Instant/Hybrid cameras Fuji, Polaroid, Kodak etc.

f/2.8

f/2.8

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Tommy
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My daughter had asked about an instant camera as a Christmas present.

Yeah, I know they won't be great image quality etc. and that the film is ridiculously expensive for them.

I was just going to get her a fuji instax as they seemed a popular choice.

Any way I had a quick look online as I know nothing at all about these and noticed that there are a few of these that are "hybrid" meaning you can take a photo and check it before printing, transfer the digital photo to your phone, computer etc and thought that might be a handy option to cut down on failed prints although maybe that is part of the fun.

Does anyone have any experience using these and have any recommendations?

My daughter while only 13 is pretty camera savvy she has been using a dslr since she was about 5/6 and now has a Sony A7 although she pretty much only uses it for video.

Realistically I guess I could just get her one of the instax printers which would do the same thing but allow her to use either her camera or her phone but I think it's more than fun element that appeals to her so have ruled that out.
 
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No knowledge of hybrid camera
I have a Fuji Instax Mini which comes out every Christmas. Great fun. Grandchildren love it. Easy to burn through cash...
 
Reminds me of many Christmases ago when I got a Polaroid 1000 as a present. I soon went through the 2 packs of film I'd got, but it was good fun and a real novelty in those days to watch a print develop right in front of me (although I believe these days you have to keep them covered up while they develop to avoid light damage). However, I then found I couldn't afford the film for it vey often on my pocket money! :banghead:

It was a good stepping stone to a 35mm SLR for me though. Talking of which, in addition to the Instax novelty (if funds permit - or perhaps instead of it, after a discussion with your daughter, if they don't) how about getting her a 35mm SLR and a couple of rolls of film. You should be able to get something like a fully working Canon EOS 50E with zoom lens for under £50 if you shop wisely on eBay, cash converters, etc. A roll of Kodak Gold 200 colour and a roll of Ilford XP2 black and white and I bet you could both have some good fun with it. When the novelty of the Instax wears off I bet she and you would still use the film camera from time to time. If not, 35mm SLRs only seem to be going up in price, so I imagine you'd at least get your money back if it started gathering dust. Happy analogue Christmas to you both, and don't forget the batteries if you decide to give an EOS 50 a go! ;)
 
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I LOVE shooting Polaroid and have a few packs packed for a few days in Morocco. I have shot quite a bit on my travels and have several cameras and used a few of the others.

My opinions are....Instax mini is too small and too perfect. The cameras can be a bit plasticky (full sized Instax) although the Neo 90 ones and Leica Sofort (expensive) cameras are a little better quality. The ones you can shoot and edit first are basically digital cameras with printers built in so not true integral film like the Instax film or the Polaroid Originals. Would MUCH rather have integral personally.

The best one I think is the original SX-70. Glass lens with solid metal construction and available in manual or auto focus. They seem increasingly easy to find as a few people are refurbishing them and re-skinning them and if looked after, will last for years. I have a Revue model, a Sonar modal and have recently picked up an ivory one for my girlfriend. The newest film for them is expensive but is much improved from when it was The Impossible Project. The thing with these is to embrace the faults and imperfections, although it can be frustrating at times if you have a failure which completely ruins an image but my shoebox full is constantly growing and they are a pleasure to look back through.

I haven't uploaded any new ones for quite some time either here or on Flickr as my scanner is packed away, however here are a couple I had on there. :)



 
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Mr Badger said:
Reminds me of many Christmases ago when I got a Polaroid 1000 as a present. I soon went through the 2 packs of film I'd got, but it was good fun and a real novelty in those days to watch a print develop right in front of me (although I believe these days you have to keep them covered up while they develop to avoid light damage). However, I then found I couldn't afford the film for it vey often on my pocket money! :banghead:

It was a good stepping stone to a 35mm SLR for me though. Talking of which, in addition to the Instax novelty (if funds permit - or perhaps instead of it, after a discussion with your daughter, if they don't) how about getting her a 35mm SLR and a couple of rolls of film. You should be able to get something like a fully working Canon EOS 50E with zoom lens for under £50 if you shop wisely on eBay, cash converters, etc. A roll of Kodak Gold 200 colour and a roll of Ilford XP2 black and white and I bet you could both have some good fun with it. When the novelty of the Instax wears off I bet she and you would still use the film camera from time to time. If not, 35mm SLRs only seem to be going up in price, so I imagine you'd at least get your money back if it started gathering dust. Happy analogue Christmas to you both, and don't forget the batteries if you decide to give an EOS 50 a go! ;)
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My very first camera as a kid was a polaroid 1000 as well. The ability to take a photo and see it printed straight away was what got me interested in photography in the first instance.

