroid makes loading film into the Flip so quick and simple, and it's something I've done with other Polaroids hundreds of times. I want to suggest it was a camera and not a user error, but either way, it does highlight how much film and money you can waste should things not quite go to plan. That’s the same with many instant and film cameras and not a unique flaw to the Flip, of course.

The prints aren't quite as instant as Instax, and need a while (I found at least ten minutes) to settle away from the light to develop properly. For me, this is a great metaphor for Polaroid in general. Despite being designed for ease of use in terms of operation, the Flip still requires a bit of time to learn its ways, exposure tendencies and to hone your craft. Do that, and you'll be rewarded with sharp retro results more times than the Polaroids of the past.

Should I buy the Polaroid Flip?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Polaroid Flip

• Over a week, I took photos indoors and outdoors, day and night
• I tested based on decades of Polaroid experience
• I shot a double pack of colour I-Type and 8 exposures of B&W film

I tried my first Polaroid camera back in the nineties, and since then I've reviewed many instant cameras including the Polaroid I-2 in 2023. I had one of the first review samples of the Polaroid Flip and tested it for over a week before its official launch date. Needless to say, it was always in my bag or around my neck during that time.

I took it out on countryside dog walks in the sunny British springtime, on day trips in the Cotswolds, to an evening festival for my company's 40th anniversary and to brunch in the city. The idea was to try it in as many lighting conditions and real-life scenarios as possible.

I went through a double pack of Polaroid I-Type color film (16 exposures) and a pack of B&W Film, taking shots with and without the flash, using the self-timer and the exposure compensation option. The Polaroid app wasn't available for use with the Flip for most of my testing period (as the camera was under embargo) but I had a day to try the functionality and add notes to this review once it was.

First reviewed April 2025

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: One-minute review

Lomography has released an updated version of its popular Lomo’Instant Wide camera, with a new glass lens replacing the previous plastic one. The Lomo’Instant Wide remains one of the few and best instant cameras on the market that makes use of Instax Wide format film, but many Lomo fans will be glad that Lomography has listened to customer demand in launching the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass model. It's a direct rival to Fujifilm's Instax Wide 400 camera, which has also been given a modern upgrade and fresh design, (but which doesn't offer as much creative control).

The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is being marketed as the sharpest instant camera on earth, and as a long-time fan of instant cameras, I was very eager to test this claim. Lomography sent me an early prototype of the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass for this review, and I've been hugely impressed.

Lomography has made only very minor design tweaks with the new model, and it's easy to see why – if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I love the retro suitcase-style design of the camera, though it's a shame that it still has the offset viewfinder, which has been a bugbear since the original Lomo’Instant Wide was first released in 2015. This can cause issues with framing your subject, though the viewfinder parallax markers do help.

In short, this camera takes beautiful and sharp photos with the 90mm glass lens (35mm equivalent) when focused correctly. It allows for creative shooting with a multiple-exposure mode, flash control, exposure tweaking, and bulb settings, while accessories like the splitzer and colored gels add to the instant fun. The remote-shutter lens cap is genius (just be careful not to accidentally trigger it), and the camera can be used in a studio setting too with external flash thanks to the PC sync port and tripod mount.

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: Price and availability

The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is available for $279 / £249 / AU$299, which I think is a very reasonable price given the image quality it produces and its gorgeous design – I'd buy this camera purely for it to sit on my camera shelf.

It's more expensive than Fujifilm's recent Instax Wide 400 model ($149.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.99), but isn't quite as premium-priced as other wide-format glass competitors like the Polaroid I-2 ($599 / £599 / AU$1,099), which uses i-Type film, or even the Mint InstantKon RF70 (approx $900 / £999 / AU$1,200), which has been considered for some time as the GOAT of instant cameras (sorry).

Anyone who's looking to buy an instant camera should know that film costs are still quite high, and you aren't guaranteed the same quality that you get with one of the best cameras for photography, or even from using a camera phone in most cases. Instant photography should be more about experimentation and having fun, rather than outright image quality. That said, Instax Wide film is one of the more affordable formats, and it's also very accessible and easy to source for most people.

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: specs

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: design

• Lots of manual controls
• The built-in flash can be on/off
• Viewfinder is a bit of a mess

The design of the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is one of my favorite things about it. I've seen some pretty ugly instant cameras come to market in the last few years, *cough, Instax Wide 400*, but I love the retro-style design of this Lomo, and the glass lens makes it look much more premium than its predecessor.

It's easy to see why Lomography hasn't changed much in the way of design from the Lomo’Instant Wide to the new Wide Glass model. Although, I did question why the selfie mirror has disappeared from the front of the camera with this latest model. I asked Lomography for some clarification, and a spokesperson told me: "We developed this camera more for professional, studio use in mind and less so for selfie shooting, which is why we didn't feel the need for this feature in this instance."

