Click, click! If the photos taken from our smartphones will be triggered by the millions this year during the holiday season, the charm of a printed photo remains timeless. Of course, small portable printers allow you to instantly share the emotions of a special moment captured from a smartphone. But instant cameras do more.
In addition to their obsolete side which reconnects with the codes of silver photography and that of the object with a singular design, the magic of their photos which are revealed little by little works in full. Nostalgic, the elders are fans of them, but the younger ones have also adopted them. 20 minutes has tested four and gives you its verdict.
The most “old-school” : Lomo’Instant Square Glass by Lomography
Unfoldable, taking up the concept of bellows devices of yesteryear, the Lomo’Instant Square Glass takes instant photos in square format. It uses Instax Square Instant Film papers for this, which it shares with its competitor, the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10.
This analogue camera produces 62 x 62 mm format prints. It has a 90mm glass lens (f / 1.0, 45mm equivalent), a built-in flash and allows shooting with a focus range of 0.8m to infinity. Focusing is done manually using a ring above the lens. Few adjustments are also allowed. Among them, exposure correction, as well as a self-timer. Little more: the device has a remote control (housed in its sole). Vocation: triggering a shooting from a distance (up to 5 meters), which is convenient for group photos.
Our opinion : Massive (15 x 12 x 5 cm folded), quite heavy (494 g) and unfortunately very plastic (which makes it lose a little of its charm), the Lomo’Instant Square Glass takes, like all its congeners, imperfect photos . We nevertheless appreciate the square format of the views offered, the remote control being added so that the photographer is also on the picture during family reunions!
69.30 euros. Price of the view: approximately 1.09 euros (62 x 62 mm).
The most creative: Now +, from Polaroid
Since its comeback in the instant photo market in 2017 with its OneStep 2 (the descendant of a legendary camera from the 70s), Polaroid has never stopped innovating. Today his new
Now + tries to bring together in a rather beautiful way the worlds of the instant photo with that of the digital photo. How? ‘Or’ What ? With a device connected to an app.
Educational and easy to use, it allows you to modify the parameters of the device, such as switching to Manual mode, but also to Tripod mode. Thus, placed on a support using its screw thread, the Now + offers fun with long breaks, but also to take sharp photos in low light.
For their part, the images in 79 x 79 mm format have a beautiful shine and can take advantage of the set of rings (five in total) to be placed on the lens to create small effects. On the menu: vignetting, sparkle, light-painting, yellow, red filters …
Our opinion : Very similar to the OneStep + camera in its philosophy, The Now + still does not offer to preview the photo that we are about to take once the settings have been made in the application. This is unfortunate for a connected device. Here, two types of films are offered (Color i-Type and B & W i-Type). With its remote shutter release, the application makes it possible to perfectly succeed in its group photos around the Christmas turkey. It is clearly the one, among those of our selection, will take the best photos. But at a high price.
149 euros. Price of the view: around 2 euros (79 x 79 mm).
The most attractive: Instax Mini 40, from Fujifilm
L’Instax mini 40 from Fujifilm completes the Japanese manufacturer’s wide range of instant cameras. With its resolutely vintage look, it seems nevertheless this time to address a target more adult than usual. Still, it is a camera that advocates simplicity.
With its automated exposure control, it doesn’t need to be adjusted. Supported by a small mirror on the front, it does however have a function selfie. To implement it, just pull lightly twice on the lens. Therefore, the mini 40 will focus from 30 to 40 centimeters away.
Our opinion : Despite a very plastic construction this device does not cheap. If the mini 40 does not change much compared to the Fuji mini 11 that preceded it, the photos we were able to take during our test are classic Instax photos. We find their honorable quality, but also their small faults: a lack of details, when it is not more or less artistic blurs. Another downside: the viewfinder on the camera seemed a little tight.
99 euros. Price of the view: 0.80 euro (62 x 46 mm).
The most fun: Zoemini 2, by Canon
Canon’s idea with Zoemini 2 : offer a fun and practical device capable of printing memories in a flash. And customizable memories. With this device, it is on the one hand possible to take color or black and white photos and print them immediately. They are in 50 x 76 mm format and self-adhesive or in circular format (with two small round photos on the same sheet).
In addition, Canon has linked Zoemini 2 to an application. Thanks to it, the user can print photos taken with his smartphone directly on the device, but also personalize them with filters (dark, movie, lomo, warm, winter, vintage…), frames (with different borders); stickers in number (onomatopoeias, animals, icons, clothes and accessories, food, flowers, hearts …). It is finally possible to add text in a thousand and one forms …
Our opinion : Compact (121 x 80.3 x 22.4 mm for 188 grams), this device is well designed with its large mirror selfies surrounded by a circle of eight LEDs that light up to avoid red eyes. Perfect for self-portraits! We regret that the application does not allow you to import the photos taken directly by Zoemini 2, which, unlike those taken with the smartphone, are therefore not customizable. A screw thread under the device would have been welcome for group photos that can still be triggered remotely from the application.
169 euros. Price of the view: from around 0.13 euros (50 x 76 mm).