Instax Mini 90 Camera for $210: Once my favorite Instax, the Mini 90 appears to have been replaced by the Mini Evo. The price isn’t much different, but the Mini Evo is more capable, especially since the Mini 90 is completely analog. That said, the Mini 90 offers the highest quality image of the Mini series (equal to the Mini Evo), so if you want a fully analogue experience and the highest quality image, this is the camera to get . It regularly drops below $150, so avoid paying more.
Instax SQ 6 Camera for $130 to $210: This is a head-scratcher. As I noted above, the SQ 6 is a better camera than the SQ 1 or SQ 40, which seem to have jointly replaced the SQ 6. Heck, there was even a Taylor Swift version of the SQ 6 (I’d hate to see that). what’s the price of that on eBay these days). Whatever the case, Fujifilm no longer lists the SQ 6 on its Instax website. But if you find it, and you like the square format, the SQ 6 is a fantastic camera. It has several manual functions not found on the others (I especially like the Lighten and Darken modes that can be used as exposure compensation) in addition to the SQ 40’s fully automatic mode. Other nice extras include a self-timer, up mode, and the option to turn off the flash. There is stock available, so try to buy it only if you find it between $100 and $150.
Instax Mini Link 2 Printer for $100: The Instax Mini Link was replaced by the Mini Link 2, but the updates were minor and I honestly don’t notice any difference in print quality. If you can find the original Mini Link for less than the price of the Link 2, go for it. The Link 2 sells for $100 most of the time, so don’t pay as much for the original Link. They are both excellent printers.
Avoid These Instax Cameras
Instax Mini 11 for $80 to $120: I mentioned this above, but the Mini 11 is rarely worth buying. It’s only a few dollars cheaper than the newer Mini 12 and lacks most of the features that make the Mini 12 such a good buy. If you can find this one for under $50, it might be worth it. But otherwise, avoid the Mini 11.
Instax 7/Instax 8/Instax 9: These are all older, lower-end Instax models. They use a fixed shutter speed of 1/60, while the similarly priced Mini 12’s auto exposure can choose between shutter speeds from 1/2 to 1/250 seconds, making it much more flexible. Since most of these are hard to find anyway, skip them.
Do you want a camera, a printer, or both?
Once you’ve chosen the film size you want, the next question is: do you want a camera, a printer, or a hybrid that can do both? The latter is more expensive but offers the best of both worlds: our top pick is a camera and a printer. Please note that if you want Instax Square or Instax Wide prints, there is no hybrid model.
If you’re nostalgic for what I still consider “the Polaroid experience,” an Instax camera is the way to go. They’re not the highest quality cameras (most have plastic lenses), but they take decent pictures and you can see them developing seconds after shooting. It’s the most fun option, but the downside is that if you have an image you love on your phone and you want to print it, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
