However, there are others on this list that offer something different, such as the Polaroid Snap Touch — which can print photos from your smartphone, too. Big photos in a retro design. Fujifilm Instax. Sony a7 II design: Petite, sexy and solid. After taking as few as three shots, we often had to wait about 30 seconds before we could view pictures on the camera.
With the Automatic setting, the SQ6 captured accurate color and skin tones, though the image was not super sharp. NFC pairing to initiate the Wi-Fi connection was simple; the devices linked so quickly that we didn’t even realize it happened. However, the quality of the prints from the Kodak Smile were a step below other Zink cameras, such as the Canon Ivy Cliq+.
The Cliq2+ has an 8MP sensor and three shooting modes (landscape, portrait, and selfie), while the Cliq2 has a 5MP sensor. What to look for when buying an instant camera. Fujifilm Instax Mini 40. Reasons to buy.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. In addition to standard fare like a shooting mode dial (Manual, Program, etc.) and a combo four-way rocker and wheel on the back, the a7 II features thumb and index-finger dials on the back and front, an exposure compensation knob on the top right and four Custom buttons that can be set for nearly any function. But the a7 II has some flaws, including finicky autofocus and slow write speeds — making this investment worthwhile for some photographers but not for others. For any candid shots, in which the subject is moving and the best time to shoot is hard to gauge, we went with the Lock-on AF:Wide setting, combined with the Continuous AF.
By moving the sensor instead of a lens element, the a7 II can also compensate for movement on the X axis (side to side) and Y axis (up and down) as well as roll movement (twisting). However, some instant cameras now let you preview each shot so you can decide if you want to print it out or not. MORE: DSLR vs. We liked the quality of the images printed from the Cliq+2’s 8MP camera, but didn’t like the fact that we couldn’t review the photos we took with the camera, nor select those we wanted to print.
Whichever one you pick, the camera will make its own internal adjustments. Auto mode lets the camera adjust aperture (f/4.5- f/22), shutter speed and flash output. Scads of customizable buttons and knobs provide access to just about any adjustment you want, so you can get the shot before the moment ends.
It silently shifts the huge sensor not just for pitch (the camera rotating up and down) and yaw (rotating side to side) movements that regular stabilized senses do. The camera and remote use two different batteries (sold separately). The close-up lens made focusing tricky; you have to center the focus circle just slightly to the upper right of the subject.
Sony reckons a capacity of 270 shots if you use only the viewfinder or 350 with only the LCD. (That gorgeous EVF consumes way more juice.) Using a mix of EVF and LCD, we eked out just 121 photos (mostly shooting simultaneous JPEG and RAW files) and 46 1080p/60fps videos adding up to 10.5 minutes of footage. Sony a7 II video quality: Not quite pro. Lomo’Instant Square. Lomography sells several versions of the Lomo’Instant Automat, some of which include add-on lenses, such as a "Splitzer" gizmo that divides the frame into different sectors, and a lens for shooting extreme close-ups, up to a foot from your subject.
Specifications. The shots from the glass lens are refreshingly sharp and clear, though focusing through the lens takes some getting used to. 1. And it doesn’t rise to the high standard for a still camera/video camera hybrid set by rival Canon’s 5D Mark II and 70D DSLRs.
Surrounding the lens is a circular mirror, for all those selfies you plan to take. After testing more than a dozen instant cameras, the best instant camera is the Lomography Lomo’Instant Automat, which has a cool look, comes with add-on lenses, and most importantly, takes great pictures. The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a bulky beast.
An instant camera with an optical zoom. The package also includes three color filters — orange, purple and green — that can be fitted over the flash to add a color cast to your photo. While the camera has a digital readout, it has fewer controls than the Mini 90. Unlike with some other instant cams, you can turn the Mini 90’s flash on or off.
Reasons to buy. Rolling shutter is obvious in this frame from the beginning of the video. The Automat has a remote built into its lens cap, so you can more easily take group shots or exposures up to 30 seconds. (It has a tripod mount, too.) Zone focusing helps measure the proper distance for the best shot, and we liked its optical viewfinder. Not that it’s without any features at all: a selfie mode is a nice extra and there’s a constantly firing flash that gives it better skills in low-light conditions than you might expect. + Effective 5-axis image stabilization + Bright, clear pictures + Fast access to settings + Surprisingly small for a full-frame camera.