It's a fair point, and the camera does admittedly look much smarter without it. I managed to still take a selfie with this camera despite the lack of a selfie mirror, which you can see in the sample images section, and I'll talk more about how I captured it in the performance section below too.

In terms of build quality, the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass does have a fair bit of weight to it, and it feels incredibly sturdy and premium thanks to the metal lens barrel and glass element. There are two buttons on the back of the camera, one for toggling the flash and the other for multiple-exposure mode, plus a switch for selecting the level of exposure compensation and a dial at the bottom for selecting modes.

I think it's great that the flash can be turned on and off, although be aware that it's always-on by default when you turn on the camera, so if you don't need it remember to turn it off once you're ready to shoot. There are two LED lights above the flash button, one to let you know when the flash is charged (it will light green or blue) and another to tell you it's on.

The shutter button is the striped rectangular button on the front of the camera, and I love that it not only looks cool but has a nice clicky feel to it. The viewfinder is a bit of a mess, though. I often had to triple-check that what I could see through the viewfinder actually lined up with the direction in which the lens was pointing. Inside the viewfinder there are close-up frames to help you compensate for parallax and get a more accurately composed shot, but you still need to keep an eye on this.

The only real gripe I had with the design in terms of handling was the lack of grip, and the width of the camera, which made it hard to carry around at times (Lomography doesn't include a camera strap accessory with this camera, and I didn't have a spare). I understand that instant cameras, and especially wide-format ones, tend to be on the large side, and this is something that can't really be helped.

I found it slightly annoying that the print counter on the back of the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass counts up from 1 to 10 once a new film had been loaded, and that when it shows 10 that means you have one print left to shoot. I'm used to instant cameras counting down from 10, so this took some getting used to.

However, I really like that Lomography included another little window on the back of the camera for you to see the yellow stripe on the film cartridge, as a quick way to tell if film is loaded. Not many film cameras I've used have this, and it's a nice touch.

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: Performance

• Can capture super-sharp shots
• Selfies and portrait shots are tricky (use a tape measure)
• Remote shutter-control lens cap

Testing the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass was my first experience of using a Lomography camera, and it took me some serious trial and error to get used to the zone-focusing modes for close-up shots. There are four zones – 0.3 m, 0.6m, 1-2m, and infinity – and you can switch between these by twisting the lens. The original Wide’s closest focus zone is 0.6m. I've used manual instant cameras before, like the Instax Mini 99, and had no issues. So I'm not sure why this particular Lomo camera was so tricky to shoot with – maybe it's just me.

I ended up wasting a ton of film during the testing process with the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, but I learnt plenty. Pro tip: take a tape measure with you on shoots if you want to gauge the exact distance from the lens to your subject, and measure from the film eject slot, and not from the front of the lens.

Lomography says it plans to release an official camera strap with distance markers soon, to help with assessing the distance for zone-focusing, and this will be available from the Lomography online shop (it's not available at the time of writing).

Speaking of accessories, the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass comes with possibly the coolest camera accessory I've ever used: a remote shutter-control lens cap. You just need to put in 1 x CR2025 (3V) battery, and you can click one side of the lens cap to act as a remote shutter, while the other side offers an additional button with a timer feature. It works really well, although you do need to be relatively close to the camera for it to pick up the signal, as I found when using it to take a selfie in 0.6m mode.

The Lomo also comes with colored gel filters to place over the flash, as well as a splitzer lens attachment for more control over multiple exposures. I wasn't sent these extra accessories with the prototype camera, only the lens cap, so I didn't get to test them unfortunately. I would have loved to use the splitzer for creating multiple exposures, which came out beautifully in most cases using the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, and this kind of creativity paired with the unknown element of instant analogue photography gets very addictive.

The mode dial on the back of the camera has options for A (automatic), B (bulb), f/22 (for manually setting exposure – the prototype I was sent has an f/6 marking but just ignore this), and 1/30 (shutter speed) which is primarily useful for shooting in the studio or when using a tripod. I stuck with using 'A' a lot of the time, and switched to 1/6 (f/22) whenever I wanted a super-sharp shot.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, although I didn't manage to get a single clear macro image, despite many many attempts. With that said, for every blurry and out-of-focus macro shot I got a perfectly crisp landscape shot, so maybe this balances out.

I also found that the prints produced exhibited a lot of vignetting, even when the exposure compensation was set to zero. A bit of research has told me that this tends to be a common theme with Lomography cameras, and it's considered one of those love-it or hate-it aspects of instant photography. Not every print came out like this, and in a lot of cases it occurred when I didn't use flash, so perhaps this contributed to it.

Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: Sample images

You'll be able to see from the sample images below just how many tries it took for me to get a clear image of my dog surrounded by autumn leaves. What I thought would be within the 0.6m zone was actually sharper using the 1-2m mode – it was all very confusing. This is not an easy-focusing point-and-shoot instant camera like some others I've used, and you'll really need to work at it to get the focus right.

Should I buy the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass:

• I used five packs of Instax Wide film (50 shots), including one pack of the black-edition Instax Wide film (10 shots)
• I shot with the camera in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations, and in cloudy, overcast, and sunny weather conditions
• I experimented with self-portraits, landscape shots, multiple exposures, and closer subjects (which I didn't have much luck with).

I used the new Lomo’Instant Wide Glass instant camera for a few weeks, and I fell in love with it pretty quickly (it was hard to give it back) after putting in so much time and effort to get to grips with it. This involved learning how to master the focusing zones by shooting the same subject using different focus points, using a tape measure to accurately measure distances, and physically moving both myself and the subject to determine what worked at which distances.

I put the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass through its paces in most areas and settings, excluding studio use (I sadly didn't have access to one). I tested the performance of this camera by venturing around my home city of Bath in the UK to capture landscape images, and shot portraits and still lifes, using my dog and house plants as my primary test subjects. I got an all-around feel for the camera's handling and user-friendliness too, with the biggest pain point being the viewfinder.

First reviewed November 2024

Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3: two-minute review

One could spend hours pondering why people might want to make small instant prints out of their smartphone snaps – photos they could easily share with each other via WhatsApp or post on Instagram. Personally, I think it’s all about the fun, tactility and immediacy that can be derived from occasionally ‘going analogue’ in this increasingly digital world in which we live. Vive la difference, and all that.

 Fujifilm’s Instax mini Link 3 is the latest in the company’s line of portable battery-powered printers which, after linking up with a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, can spit out fast-developing instant photos. These photos, which are roughly the size of a credit card, can be given to friends and family, pinned on your corkboard or stuck on your fridge door or slipped in your wallet to look at whenever you like. It’s a simple device that does what it’s supposed to and does it well.

I’ll talk about the prints themselves first. This won’t be news to anyone who’s used Instax mini film before, but these Polaroid-style photos look really impressive, with beautifully rich and vivid colours and an attractive glossy finish. That’s once they develop, of course: you’re looking at about three minutes in total from the time you starting printing until the finished photo is fully developed. Detail is pretty sharp, but the small print size puts a limit on that. The prints are hardy too: don’t expect them to fade quickly or fall to bits in your wallet.

They are also fairly expensive by portable printer standards however, with a standard 20-pack costing around $20/£15, which means about $1 or 75p a per print. Some rival printers using Zink or dye-sublimation methods offer a smaller per-print cost. I would say the Instax mini photos are better looking and more durable than Zink prints at least.

Part of the selling point with the mini Link 3 is the added functionality that comes from the mini Link companion app, and to be clear the printer is essentially useless without a smartphone to pair it with. The app offers light editing tools and a range of frames, effects and other adornments with which to customise and personalise your photos. These are all a bit cheesy and basic (I suspect few graphic design aficionados will be impressed) but if the point is to have fun, they hit the spot.

You can import photos from your camera roll or take new shots from within the app. In fact, the app’s Instax camera mode turns the printer itself into a Bluetooth remote control, allowing you to set your phone up and take a shot from afar by pressing the printer’s function button.

The app also features an augmented reality (AR) mode that lets you take photos on your phone complete with added-in objects, but to be honest I quickly gave up trying to use it due to the confusing setup and underwhelming effects. With the rest of the app functions being straightforward and easy to immediately grasp, this one feels out of place; I doubt it’ll prove popular with users.

The mini Link 3 printer itself is an attractive object with its curvy lines, ridged surfaces and three-LED lighting system, which pulses and glows different colours depending on what you’re doing; it usually functions as a battery life indicator. There are three colour finishes available, too: Sage Green, Rose Pink and the Clay White model I was sent to review.

The mini Link 3 is lightweight and compact enough to slip into a large jacket pocket. I wouldn’t have any qualms about tossing it into a backpack either. The plastic body is sturdy and there are few buttons or moving parts that could get damaged: just one button for power, one function button that fulfils a number of functions (such as initiating Bluetooth pairing), a small sliding button to open the rear door when you need to load in a new film cartridge and a tiny flap that opens up to reveal the USB-C port used for recharging the internal lithium ion battery.

Battery life is excellent. Fujifilm claims you can print around 100 shots from a full charge and while I haven’t personally tested that, being sent only three 10-shot cartridges of Instax mini film with my review sample, I didn’t need reach for the included USB-A to USB-C recharging cable once during my week with the printer (note that there’s no AC adapter in the box). If you do deplete the battery, you can fully recharge it in about two hours.

Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3: also consider

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3

• One week of use
• Tested with iPhone 13

I spent a week using the mini Link 3 in conjunction with my iPhone 13, testing each mode of the mini Link companion app with both freshly taken photos and older images from the smartphone’s camera roll. I also took the printer out ‘in the field’ with me, taking advantage of its battery and compact size to use it on a night out with friends.

First reviewed September 2024

Two-minute review

I grew up being photographed with, and taking photographs with, Polaroid cameras, which were pretty much standard fare for family photography in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. The Polaroid Go 2 is based on the Polaroid 1000 Land Camera in terms of aesthetics, but with a modernized and miniaturized design. Due to its small size, basic-but-fun features and ease of use, it's a contender for one of the best film cameras you can buy.

The last Polaroid camera I used and reviewed before the Go 2 was the Polaroid z340, which was released back in 2011. This was a digital camera that used a Zink printing system to produce prints with a printed rebate alongside digital image files, and while it was innovative, it lacked the charm and the quality of traditional analog Polaroid prints. The Go 2 rectifies this, taking us back to what makes Polaroid cameras so appealing: true instant analog photography.

The Polaroid Go 2 is available in multiple kits alongside accessories, with the standalone camera costing $80 / £80 / AU$90. You ultimately need some film to get started, so the Starter Set that includes the camera and a Film Double Pack (16 exposures) is potentially a better starting point, and costs $100 / £95 / AU$110. A Film Double Pack X2 (32 exposures) will set you back $40 / £20 / AU$50, and this is available with traditional white or stylish black rebates.

Polaroid Go 2: design

The Go 2 is much smaller than the Polaroid 100 Land Camera it takes its design cues from, being palm-sized but with a much more rounded finish. It's also available in black, white, blue, and red, so you can select the color you prefer. For me, the black finish looks best, contrasting nicely with the red shutter button and the Polaroid rainbow.

The camera is made using 30% recycled polycarbonate and ABS plastics, and the build quality feels good. There is some movement of the film door against its lock on the bottom of the camera when you're holding it, but this doesn’t cause any issues. Loading the camera is incredibly easy, especially if you've used instant cameras in the past; if you haven't, labelled film packs and the quick-start guide will guide you through the process.

The viewfinder is surprisingly reliable despite parallax error, which is the difference between what you see through the viewfinder and what the adjacent lens captures. One useful feature of the viewfinder is that the front is mirrored, so you can use it to help compose selfies, which can be taken using either the shutter button or the self-timer.

The camera uses an internal rechargeable battery that's charged via USB-C. Battery life is good, and the remaining charge is indicated by green, orange and red on the LED that shows the camera is switched on. The only downside here is that the battery is built-in, so you can't change or replace it, although this is only likely to be an issue after years of use.

Polaroid Go 2: performance

The Go 2 couldn’t be easier to use; it's a point-and-shoot camera with automatic exposure and a fixed-focus lens. The lens is made of polycarbonate resin, and produces an equivalent focal length of 51.1mm, which is perfect for this type of camera. The minimum focusing distance is 1.5ft / 45cm, so the Go 2 isn’t at all suited to close-up photography, unfortunately.

The shutter speed is automatically set between 1/300 sec and 1 sec, while the aperture is adjusted between f/9 and f/42. Exposure overall isn’t bad, but I found that images erred slightly towards underexposure, and the camera performs much better in brighter conditions than in low light. There is a flash that helps in low light, but it's not powerful, so its effectiveness is limited. Still, it's better to have than not.

Image quality isn’t quite what I remember of Polaroid cameras, lacking the clarity and color balance I can recall. Sure, it was never perfect from point-and-shoot Polaroid cameras, but it was better. Development time is also advertised as 10-15 minutes, which does appear correct, and this is much longer than Polaroid film of old, which only took a few minutes to develop. I suspect that the chemicals have been changed since then, potentially using a more environmentally friendly and/or less costly formula.

This wait time takes away some of the magical immediacy of using an instant camera, but at the same time it's ultimately not a problem. Prints are 2.62 x 2.12 inches / 66.6 x 53.9mm with a 1.85 x 1.81-inch / 47 x 46mm image area; the small print size is comparable to that of Fujifilm's Instax Mini prints, albeit with Polaroid's square format rather than Fujifilm's rectangular image area.

Prints also typically exhibit more color casts and haziness than I remember, producing a more retro look and feel than Polaroid film from even as late as the early noughties. This isn’t a bad thing though; it certainly taps into the popularity of retro photography effects these days, and I like it.

Two features of the camera that stand out are the self-timer and the ability to capture double exposures. These are activated using specific presses of the flash button, and for double exposures, you're shown a 1 and 2 on the shot remaining screen so you know which shot you're taking. The flash is also activated by default, so if you don’t want or need flash you have to switch it off each time you switch the camera on.

