The Mini Shot 3 is substantially heavier and less elegant than the Mini Evo. However, there is the option to purchase a white and black variant, which appears to be more appealing on paper. Also, while I eventually got the hang of the camera and found it simple to operate, it took me a little longer to set up out of the box because there were more instructions to follow than with Fujifilm cameras. The instant camera does not utilize disposable batteries and was not fully charged when it arrived, so I could only use it for a few minutes before charging. However, after recharging it with the provided Micro-USB cable, it lasted the majority of the day.
Nonetheless, if you don’t mind sacrificing photo quality and want a reasonably priced hybrid camera with a slew of entertaining app features, the Kodak Mini Shot 3 Retro is a good option.
Number 4. Polaroid Go
The Polaroid Go is the lightest instant camera we’ve ever held, weighing just over a pound and being easy to use with one hand. That’s actually rather handy, given how difficult it was to capture photos with the bulkier Polaroid Now Plus and, to a lesser extent, some of the other instant cameras we tested. We’d be tempted to label this the greatest instant camera for travel or small children if the photographs produced were more true-to-life and didn’t require you to hide them from light for roughly 15 minutes while developing.
The Polaroid Go is one of the most economical Polaroid cameras available today, with film costing just a bit more than Fujifilm’s Instax Mini shots (or around $19.99 for a 16-sheet double pack). Fortunately, the inexpensive cost does not come at the expense of visual quality. While the Go, like most of the cameras on our list, struggles in low-light situations, it does not struggle as much as the Polaroid Now Plus. Surprisingly, it was simpler to take crisper shots indoors, which meant we used less film. The contrast and color saturation levels are still modest, but in a way that retains the nostalgic, almost dreamy aspect of the photographs printed by Now Plus.
However, unlike the Polaroid Now Plus, it lacks creative options and sophisticated capabilities, though double-pressing the flash button results in double-exposure images. There’s also no Bluetooth support, so no fancy software to add new effects – however, it’s rechargeable and comes with a Micro USB charging cable. Furthermore, as previously said, the prints are even smaller than the Instax Mini, which may be a disadvantage for people who like larger, more typical Polaroid photographs. While it creates similar vintage-style images, it doesn’t look anything like old-school Polaroid cameras, which may detract from the throwback experience desired by some.