9. In low light, the A7 II continued to impress. If you’re posting online, expect a lot of compression (as in the YouTube clips we’ve embedded). During our helicopter ride over Manhattan not only was the chopper rocking back and forth, it often jerked from side to side and up and down and twisted: a perfect test of the a7 II’s X (horizontal), Y (vertical) and roll stabilization.
An inexpensive, colorful camera. Smartphone app. A standout improvement is the in-body 5-axis image stabilization, which Sony claims is a world’s first in a full-frame mirrorless camera.
With traditional instant cameras, every photo you took was printed out. Speckles of color noise were noticeable only in darker parts of the scene, such as in the river. The ability to dress up images with emojis and stickers and improve them with filters or digitally enlarge them is a bonus. The Snap Touch is being phased out, so it’s becoming harder to find.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 9. Sony’s a7S, a $2,500 sister camera to the a7 II, also records in 4K. Unlike with some cameras, there is no tripod mount or bulb setting, so if you shoot in low light, you must rely on the camera’s auto flash. Otherwise, you can charge just one battery in the camera, using a USB charger. Its full-frame but low-resolution (12MP) sensor allows it to grab crisp footage without a big lighting rig. The camera automatically lights up on the mode that’s best for your shot, but you have to rotate the lens to the right place before taking the shot and be sure to keep the proper distance from your subject.
7. From there, an LED lamp on the side of the lens guides you on where to adjust the exposure. A copper-colored ring around the lens mount adds a welcome bit of nonfunctional flair. 3. This camera shoots large square prints. Its APS-C class sensor is about a third the size of the Sony’s full-frame chip.
Even though the chopper was shaking throughout the ride, we managed to capture many sharp shots of the stunning vista. Unlike some Instax cameras, the Wide 300 lets you twist the lens one way to focus from 3 to 9 feet and the other way to capture images from 9 feet and up. The lighten/darken button, which operates like exposure compensation, made it easy to expose two shots on the same sheet of film. The Mini 90 has an electronic macro setting for more creative shots, as well as two shutter buttons to make it easier to snap portraits or landscape photos. Reasons to avoid.
The Kodak Smile Classic’s design riffs on the iconic Polaroid instant camera, but in a slightly more compact design. Specifications. Against. Sony a7 II autofocus and speed. Specifications.
You navigate the icons using the four-way directional pad/wheel. However, these modern cameras also have other features, such as the ability to add filters. Sony’s a7 line is the first family of cameras to get the attention of pros — not only for fitting a full-frame sensor in a device much smaller than a DSLR, but also for providing the comfortable design and array of easy-access controls that serious shooters look for.
Specifications. Mirrorless Cameras : Which is right for you? But if you intend to shoot and edit a lot of video, you can do better than the a7 II — not only due to its rolling shutter, but because it’s capped at HD resolution. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 comes in a variety of bright colors: Cobalt Blue, Flamingo Pink, Ice Blue, Smoky White and Lime Green. 2. The a7 II welcomes DSLR switchers with its massive OLED electronic viewfinder with a 1024 x 768resolution; its brightness and clarity rival any optical eyepiece.
What are the best instant cameras? Endurance is one of the a7 II’s weaknesses. The default 60-mm f/12.7 lens has a minimum focusing distance of about 2 feet, while the close-up lens lets you focus from approximately 1 foot away. Best of all, most of the best instant cameras cost less than $150, and in many cases they’re available for less than $100, making them a good gift for someone who’s into photography.
You could jam just the main slab of the black, magnesium-alloy body into the front pocket of a pair of jeans. Still, it’s the best mirrorless camera with a full-frame sensor you can get for less than $1,000. However, we’ve found that Zink prints tended to be less vibrant overall.
Many cameras suffer this effect, but the a7 II is meant to be a cut above. The camera also includes a self-timer and a tripod mount. 6. Fujifilm’s Instax Square SQ6 is the company’s first fully analog square cam with a 65.75-mm lens. Still, the quality isn’t radically better than the video from Sony’s $500, entry-level a5100 mirrorless camera, which focuses at least as well under far-more demanding conditions.
A fun retro-looking instant camera. One challenge of the a7 II is determining which focus settings to use. Reasons to buy. Reasons to avoid. It could save you money in the long run.
The body weighs a manageable 21 ounces (1.3 pounds). Smartphone users will be immediately comfortable with the Polaroid Snap Touch’s 3.5-inch LCD touch screen. Effective 5-axis image stabilization Bright, clear pictures Fast access to settings Surprisingly small for a full-frame camera. Considering the minimal light and attendant ISO of 10,000 or above, this video is about as sharp as could be expected.
