Polaroid closed its last factory in 2008 and a little bit of everyone’s childhood died. In the past decade, however, a number of camera manufacturers, including Leica and Fujifilm, have designed their own takes on the instant camera; and in 2014, The Impossible Project rode that wave by purchasing Polaroid’s old machinery in order to continue to make the film for old Polaroid cameras — and as of 2020, they are making new instant cameras, as well.
Today, thanks to these camera manufacturers and the resurgence of (and enduring love) of film photography, there are more instant film cameras available than ever before. Many of these instant cameras are as simple and straightforward to use as the old-school Polaroids from decades ago. However, there are more sophisticated instant cameras out there, too, which have advanced shooting capabilities and even smartphone compatibility.
There are quite a few players in today's instant camera scene. Polaroid, Fujifilm and even Kodak each make a variety of different models, ranging in size, price, type of film used and a much of advanced features, too. Here's what you need to know before picking the instant camera that's right for you.
Film Type: Different instant cameras accept different types of film, so you'll want to make sure you buy the right film for your camera. The main thing that differentiates these films is their size as well as if they are in color or black and white. You'll want to do a bit of research into cost, too, because the price of film is the main downside to shooting with these instant film cameras — each shot is expensive.