Polaroid or Instax? A comparison of the two instant photography giants

Instant photography has come back into favour, and with it the popularity of two of the biggest brands - Polaroid and Instax. In today's article, we take a closer look at these two photography icons and compare their products to help you decide which one is best for you.

History

Polaroid is the brand that ushered in the era of instant photography. Founded by Edwin H. Land in 1937, it revolutionised the market with instant photography, which allowed people to get a printed photo in minutes. After the demise of Polaroid in 2008, the brand was resurrected by the Impossible Project, which later changed its name to Polaroid Originals.

Instax is a brand owned by the Japanese company Fujifilm. It debuted on the market in 1998, offering its own approach to instant photography. Since then, Instax has become very popular, especially among the younger generation.

Photo format

Polaroid offers a square photo format (7.9 x 7.9 cm), which is known as the 'Polaroid 600'. Instax, on the other hand, has two main photo formats: Instax Mini (5.3 x 8.6 cm) and Instax Wide (9.9 x 6.1 cm). The choice of format depends on individual preference - smaller Instax Mini photos are ideal for wallets, while larger Polaroid or Instax Wide photos are better for albums or presentations.

Picture quality

Photo quality Polaroid photos have a distinctive, classic look with more saturated colours and contrast. Some people find Polaroid photos to have soul, but they can sometimes be more difficult to develop. Instax, on the other hand, produces more predictable results, with vibrant colours and greater saturation. The quality of Instax photos is often comparable to digital prints.

Development time

Development time Polaroid photos take around 15 minutes to develop, while Instax photos are ready in just 90 seconds. This makes the Instax a better choice if you are concerned about the speed of developing your photos.

Price

The Polaroid price is generally more expensive both in terms of cameras and consumables. The price of a single Polaroid photo is around £9-14, while an Instax Mini photo costs around £2.70-5.40 and an Instax Wide costs £4.50-9. Instax cameras also tend to cost less than Polaroid cameras.

Choice of models

Choice of models Both Polaroid and Instax offer a variety of camera models that vary in terms of features and design. For Polaroid, popular models include the OneStep 2 and OneStep+, which combine classic design with modern features such as Bluetooth connectivity. Instax offers a wide range of cameras such as the Instax Mini 11, Mini 90 Neo Classic or Instax Wide 300 to suit different tastes and needs.

Functionality

Cameras Instax usually offer more features, such as exposure control, shooting modes or a DSLR selfie. Polaroid is also introducing new features on its models, but they tend to be more minimalist and aimed at simplicity of use.

Summary

The choice between Polaroid and Instax depends on individual preferences and needs. The Polaroid attracts with its classic design and soul, as well as its larger photo format. Instax offers faster photo development, lower costs and greater camera functionality. Ultimately, both brands have their strengths and weaknesses, so it is worth considering which suits your expectations.

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