This slow pan over spices at a holiday market shows lovely color and detail. Reasons to buy. The A7 II is compatible with all 19 of Sony’s E mount (full-frame) lenses, and the company recommends seven of them for the new camera. The a7 II has some powerful video hardware, but it’s hampered by the same large sensor that’s an asset to still photos. Unlike other instant cameras, which will automatically pump out a print even if it’s snapped by accident, the Snap Touch lets you preview, choose, print or discard any shot so you waste less precious paper.
The camera has a self-timer, as well as a remote control that detaches from the camera (and requires its own battery). Along with brightness, you can even adjust the viewfinder’s color temperature for a more accurate preview. This is the photo paper that Polaroid cameras have traditionally used: the paper is exposed to light, and the chemicals react to produce an image. However, that’s as much a testament to the quality of even Sony’s low-end models. The new, $1,500 (body only) Samsung NX1 mirrorless camera (which we’re reviewing) records in HD, Ultra HD and DCI Cinema 4K; Panasonic’s slightly older GH4 does the same for the same price.
If shooting high-end video is part of your repertoire, Canon is a better way to go (or Samsung or Panasonic, if you want 4K). Slow writing to memory card Quirky autofocus Motion distortion from shutter roll in action video. Fujifilm Instax Wide 300. Sony a7 II: Lenses and accessories.
The same effect occurred when filming a game of tag between co-author Cherlynn and our officemate Sam. And despite the camera’s weight, its handgrip makes it comfortable to hold. The shutter — a square tab on the front — is extremely sensitive, so you have to watch how you hold the camera so as not to fire a shot accidentally. Most of the images included in this review were shot with the 16-35mm lens.
There was hardly any lag in focus as we framed shot after shot of a stunt artist jumping on a trampoline, while the platform we stood on shook with her bounces. The advantage to Zink is that you don’t have to worry about accidentally exposing the paper to light, as you do with Instax film. Specifications.
A large selfie mirror and a slim design. Smart design and digital storage. Pictures from the Lomo Instant Glass Magellan were incredibly sharp. The camera has a bit of a parallax effect, so that what you see through the lens is an approximation of what you will actually capture.
One of several Fujifilm Instax Mini models in this list of the best instant cameras, the Mini 40 shares many of its specs with the Instax Mini 9 at number 8 (and the newer Instax 11), but wraps them in a cool retro body. Reasons to avoid. The a7 II looks about as close to sexy as a professional camera gets.
Reasons to avoid. Most importantly, it takes lovely photos, with vibrant color and generally good exposures. Not only does this make it easier to make a second print, but you can also share that photo on social media a lot more easily. We also saw less distortion in our review of the Canon 70D.
It lacks the bells and whistles of some of the other entries here — particularly the two sitting above it — but what it loses in features it makes up for in ease of shooting; this is a really simple instant camera to get the best from. Still other instant cameras can connect via Bluetooth to a smartphone app. If you’re a video editor, the wealth of raw data gives you welcome latitude to make adjustments. The camera features three focusing ranges: macro (1 to 1.6 feet), auto (1.6 to 6.6 feet) and landscape (6 feet and up). But, at $129-$149, it’s not too pricey, but if you’re looking for something less expensive, check out the Canon Ivy Cliq2 ($79), which has a 5MP sensor, or the earlier Canon Ivy Cliq+, still available now for around $90.
Kodak Smile. The best thing about the Instax Wide 300 is the size of its pictures: They are big. Instead, it blackened the LCD when we held the camera any closer than about 4 inches away from the torso. We liked the Cliq+2’s clean, simple design and thin size, which made it pretty easy to fit in a pocket. With its 38-millimeter wide-angle, multicoated f/4.5 glass lens, the Lomo’Instant Automat gives you sharper images, better low-light performance and a wider field of view than its competitors.
Sony doesn’t give a resolution in pixels for the screen, but we reckon it’s about 800 x 600 (1,228,800 dots). Tom’s Guide Verdict. Other instant cameras use Zink paper, which uses heat to activate colors in the paper. Reasons to avoid. The best instant cameras you can buy today.
Reasons to avoid. Reasons to avoid. In less action-packed settings, the a7 II’s video is handsome. Focus is fine, as you can tell by looking at Sam.