Should I buy the Polaroid Go 2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Polaroid Go 2 instant camera

I tested the Polaroid Go 2 Instant Camera over several days, using it to capture a range of subjects in different lighting conditions. I also tested the few features that the camera has to offer, which are basic, but fun and useful nonetheless.

Since exposure is fully automatic, except for being able to switch the flash on or off, all testing was a point-and-shoot affair, but that's exactly what basic Polaroid cameras are used for – instantaneous simplicity. Having somewhere to safely store exposed prints was a necessity, however.

Having used both Polaroid and Fujifilm Instax cameras in the past, using the Go 2 was as intuitive as I'd hoped, and the small size and light weight of the camera made it much easier to carry around than full-size instant cameras.

First reviewed August 2024

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: One-minute review

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 is one of the best instant cameras for casual photographers who like the appeal of wider prints. It's ideal for landscape photographers and camping trips especially, with the wider format able to capture much more in the frame than other popular Instax Mini cameras, although be prepared to compromise when it comes to portraits. 

Unlike other Instax cameras the Wide 400 doesn't have a built-in selfie mirror, and instead comes with a fiddly mirror attachment that doubles up as a macro lens. This can be clipped onto the Wide 400's lens when you want to take a selfie or portrait of a subject, or anything that's roughly 40-50cm away from the end of the lens. 

During testing, I found the focusing process takes a bit of getting used to, but once you grasp it, and with the help of the enhanced viewfinder and target marker, it can capture pretty sharp shots. The biggest pain points with the Instax Wide 400 are the design and lack of features. Not much has been tweaked from the Wide 300 model other than the addition of the self-timer (which is admittedly very handy) and enhanced viewfinder, but otherwise, it has no modern digital elements like the Instax EVO or Mini 99. 

As for the design, the Wide 400 can withstand a lot thanks to its rugged and textured build, and it's very grippy too. With that said, it does feel larger and heavier than necessary, and what was Instax thinking with that color? I think it's one of the worst-looking instant cameras on the market (sorry Instax), and frankly I felt a little embarrassed to shoot with it in public. However, if you can get past the basic features and 'army-green' finish, it could be a worthwhile addition to your analog camera collection, and the print quality is good. 

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: Price and availability

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 is available for $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.99, which I think is a fair price compared with other Instax models. The Instax Square SQ40 retails at the same price, and other models are only marginally more affordable with similar features – you can check out more options in our best Instax Mini prices round-up .

However, a wide-format competitor such as the Lomography Lomo'Instant Wide (priced at $169 /£149) might offer more for your money in terms of creative control, with options for multiple exposure and optional flash – and it takes Instax Wide film too. There's also the retro Instax 500AF to consider if you can find one, which Redditers seem to be raving about lately. 

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: design

• Better looking than the Wide 300
• Very rugged and sturdy build 
• What's with the green? 

The Instax Wide 400 might not be the prettiest Instax on the market, but the design has certainly improved since the Wide 300 model, with the sticky-out viewfinder ditched in favor of a more appealing and clean-cut build. The body is still made from a smooth plastic, which doesn't help it fit in very well among its more premium-looking Instax cousins, and while the textures around the lens barrel and battery compartment are great for grip, I think it makes the camera look a little juvenile. 

As for the general design, the Instax Wide 400 is rugged, heavy, and bulky. It's not until you get this camera in your hands and lay eyes on it that you realize just how big and wide it is. I would say that my hands are medium-sized, so I'm not sure if the hands-on images in this review are doing it justice. Or maybe it's because I'm used to handling my Instax Mini 40 and Mini 99 models that this camera feels so abnormally large to me. 

There's no built-in selfie mirror but, like the Instax Wide 300, the Instax Wide 400 comes with a clip-on macro lens attachment that has a mirror poking out of the side. With this camera being so large I don't think it would have taken much to include a built-in selfie mirror on the lens itself, but it's better to have one as an accessory than not at all. 

Speaking of accessories, there's also a new angle-adjustment accessory that comes with the Wide 400. This comprises two black plastic wedges of different sizes on a separate strap (i.e., not the main camera strap) which you can place under the camera to tilt it upwards when it’s placed on a surface for selfies or group shots.. This worked quite well when I tested it, and it's a clever method that saves you having to look for handy objects on which to prop the camera.

Possibly my biggest gripe with the design of the Instax Wide 400 is that it's only available in a single color option, at least for now – and what was Instax thinking with that awful green shade? It's worth mentioning that a lot of the promotional images make this camera appear more teal, but in reality it's green, and a slightly dull 'army green' at that. Yet, despite the green finish, the Instax Wide 400 could also pass as a kid's camera from a distance. 

