First and foremost, nothing in the digital realm beats the feeling of handing off a physical photo to someone right after you've snapped it. There are lots of reasons to reach for an instant camera. Fujifilm and Polaroid are still around making Instax and I-Type films, respectively, along with the cameras to match.

Instant film is as popular today as it's ever been. If you can tolerate the bewildering interface enough to work around the app's quirks, or you want your instant shots to look a certain way-spontaneity be darned-the camera is a worthy purchase for anyone looking to make vintage photos just a little more up-to-date.Looking for an instant camera? You're not alone. I hope Polaroid developers improve the app-if they do, this camera would be a no-brainer, since you'd be able to swap between orchestrated snaps and on-the-fly candids with ease. It's a definite step above both its predecessor and other similar models on the market. It negates the point of having an instant camera.īut overall, the Polaroid Now+ is a joy to use. If you're struggling to use it when you want to take an impromptu selfie with a friend, the moment is lost. Juggling your phone and camera would be worth it for carefully composed shots, but one of the primary reasons to use an instant camera is to spontaneously capture a slice of time. The camera's manual mode allows you to use the physical shutter button, but you lose a lot of the coolest features. The pleasant weight of the camera around my neck began to feel a little more like an albatross. One $2 mistake followed another, followed another. I tried to make a sweet double exposure and accidentally took two photos without moving the camera. I tried to use the timer mode, pressed a button in an attempt to adjust it, and found out that it was actually a shutter button. Unfortunately, in execution, it was a blight in my otherwise rosy viewfinder.Īfter I paired my camera to my smartphone via Bluetooth, the app ate through an entire pack of i-Type film with reckless abandon. On paper, the smartphone app looked amazing. Alongside a bevy of others, there are two new-to-Polaroid modes inside the app-Tripod Mode, which makes use of the optional mount at the bottom of the camera body, and Aperture Priority, which lets you select an f-stop to control background focus and obtain moderate levels of bokeh. The Now+ has a companion app the brand says it's optional, but it's basically required. Onboard digital indicators show you at a glance if you're in one of these three modes. There are also on-camera buttons that allow you to set a custom shortcut or switch between intentional double exposures and a self-timer mode. They added a neat experimental touch-I got some great results by combining different colored filters or using the starburst one to let light leak through. For example, instead of picking a filter in an app, you apply a real snap-on one. What sets the Now+ apart from other instant cameras is how closely it hews to the world of manual photography. A few moments later, you ooh and ahh over the end result, holding a little slice of time in your palm. You load up your film, press the button, and then wait patiently while trying to remember that Outkast gave you bad advice and you shouldn't shake a developing photo. The Now+ has all of the features one would expect to find in an instant camera. Film usually costs around $16 per pack from the manufacturer, so the bundle doesn't really save you any money. It is purchased separately there's a bundle available with some film packs that adds about $50 to the starter price. The Now+ uses Polaroid's cheaper, battery-free i-Type film. The box includes a little zippered pouch of snap-on colored lens filters, as well as a delightful '70s-themed quick-start booklet. Other bells and whistles include a rechargeable battery, which is nice, although I'm disappointed to see Micro-USB still holding on by its fingernails. The body has Polaroid's typical chunky square design, with a large viewfinder and a few physical buttons. It might not be much in comparison to a professional's gear, but there's something unapologetically analog about toting around a 1-pound piece of tech. Once I attached the neck strap-an infuriating process that should, frankly, be abolished-the Now+ felt good resting against my torso. It's hefty and weighty, offering a sharp contrast to a smartphone or daintier counterparts like Instax cams.

Instant camera bokeh