Polaroid Snap Touch. With the kit FE 28-70mm F/3.5-5.6 OSS lens, the A7 II snapped decent pictures with good clarity and color. A high-key option lightens images and assists in exposing darker environments. A button labeled "Fn" brings up a customizable on-screen menu with icons for up to 12 functions for anything left over after you assign the physical buttons. In any case, you’ll probably want to get a second battery, which Sony sells for $80.
Our pictures looked bright and sharp, with outlines of buses and cars on the streets rendered clearly. In our shooting, for example, we set the C1 and C2 buttons behind the shutter release to bring up the metering mode and focus area selectors, which we often adjust as the subject changes. It includes a snap-on close-up lens which is easy to lose. Like its predecessor, the a7, this camera packs the kind of full-frame sensor normally found in giant, pro DSLRs into a body no larger than that of a standard mirrorless camera with a much smaller sensor. Model name : Sony Alpha a7 II Megapixels: 24.7 Type: Mirrorless Price: $1,700 (body) Shots per sec, max: 5 Sensor type: Full-frame CMOS Kit lens option: 28-70mm zoom AF points and type(s): 117 phase detection, 25 contrast detection Shutter speed range: 1/8000 to 30 seconds Main video resolutions/frame rates: 1080p and 1080i at 60fps, 30 fps and 24 fps; 1440 x 1080 and 640 x 480 at 30p (various data rates) Video file format(s): XACV S (for 1080), AVC-HD (for 1080), MP4 (others) Built-in flash: No Hot Shoe: No Card type (and multiple slots?): SDXC, Memory Stick XC-HG Duo Ports (HDMI, USB, etc.): USB, HDMI, mic, headphone Battery and shots per charge: 1080 mAh, 340 shots (with LCD on) Wireless capabilities: Wi-Fi, NFC Image stabilization: 5-axis in-body Dimensions and weight: 5 × 3.87 × 2.37 inches, 1 pound, 3.6 ounces (body only) Sony a7 II image quality: Bright, beautiful and sharp.
Still, something didn’t look right. Peering closer, we noticed the jellolike wiggle and shape distortion of shutter roll. That’s still the case for a good number of modern instant cameras, but given the cost of film, that approach can be very pricey — 50 cents and higher per shot, in some cases. The second-generation Canon Ivy Cliq2 ($99) and Ivy Cliq2+ ($149) are now available.
A stylishly retro instant camera. While not universal, some of the new instant cameras have a microSD card slot, and save a digital copy of every photo you take. The thing we liked the most about the Smile Classic is its massive prints, which measure 4.25 x 3.5 inches—very satisfying. A combination of the infinity setting, the auto flash and a light source produced bright images at night within the shooting range. The system didn’t eliminate all the jostling, as Sony freely told us it wouldn’t.
Combined with a smooth, curved design and a dotted hand strap, it looks a bit toy-like. Sony a7 II verdict. While the camera prints out every photo you take with it, you can also use it to print photos from your smartphone, and add filters and stickers in the process. That means you can use a much slower shutter speed to let more light into your shot and still get a crisp image.
It has a 114-mm, f/14 lens and uses only Instax Wide film for a picture that’s ideal for capturing landscapes or groups of people. Another aspect of the A7 II that slowed down our shooting was the inordinately long time it took to write to the memory card. Still, it is exceptionally easy to use. Also, the digital images stored by the Smile are on the small side.
Night shots, with and without flash, and augmented with available streetlights, can make a storyteller out of any casual shooter. The camera measures 5 inches across, 3.7 inches high, and 1.4 inches deep. A half-press on the shutter lets you designate the item to keep in focus, which the AF will track as you or the subject move. This happened despite us using a Class 10 SDHC/SDXC microSD card provided by Sony.
Does it print everything you shoot? Sony’s entry-level mirrorless camera, the $350 (body only) a5100 has that capability, but the $1,700 a7 II doesn’t. The a7 II’s video doesn’t lack for detail: The new XAVC S codec records full-HD video at up to 50Mbps.
The A7 II also accurately captured a colorful display of spices at a market, with red, brown and orange powders and green spices looking true. Reasons to buy. Packing 5-axis, in-body image stabilization and a full-frame sensor in a petite, sexy body, Sony’s Alpha a7 II has a lot to offer. Reasons to avoid.