I've never been self-conscious walking around with a camera before, but the Wide 400 is so large and unappealing that it draws a lot of attention to itself, and to whoever's holding it, and I felt a little embarrassed taking it out to my local seaside town during testing. I guess if you think of the Wide 400 as a camera that's intended for outdoorsy types, landscape photographers, and camping trips, then the green color choice makes a bit more sense than say, bright pink. 

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: Performance

• Can capture very sharp shots when used correctly 
• Selfies are tricky (unless you have long arms)
• The self-timer is the perfect feature for group photos
• Lacks other modern features 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing the new Instax Wide 400 camera, and I certainly get the appeal of wider-format film (which is double the width of two Instax Mini prints) when it comes to landscape photography and capturing group selfies. The camera takes really nice-looking photos in normal mode, as well as in landscape mode, and you can expect the usual Instax quality in the prints produced. 

However, I found that using this camera for self-portraits and with close-up subjects is where its performance faltered. The included clip-on lens attachment shortens the focus range of the camera to 40-50cm, and is intended for taking photos of closer subjects as well as self-portraits at arm’s length. With this in mind, I used my dog Tilly as my test subject for a few shots, and found that it was very hit-and-miss with the focus (see the sample images below).

I tried to capture the same shot a few times by switching up the distance between me and Tilly, while using the upgraded viewfinder and target spot to keep her center frame. It was difficult to estimate the distance between myself and Tilly, and I took a photo in normal mode without the lens attachment for comparison, but all that was in focus was the background behind her. In short: when used correctly, the camera plus lens attachment can produce very sharp results, but it will take some experimentation, and a fair few failed prints, before you get the hang of it. 

As for selfies, these was again very tricky to master using the selfie mirror and close-up lens attachment. I also found during testing that my arms just weren't long enough to hold the camera in front of me and press the shutter while keeping my face in frame, which in hindsight, is probably why Instax chose to add the self-timer feature, and has heavily pitched the Wide 400 as a camera for group selfie shots using some kind of stable surface or tripod. 

The self-timer is definitely the most useful feature on the camera, and the only 'modern' upgrade. The one-button camera design with automatic exposure is great for beginners and very user-friendly, although it doesn't offer any real benefit for photographers who like to take control of the shot and make adjustments to manual exposure. This is a little disappointing, given that most new products from Instax allow for some creative control and experimentation. 

For example, the latest Instax mini 99 camera is the most advanced Instax to date, with fancy new exposure control dials, a double exposure feature, and unique light leak filters. The Instax mini EVO, meanwhile, is an excellent hybrid instant camera, blurring the lines between digital and analogue. 

I was hoping Instax might bring these new tools to formats other than the Instax Mini series, but that's not the case here. Even adding a bulb mode, or the option to toggle the flash without having to cover it with your finger, would have been useful. 

I also found that this camera didn't perform as well in darker conditions, even when subjects were well-lit and when using the flash. I shot a photo of some sunflowers in a vase in my conservatory when the room was still very light, and the print came out dark. I took the same image the following morning and it was much brighter. I didn't realize this would have such a big impact, as shown in the images below. 

Fujifilm Instax Wide 400: Sample images

It's important to recognize that this is not a camera for serious photographers, so if you're looking for high-res studio-quality images then look elsewhere. But if you're just after a bit of fun, and an affordable way to share physical memories and keepsakes with others, then the Instax Wide ticks a lot of boxes.

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400:

• I used two packs of Instax Wide film (20 shots) and one pack of the black edition wide film (10 shots)
• I used the camera in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations, and in cloudy, overcast, and sunny conditions
• I experimented with self-portraits, group portraits, and closer subjects

I used the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 for a few weeks, and I felt that I really put this camera through its paces. I aimed to test out the quality of the prints produced in a variety of conditions, including different lighting setups, alternating weather conditions, varied subject matter, with and without flash by covering it with my finger, and for both selfies and group photos. 

I mainly tested the performance of this camera by venturing around my local high street and seaside resort in the south-west of England, capturing a mix of landscape and portrait images. It wasn't all about the print quality though, as I also wanted to test the camera's handling and user-friendliness. 

Nons SL660 two-minute review

As TechRadar’s Cameras Editor I see all kinds of weird and wonderful devices for capturing stills and video, but just when I thought I’d seen it all, the Nons SL660 popped up in my YouTube feed and piqued my curiosity. It’s an instant camera, but not as we know it, being an angular hunk of metal – an SLR with passive Canon EF lens mount, that captures to readily available Fujifilm Instax Square film.

Nons makes two lenses that are directly compatible with the SL660’s Canon EF lens mount – a 35mm f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.8 – plus a range lens adaptors for other popular SLR lens mounts, including Nikon F and Pentax K. When I requested a loan sample from Nons for this feature, I asked for the Canon EF to Nikon F adaptor because I own a few excellent Nikon lenses, including the full-frame Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AF.