She already has a Nikon EM which she hardly ever uses, she actually loves the camera but the process of waiting for film to be developed doesn't fit well with the young uns who expect everything to be there straight away.

As I mentioned in my post she also has a Sony A7 at the moment but mainly just uses it for video.

gazmorton2000 said:
I LOVE shooting Polaroid and have a few packs packed for a few days in Morocco. I have shot quite a bit on my travels and have several cameras and used a few of the others.

My opinions are....Instax mini is too small and too perfect. The cameras can be a bit plasticky (full sized Instax) although the Neo 90 ones and Leica Sofort (expensive) cameras are a little better quality. The ones you can shoot and edit first are basically digital cameras with printers built in so not true integral film like the Instax film or the Polaroid Originals. Would MUCH rather have integral personally.

The best one I think is the original SX-70. Glass lens with solid metal construction and available in manual or auto focus. They seem increasingly easy to find as a few people are refurbishing them and re-skinning them and if looked after, will last for years. I have a Revue model, a Sonar modal and have recently picked up an ivory one for my girlfriend. The newest film for them is expensive but is much improved from when it was The Impossible Project. The thing with these is to embrace the faults and imperfections, although it can be frustrating at times if you have a failure which completely ruins an image but my shoebox full is constantly growing and they are a pleasure to look back through.

I haven't uploaded any new ones for quite some time either here or on Flickr as my scanner is packed away, however here are a couple I had on there. :)



Click to expand...


Thanks for the info the SX-70 looks like a nice piece of kit maybe I need to have more of a chat with her about what she wants.

The Fuji SQ-20 looked liked a good option to me after doing a bit more research but will see what she thinks.
 
f/2.8 said:
She already has a Nikon EM which she hardly ever uses, she actually loves the camera but the process of waiting for film to be developed doesn't fit well with the young uns who expect everything to be there straight away.
Click to expand...

The process of waiting largely depends on where you send the film. I tend to post mine off to AG Photographic in Birmingham, who usually turn standard black and white and colour negative developing around the same day as receiving it, which means the film I post to them on a Tuesday is usually back through my letterbox on Thursday. I usually scan my own negatives, but if I think I've got something special, then I'll go for a high-res lab scan, and both AG and Filmdev (up in the North-east) do an internet download service so you can see the results more quickly, often the day after sending them.

To be honest, I still like that slight 'Christmas morning' feeling of waiting for the negs to come back and drop through the letterbox, but then again, I'm of the generation that was used to being patient. We had to be in those days... apart from Polaroid instants and their slightly fuzzy, pastel look, the only way quicker was home developing and darkroom printing!
 
Mr Badger said:
The process of waiting largely depends on where you send the film. I tend to post mine off to AG Photographic in Birmingham, who usually turn standard black and white and colour negative developing around the same day as receiving it, which means the film I post to them on a Tuesday is usually back through my letterbox on Thursday. I usually scan my own negatives, but if I think I've got something special, then I'll go for a high-res lab scan, and both AG and Filmdev (up in the North-east) do an internet download service so you can see the results more quickly, often the day after sending them.

To be honest, I still like that slight 'Christmas morning' feeling of waiting for the negs to come back and drop through the letterbox, but then again, I'm of the generation that was used to being patient. We had to be in those days... apart from Polaroid instants and their slightly fuzzy, pastel look, the only way quicker was home developing and darkroom printing!
Click to expand...
Ok Boomer
:exit:
 
My 16yr old daughter expressed an interest too - but she was after something to print from her phone - she has a compact but never seems to use it.
The Instax price per print was the most expensive when I was looking. I do like their new portable printer though.

I got some help here which may help - I'm still pondering but I suspect a Selphy printer will be under the tree because the price per print is lowest and the size of the print is a lot bigger.
https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/t...anon-zoemini-hp-sprocket-instax-share.702164/
 
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