Digital storage. The camera’s auto flash optimizes the lighting according to distance, and you can choose the fill-in flash with a flash-on LCD button. These range from prime lenses suitable for portraits, such as the FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA ($799), to zoom lenses, such as the $1,498 FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS, for more versatility. Specifications. The Wide 300’s powerful flash is a real help when shooting photos at night, especially when the subject is close, and a handy tripod socket lets you anchor the camera for a steadier shot.
In bright light, the Sony A7 II delivered pictures that were vivid and clear. You have to wait at least 90 seconds for the picture to "fill in" to view the finished result, but we often found it took several minutes for the completed image to fully bake, revealing richer color and sharper focus. The best instant cameras offer something that you just can’t get from point-and-shoot, mirrorless or DSLR models: the instant gratification of holding a photo in your hand. Also included are four gel filters to give different color casts to your images, cards that show what images will look like at various settings, and clips, stands, glue dots and magnet stickers to display your photos. Specifications.
They’re perfect for taking away momentos from parties or weddings, and their immediate nature means you can easily give them to friends and family there and then. Instant cameras are not exactly instant. Since the Zink paper is not film, if the paper jams, you can easily open the back of the camera to tap the paper into place and resume printing without causing any damage to the picture. Just like the Polaroid cameras of old, the newest instant cameras print out a photo mere seconds after you take a shot.
You can turn off the camera’s image stabilization when you don’t need it, and this will extend the shooting time, though Sony hasn’t calculated by how much. Its size made it convenient to carry around, and it performs well in low-light; it did not even require a lighten mode to take some night shots in the yellow streetlamp of a park. The camera was mostly quick to focus, thanks to the improved autofocus system that packs 117 wide-area phase-detection AF points and 25 contrast-detection AF points. Sony a7 II: Wireless capabilities.
But some of these cameras are better than others, so read on for which we think are the best instant cameras. Sony a7 II Specs. Specifications. Lomo’Instant Automat.
Reasons to avoid. Sony a7 II: 5-axis image stabilization. However, the A7 II often missed and fired before having focused. Stability is the a7 II’s trump card. But even when the camera heaves up or to the side, motion blur affects the view below far less than we expected it to.
Like the original Ivy Cliq, these cameras take both a hard copy and a digital image. Specifications. Making a Wi-Fi connection on an HTC Desire Eye (running Android KitKat) was similarly smooth, and the PlayMemories app for Android packs an additional Share option for easier posting directly to social networks. Our Verdict. Canon Ivy Cliq+2.
4. Great for landscape and group shots. Generally, close-ups looked better than long-distance shots. You can also see plenty of wavy, rainbow-colored moiré patterns on the brick building in the background to her right.
In my test, the battery took a leisurely 3 hours or so to charge in-camera, using a 12-Watt USB charger. (Sony left out the camera’s charger, so I used one for an iPad.) With its classic retro style and 60-mm, f/12.7 lens, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is an appealing choice for hobbyists seeking a change of pace. Because of the camera’s automated functions, there are limited customizable settings. Its old-school bellows design will be unfamiliar to most, but it folds flat to about one-third of its operational size, making it more convenient to tote. This photo of co-author Sean leaning against a graffitied wall in Brooklyn on a cloudy day shows accurate color, down to his brown eyes and the pink paint on the wall.
Bands along the top and bottom report the settings, such as shutter speed aperture and ISO. That 34-second clip of the subway musicians consumes 224 MB. This appears archaic given how many cameras, from point-and-shoot to pro DSLR, have touch screens now.
Of course, with larger prints comes more expensive paper, but it’s a good tradeoff. In addition, Face Detection effectively found people, even if they were turned to the side. You get some control over your images — including flash and double exposure — but this camera gives you much larger square prints. This camera takes great, large, square photos. Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6.
Here are the best instant cameras. 11. You can also set the viewfinder to display a line-level or histogram. However, the Wide 300’s flash fires automatically in some situations, which can overexpose some photos.
The camera can pair with your smartphone via Bluetooth and has an app (iOS and Android) that offers additional photographic options, like text, borders, emojis and stickers. Sporting a nearly identical shell, the a7 II adds a phenomenal 5-axis stabilization system that puts it in a class of its own for pro-level action cameras. An easy-to-read monochrome LCD readout keeps track of your settings and film counter, while the Mode button lets you cycle through different scenarios (such as sports or landscape). Canon’s 5D Mark III, with a full-frame sensor like the a7 II, processes out shutter roll better.