There’s also a Nons SL645, camera, and the key difference between that model and the SL660 is that it records onto Instax Mini film instead. Personally, I much prefer the size of Instax Square prints (and the larger-still Polaroid film even more), so the SL660 was the obvious choice for review. 

Unlike most simple point-and-shoot instant cameras that only offer auto exposure, the Nons SL660 is SLR by design, and entirely manual in operation. You’ll need to select the shutter speed and lens aperture, with an exposure meter above the lens telling you what aperture to use with the selected shutter speed. Your frame is viewed through a pentaprism viewfinder, focus is manual, and you even have to manually eject the print when you’ve taken the shot – a feature that enables multi-exposure shooting. 

This is truly a photographer’s instant camera, and to that end you can swap lenses to mix up the type of shots you can make. It’s also one of, if not the most, expensive instant cameras available. It’s pricier because it’s made of tough metal and in smaller batches versus the standard plastic used in most other mass-produced instant cameras like the Fujifilm Instax SQ40; the Nons SL660 is an altogether different camera to those, and the high-end build quality goes some way towards justifying the significant outlay. 

The SL660 is a bulky and heavy instant camera, and the image quality it's capable of producing is ultimately limited by the Instax Square film it uses – you will, for example, need an ND filter in bright light. Despite its constraints, I'm charmed by it, and I suspect that of all the best instant cameras you can buy, the Nons SL660 is the one that photographer me will come back to again and again. 

Nons SL660: price and release date

The Nons SL660 camera alone costs $599 / £603 from the Nons website or from Amazon, and with its passive Canon EF lens mount it's best suited to manual-control Canon EF lenses. If you use modern Canon EF lenses you might sacrifice aperture control (if your lens doesn't have an aperture ring) and even manual focus control ('STM' lenses). You can also purchase the SL660 as a bundle with the 35mm f/2.8 lens for $709 / £717, with the 50mm f/1.8 lens for $649 / £660, or with any one of a number of lens adaptors for $609 / £615. This high-end pricing pits the SL660 firmly against the Polaroid I-2 – the two cameras are in a different league to point-and-shoot instant cameras. Pricing for the Nons SL645 starts at $539 / £541. We'll update this review if and when pricing and availability for Australia are confirmed.

Nons SL660: design

Images of the Nons SL660 online didn’t prepare me for what I set my eyes on when unboxing the gear – this looks like no other instant camera. It’s a love it or hate it brutalist block of aluminum with defined features: a genuine wooden grip, a crank to engage the viewfinder, a pronounced shutter button, and striking shutter speed dial. 

There’s an optical viewfinder with through-the-lens display, so the perspective is correct to the attached lens. The display is dim, but I like its grainy filmic quality. There’s a portion of your instant print that you don’t see through the viewfinder display – when shooting with the thick border at the bottom of your Instax Square print, the unseen section is to the left. It takes a couple of shots to get used to this, and thereafter you can factor this in to make the best possible composition.

To shoot the ‘correct’ way, with the thicker border positioned at the bottom of your print, you need to flip the camera 90 degrees with the grip at the top – vertical if you will – otherwise the thick border will be on the left-hand side of your print, which looks weird unless that’s your intention.

The Nons SL660 is powered by an internal battery topped up via USB-C (using the supplied USB-C to USB-A cable, not just any USB-C cable) and is rated for around 100 shots on a full charge. A tiny top LCD displays battery life along with the number of prints remaining in the inserted film pack (the shot counter failed in my review sample after a couple of packs of film), plus the aperture setting needed on your lens to get the correct exposure for the selected shutter speed, based on the camera's exposure metering.

If you're shooting in bright light you'll need an ND filter for your lens, or else your shots will be overexposed – a 3EV to 7EV variable ND is perfect. The Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens I had has a 52mm thread. Because the exposure meter is separate to the lens (ie., not TTL), you'll need to calculate the exposure settings based on the strength of the filter, or place it in front of the meter to get the reading first, and then attach it to the lens. The 'reflective' exposure meter calculates an evaluative reading for the whole frame.

By today’s standards the Nons SL660 is awkward to hold, and by heck is it chunky, primarily because it needs that extra depth for the Canon EF-mount flange focal distance. This is no pocket camera. It’s also a paradox – a custom-made one-of-a-kind feel, yet it captures onto the most popular and accessible instant film. I had several packs of regular Instax Square film for this review, and there are a few readily available alternatives, like a monochrome film, too.

Stylistically I like the pronounced shutter button. However, it’s all too easy to press it unintentionally, which results in a wasted print. I almost lost that screw-on button, too, as it unthreaded itself more than once. The reason that the button is detachable in the first place is to allow you to swap it out for a cable release for hands-free operation, which is neat, but a tighter thread is needed for a secure fix.

