I've been a photographer for 13 years now so believe me when I say that I've used just about every type of camera you can get. I love instant cameras, and though I'm an Instax lover at heart, this deal on the Polaroid Now+ reduced by $60 from $149.99 to just $84.95 at B&H Photo is close to converting me (or at least adding another camera to my haul). See our Polaroid Now+ review to find out why we like it.
Even the best cameras aren't as fun or exciting as an Instant camera. They beat vintage medium format film cameras, night vision and thermal imaging cameras, drones, pinhole cameras, and even robots with 4K cameras attached.
Maybe it's the anticipation of waiting for your photos to develop that makes it feel magical. I know how lame that sounds as I type it out, but seriously, if you've never used an Instant camera before then you're missing out. We might see better deals once Black Friday officially kicks off over the next few hours, but I'll keep you updated with the top instant camera deals as and when I find them.
Polaroid Now+ Blue Gray: $149.99 $84.95 at B&H Photo
Save $65: The Polaroid Now+ is a blend of its predecessor, the original Polaroid Now, and the Polaroid OneStep+. It has newer features that include aperture and tripod modes, plus allows for light painting, and creating double exposures.
Coloured editions like this one often retail for a bit higher than the standard colour variants, so this price is a steal for the Blue Gray model.
Price check: Adorama: $149.99 | Walmart: $124.95
Kodak Mini Shot 3 bundle: $179.99 $129.61 at Amazon
Save $50: This bundle includes the white Kodak Mini Shot 3 hybrid instant digital camera, as well as 68 sheets of photo print paper for you to use immediately.
With $70 off, this is a pretty great deal, especially with the film included! You can get the exact same deal on the yellow Kodak Mini Shot 3 too.
Price check: Walmart $139.99
Instax Black Friday camera deals
Instax Mini 40: $99.95 $89.95 at Amazon
Save $10: I already own this instant camera and I bought it back in July to take some photos in Amsterdam. I chose it mostly for the aesthetic if I'm honest, as I love the textured design and pattern. It takes great photos too, but you need to watch out for the flash.
Price check: $89.99 at Adorama |$89.99 at Best Buy
Instax Square SQ40: $149.95 $139.95 at Amazon
Save $10/£15: The Instax SQ40 instant camera was only released in June, so it's unlikely that we'll see any huge discounts on it this Black Friday. With that said, you should still consider snapping one up if you like square prints, and it also boasts a new automatic exposure function and twist-activated selfie mode.
In the UK, you can save £15 on this camera from Jessops or Amazon for just £119 down from £139.
Price check: $139.99 at Best Buy
Instax Mini 12 Pastel Blue: $79.99 $69.99 at Best Buy
Save $10: The Instax Mini 12 is the latest entry in the hugely popular Instax Mini range, and improves on power and lens controls. The most affordable Instax on the market, the pastel bubble-shape is popular with teens and kids but that by no means cheapens the quality of this instant cam.
Price check: Adorama $69.99 | Best Buy $69.99
Instax Mini Evo Black: £232.99 £174.99 at Park Cameras Jessops UK
Save £58: The Instax Mini Evo is the ultimate hybrid digital instant camera that can produce amazing analogue photos with the option to add creative effects in-camera, but the best part is it can also print photos from your smartphone image gallery anytime you want. It has a 3-inch LCD screen on the back to browse through your images.
The lowest price we've ever seen the Evo sold for was £171 by Amazon on Christmas Eve 2022, so this price isn't far from being the lowest price and a great deal on the Evo.
Price check: Amazon: £199.95 | Jessops: £174.99
What's a good price on an Instant camera?
Nostalgia doesn't come cheap, and instant cameras can be pretty expensive when you add up the cost of buying film packs for them too. As a rough guide, you can expect to spend up to $1/£1 per photo printed using an instant camera depending on the cost of film for that specific brand - so keep that in mind if you plan to print LOTS of images.
The average price for an instant camera can be around $150/£150 if you're looking for the absolute basic features such as printing an image instantaneously, also depending on how new the model is and when it was released. Once a new model of instant camera is released, we'll likely see a discount or price drop on the previous generation model.
Be sure to keep a close eye on other big camera retailers this Black Friday such as B&H, Adorama, Walmart, Best Buy, and Jessops or Argos in the UK for deals that might even undercut Amazon.
What is a hybrid instant camera?
When shopping for an instant camera, you may come across the terms "analogue" and "hybrid". Traditional instant cameras are primarily analogue, and will do the absolute basics such as snapping a photo and printing it out instantly - it might also have a flash too if you're lucky.
Digital instant cameras, however, are becoming more modern and combine analogue and digital elements with features such as app compatibility, selfie modes, and the option to apply filters to your images. "Hybrid" is a new term used to describe an instant camera that doubles as a smart digital printer, such as the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo.
What this means essentially is that you can browse through and edit your captured photos in-camera or via a smartphone app before you choose to print them (as opposed to it being printed instantly) – and it also enables you to turn images from your phone into real Instax prints.
This will save you from wasting expensive prints on images you aren't particularly fond of or would rather not print, and also allows you to view images and make changes to them before printing. These instant cameras are obviously more expensive but allow you to be more considerate in deciding what's really worth printing.