Even at this slow speed, though, you can see the rainbow effect of diffraction on the plastic labels in the spice bowls. Whites turned a bit pinkish, and other colors were muted. It’s hardly a speed demon, but with a shooting speed of 5 fps (slowing down after 22 shots when the buffer fills up), the A7 II is a fast shooter.
Reasons to buy. The a7 line shows that Sony knows how photographers think: fast. An included close-up lens accessory snaps on with an audible click.
Packing 5-axis, in-body image stabilization and a full-frame sensor in a petite, sexy body, the Sony Alpha a7 II has a lot to offer. Reasons to avoid. We tried the A7 II with its kit lens (FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS) and a $1,999 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T FE 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM lens and saw much better image quality from the latter. If you’re looking for something more powerful but equally inexpensive, be sure to check out our best cheap cameras.
The focus snaps quickly from the woman walking toward the camera at the beginning of the clip to the musicians, and face-tracking works as advertised. The lens selection is steadily growing, and we like the results we’ve seen from several of the models. Sony a7 II interface: Master Controls. That makes it hard to hold a camera low and close to the body, with the LCD tilted up, for taking stealthy candid shots or keeping the camera steady when shooting video. Sony’s full-frame mirrorless camera, the 24.3-megapixel Alpha a7 II, is trying to do a lot on the very edge of today’s technology, which makes it impressive but also a bit quirky.
Some instant cameras use the Fujifilm Instax film cartridges, which come in several sizes and varieties. Reasons to buy. In bright light, if I moved the camera or my feet ever so slightly, the camera often chose a different exposure setting.
Along with the external mic jack that’s obligatory for all but entry-level cameras, the a7 II also features a headphone jack for monitoring audio levels while you are filming. Reasons to buy. You have to open separate apps for sharing. Zink vs.
The Canon Ivy Cliq+2 not only takes photos and prints them on Zink paper, but it can also connect to your smartphone and print photos from your mobile device, too. While the kit lens offered good color and clarity, the Zeiss glass delivered brighter images that were sharper and, thanks to a larger max aperture, could show more obvious shallow depth of field. The a7 II’s tiny stereo mics record surprisingly strong and clear sound. In Macro mode, the viewfinder automatically adjusts to show a better preview of your shot. The Party mode worked well without the flash, especially when augmented by a fairly strong outside light source; with the flash, subjects were well lit.
The default focus distance is almost 9 feet. As I got closer to the subject, the skin tones were truer, even with the flash on. Also, while the stabilizers leveled out some of our bouncy camera motion, they weren’t better in this situation than those of other high-end, stabilized camcorders. iPhones don’t support NFC pairing, and the iOS version of PlayMemories just lets you download images to your phone. Even at high ISO light sensitivity levels of 16,000 and 25,600, the images displayed a relatively small amount of noise (graininess).
The major innovation of the a7 II is a 5-axis image stabilization system. Packing 5-axis, in-body image stabilization and a full-frame sensor in a petite, sexy body, Sony’s Alpha a7 II has a lot to offer. Auto exposure control calculates the brightness to adjust the shutter speed and flash, but the SQ6 gives you plenty of flexibility, including flash suppression and various shooting modes. – Slow writing to memory card – Quirky autofocus – Motion distortion from shutter roll in action video. Thanks to this system, we were able to snap away like paparazzi during a helicopter tour of New York City at dusk.
My favorite daytime and macro shots — which were sharp and had deep, vivid colors — were taken in late-afternoon sunlight under bright conditions. Sony also lent us a $1,998 Zeiss 16-35mm F/2.8 ZA lens that took clearer and brighter pictures with more pronounced shallow depth of field (background blur). Sony a7 II battery life: Fleeting. After downloading Sony’s PlayMemories app on an iPhone 5s (running iOS 7), we selected Send To Smartphone from the Wi-Fi tab in the camera’s menu.
Specifications. A firm handgrip on the right-front side and a massive electronic viewfinder on the back push the total depth to about 3.8 inches. Images shot outdoors during the day displayed true colors and decent skin tones with plenty of detail, though some indoor shots came out a bit dark and muddy, despite the flash.
Our favorite instant camera. 10. You can see it more clearly when we slow things down. You can also use the app to print images shot from your smartphone when connected to the camera via Bluetooth. We’ve reached out to Sony for word on this and have yet to hear back.