Nons SL660: performance

Long before I'd received the Nons SL660 or taken any shots with it, I had formed a certain expectation regarding the quality of instant prints it could make. After all, it comes with a proper Nons lens, plus, in my case, I can use it with some excellent Nikon lenses. Rival instant cameras like the Instax SQ40 are restricted to a built-in, low-cost lens. 

Surely, then, the instant photos made with the Nons SL660 would be superior to anything else before it? Well, yes and no. Despite the superior optics, we’re still shooting onto the same film type – an ISO800 stock with limited dynamic range. Also, the print area of Instax Square film only measures 62mm x 62mm, and so it’s hardly big enough to really show off lens quality. 

Rather than outright image quality, the real appeal of the SL660 over cheaper and simpler rivals, besides its unique design, is that you can swap out lenses and therefore mix up the focal length and perspective of your shots. Unfortunately, my telephoto macro lens for Nikon F-mount lacks an aperture ring, and I was unable to get a good shot with it. Get the right manual lens, however, and great fun can be had.  

Almost all the instant photos I took with the SL660 for this review were taken with the Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens. For full exposure control when adapting an alternative lens, like I did through the Nikon F-mount adaptor, you need a lens with aperture control. That counts out most modern DSLR lenses from Canon, Nikon and Pentax. When using a Nikon lens without an aperture ring, the aperture is automatically set to its smallest setting, while some Canon lenses are set to their widest aperture setting. (I also had a great struggle removing the adaptor ring from my Nikon lens after use.) Besides Nons' own lenses, an old Canon EF lens with aperture ring makes the most practical sense. 

To get prints with the correct brightness, I needed to experiment a little to understand the behaviour of the SL660’s auto-exposure metering. If you follow the suggested aperture settings to a tee, then prints tend to come out a little dark for my liking, but when I increased the exposure by around 1EV, by opening the aperture up or halving the shutter speed, the results were better. 

Apply this knowledge about the camera's exposure metering and most your shots will come out fine. However, alternatives like the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ40 shoot in auto-exposure only, with a built-in auto flash, and with those cameras you'll get fewer wasted prints. 

You also need to understand the limitations of Fujifilm Instax film. It has an ISO 800 sensitivity rating, which is bang on with the fastest possible 1/250 sec shutter speed and f/4 aperture (approx) when shooting in cloudy weather, but when the sun comes out you need to stop the aperture right down, to nearer f/22 or even beyond the limit of the lens.

I prefer the look when shooting with a wider aperture, not least to make subjects stand out better, but also in this case for a brighter and clearer view through the viewfinder (it gets dimmer as you reduce the aperture size), and so a ND filter is a must-have accessory – otherwise the SL660 is practically unusable in bright light. 

There’s also a hard limit on the dynamic range of the film – if you shoot scenes with high contrast, like a backlit portrait or a white overcast sky, you’ll need to choose between a brightness for highlights or shadows; you can’t have both. An ideal scenario is even lighting: soft sunlight on your subject and background, or at least a darker background so the subjects pops.

There's a standard hotshoe to attach an optional flash. Nons doesn't sell its own flash, nor did I use the SL660 with a flash for this review – that's a whole other creative technique I look forward to exploring with this camera. I’ve complained about certain Fujifilm Instax cameras with built-in flash in the past because some models auto-fire the flash for every photo you take, whether you need it or not. However, that’s a better option than the SL660, which has no built-in flash at all – at least you can cover an Instax camera's flash with your finger when it’s not needed. 

Once your shot is ready, you hard-press the eject button and out pops the print. This manual-eject control also enables a multi-exposure function. You’ll need to recalculate the correct exposure for each shot depending what’s in each frame, and the results can be excellent if you know what you’re doing, or at least be prepared to waste a print or two experimenting. For example, I shot a self-portrait silhouette against a bright sky in one exposure, and then another one of closeup details of flowers that visibly populates the silhouette –  a classic double-exposure effect. 

Overall, if you’re using the Nons SL660 with the 35mm f/2.8 lens without ND filter or flash, it’s fairly limited as to what scenes it's suitable for. But if you're equipped with accessories and willing to experiment, great results can be achieved. 

Should I buy the Nons SL660?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Nons SL660

I had the Nons SL660 SLR instant camera for a couple of months, and I went through a fair few packs of regular Instax Square film. For the majority of the review I used the Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens, although I did adapt a couple of my Nikon F-mount lenses with mixed success. 

Testing the camera in a variety of lighting conditions that ranged from sunny weather to indoors, I experimented with various shutter speeds and lens apertures, and took both single-shot and multi-exposure photos. I've not used the Nons SL660 with a hotshoe mounted flash, nor used the bulb mode or attached a cable release. 

First reviewed April 2024