Instax vs Polaroid: which instant camera is right for you?

Instax vs Polaroid – the Polaroid 600 Vnyl and Polaroid OneStep 2 Stranger Things cameras, positioned next to the Instax Mini 8 and Instax Wide 100 cameras, lit with neon lighting
(Image credit: James Artaius)

Sooner or later, Instax vs Polaroid becomes a question you have to answer. Because if you don't already own one, it's inevitable that an instant camera (or instant printer) is going to come into your life!

Having been around since 1948, Polaroid is so ubiquitous that it has become synonymous with instant photography. Even so, the Instax vs Polaroid debate is still skewed largely towards the former; introduced by Fujifilm in 1998, ask many people what the best instant camera is and they will likely name an Instax body. And there are a lot of those.

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Instax vs Polaroid: film size comparison
FilmOverall sizeImage size
Instax Mini54 x 85mm46 x 62mm
Instax Square86 x 72mm62 x 62mm
Instax Wide108 x 85mm99 x 62mm
Polaroid Go53.9 x 66.6mm46 x 47mm
Polaroid / SX-7088 x 107mm79 x 79mm
Polaroid 8x10215 x 325mm190 x 241mm

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.

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