I managed to blow a shot by accidentally hitting the shutter button and ruined another shot when changing double exposure settings. A variety of manual controls include the ability to take multiple exposures and a long exposure mode that keeps the shutter open for up to 30 seconds. Reasons to buy. The larger the sensor, the longer it takes to read out data, and the worse the shutter roll gets — unless the camera applies sophisticated correction algorithms.
It has Guard Protectors a nearly identical body to its forerunner, the a7, as well as its siblings the a7R (which boasts higher resolution) and the a7s (which functions in extreme low light and shoots 4K video). It features three color modes — black and white, color, and vintage sepia and also records 1080p and 720p video, which you can store on a microSD card. Unfortunately, something that hasn’t changed from earlier a7 models is a wonky light sensor that is meant to switch off the rear LCD and turn on the EVF when you bring the viewfinder up to your eye.
This opens up a few more features, such as the ability to use the camera to print photos taken with your smartphone, add filters, stickers, and more. We programmed C3 (up near the rear dial) to bring up the white balance selector, which we often fiddle with at night, and set C4 (down in the lower right corner of the camera back) to change ISO settings. But for $99, the Smile is a good instant camera. Using just auto white balance, the a7 II captured this subway performance with just a minimal green tint from the fluorescent lights. 8. The a7 II has a 3-inch LCD that, as with many other Sony cameras, pulls back from the camera so that it can tilt up about 100 degrees or down about 40.
The Lomo’Instant Square features a 95-mm (45-mm equivalent) glass lens that encourages creativity. The camera’s shutter speed is fixed at 1/60 of a second, and the flash fires no matter what. Reasons to buy. Reasons to buy.
Sony says the new system makes the A7 II 30 percent faster than its predecessor. About the only drawback is that the Lomo doesn’t save a digital copy of your images, like many of the other modern instant cameras. The image-stabilization system adds just a few extra millimeters to the height and thickness. Captured at the beginning of her stride, Cherlynn is unrecognizable due to rolling shutter.
5. In a couple of steps, we connected an iPhone to the camera’s Wi-Fi network and started saving pictures to the phone’s album. This simple and inexpensive digital camera has a number of features we really like: A slide-open mechanism protects the lens and keeps the camera from turning on accidentally; buttons on the back make it easy to navigate menus; and you can review photos on the Smile’s small LCD display before opting to print them out. Other instant cameras may do more, but the Instax Mini 40 does its thing with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of style — and all for a great price of less than $100. With distance and lighting problems solved, the Instax Mini 9 shot clear images with pleasing, fairly accurate color, with especially good results in broad daylight.
Sony has a selection of tripods, monopods, remote controls and flashes for the camera, including the $350 VCT-VPR10 remote control tripod and the $550 HVL F60M LED flash. An external charger for $60 is also a good idea, so you can save time by charging both packs at once. Night shots came out well, both indoors and out. Video recorded during the helicopter trip, as well as on a bumpy car ride, looked shockingly steady. (More about that in the video section, below.) The sensor, recording the image one line of pixels at a time, couldn’t keep up with a fast-moving subject: Slightly mismatched lines of the image come together to make a stretched, distorted picture. During a cable car ride to Roosevelt Island, for example, this pair of portrait shots came out blurry, with nothing in the foreground or background in focus at all.
Daylight images were bright with accurate color, though the focus was a bit soft. Best instant cameras 2021. Want to upload your shots to Facebook or Dropbox right away? The A7 II’s built-in Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities make sharing images a cinch.
Read the rest of our Sony a7 II review to see why it’s also one of the best cameras overall. These instant cameras have several new features as well as improvements in the quality of the photos. Also, as with other Sony cameras, the a7 II’s LCD is not a touch screen.
Third-party lens makers, such as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina, also have a selection of E Mount glass that is compatible with the A7 II. Sony a7 II Review. Some can even connect via Bluetooth to your smartphone, so you can use the instant camera as a mobile printer for the shots you took on a phone.
Kodak Smile Classic. Although using the directional pad was pretty fast, a touch screen would have been nice, especially for setting focus points on the fly for action shots. To accommodate the new A7 II’s slightly thicker profile than its predecessor, Sony also made new accessories: a $330 vertical grip (VG-C2EM) and a $150 soft carrying case (LCS-ELCB). But for quality still photography, no other camera offers so much capability in so small a package. Portraits have an evocative quality — clear, with soft flesh tones — while landscapes provided pinpoint detail and pleasing colors, similar those from the Lomo’Instant Automat.
Reasons to avoid. Specifications.