It would be interesting to have a comparison in durability between the formats. I have both, and usually like to display the pictures simply by taping them around the house. I have noticed that in places that receive more sunlight, like the kitchen, the polaroid film after 3-4 years start to fade, while the Instax look still like new.
It's not just sunlight. I've been working on putting together data on different storage condition tests; universally Polaroid film just washes out after a couple months - unless you refrigerate it for some amount of time prior to storing it in an album. Will update you when that data is ready
I have both Polaroid and Kodak instant photographs I took in both the 1970’s and 1980’s. The Kodak images still look good but the Polaroids have changed a lot. They lost color and got darker in albums protected from the light. While not exactly the same, Instax is based on Kodak Instant, so I would expect it to have reasonable stability, at least in albums. All dye based photographs (which means all color, and some recent B&W) of all types are going to change if exposed to light for long periods. Silver based B&W also changes, but at a much slower rate. All instant B&W is dye based.
I bought an SQ6 last year, and it was what sparked my journey into shooting film. When the exposure is just right, it can produce stunning photos-even landscapes come out beautifully. However, capturing great shots in poorly lit environments can be quite challenging. The built-in flash is helpful, and the three colored plastic caps that came with the camera make it even more fun to experiment! That said, the lack of manual control became a bit frustrating for me. Some photos ended up out of focus which bothered me. Photos taken on rainy days, however, often turned out washed-out, which I found less appealing. Photos not being framed the way I hoped surprisingly did not bother me as much, and can make the whole experience more fun sometimes! That being said, the SQ6 is still an excellent camera to bring along on summer holidays with friends! It’s simple, fun to use, and everyone gets to take some of the pictures home! This experience, though, eventually led me to invest in an SLR this year so I could shoot scenes I couldn’t quite manage with the SQ6. Maybe one day I’ll upgrade to a NONS SL660 for the best of both worlds.
Amazing, amazing video (and sample photos)! I lowkey started my instant photography journey because of your Lomo Instant Square video. You have a new subscriber and fan here!
I got the Nons Instax back for my Hasselblad. I love that the results look very similar to the Ektachrome I like to shoot, just with less dynamic range. I have no interest in a instant camera without aperture control, nor any interest in a instant camera with a lot of depth of field (little bokeh)
Instax wins again. The colors are way better than polaroid. You get more photos per pack and way less expensive than polaroid film. You'd think Polaroid would have upped their game by now. Intsax makes fuji more money than anything else they sell.
I got my NONS Instax back for my Hasselblad last week and I've been playing with some Instax Monochrome. I've been taking outdoor pictures and a few things stood out to me: Very easy to blow out the highlights, as you've found as well. It also took a good while before the blacks were fully black. I noticed your pictures were still quite gray at their darkest, mine turned inky black after +/- 10-15 minutes (much longer than the color Instax iirc). I shot a few on a tripod at f/8 and I have to say I was very impressed with the amount of detail. I underexposed them one stop, so I still had some definition in the sky and I let the shadows turn black. So far I really like it, it reminds me of the high-contrast b/w presets on some digital cameras, but with a more soft/gentle feel. The film really does benefit from having some quality glass in front of it, because the shots taken with my regular Instax camera really can't compare.
Very true Ren, behind a proper lens the film is truly itself, though still finicky in its own way. Good point about the shadows as well, these were scanned after a full day, but blacks are pretty lifted (perhaps it’s just my scanning setup)
I try to find joy in both formats. I just feel lucky we have the option of two mass market instant films. I have a Binstax and it is one of my favorite ways engage with photography. Its stunning, almost unbelievable, the kinds of images come out of that camera. Alternatively, when I get a well exposed shot out of an SX-70, I feel an intense mix of my skills and my luck being put to the test. As someone who shot some of the original Impossible Project emulsions, it's been a journey I've been grateful to be a part of. Also, try shooting instax through Kodak cameras, it's a great time!
Great content as always, Ben! My experience is that Polaroid is awesome, but it doesn't keep as long, whereas Instax is super contrasty, but keeps for a long time. As someone who invents stuff and does a lot of test shots, I have to keep lots of fresh polaroid on hand(refrigerated), but the instax can be junk in a crumpled pack, or leftover stuff from old cameras thrown in a drawer.
this is a good point, and very useful when buying expired packs for lots less than retail (you can get amazing Instax deals off of Mercari and the like). Basically you can get 5-year old Instax packs stored at room temp or worse that work like new, but Polaroid that old would not only not be their most up-to-date consistent emulsion, but also would have to be from a fridge to really work at all.
It's really no contest. Instax is better IQ and color and also costs half as much. But Polaroid is still magic and appeals to our emotions. Plus the cameras are cooler than Fuji. I prefer Poloraid in B&W.
If I can ever get my hands on some of the new Polaroid B&W I'll be happy. Instax Monochrome is fun with filters through. Yellow filters make it look like a tin type
I have an Instax Wide 300 and a Polaroid One Step. I love both but I way prefer the colors and tones of Instax and I actually love the wide aspect ratio.
"And these pages are blank..." I adore you. About seven minutes in, I had to scroll back to find how you labeled yourself at the intro. Just like Soldja Boy would've wanted.
I think it would be interesting if you had a section where you asked some people off the street which instant film image they liked better - The average person's opinion of which photo's rendering looks better helps give some perspective
The problem with that is most people don't have the 10-15 minutes to stand around and wait for the Polaroid to develop, let alone the 1hr+ to see the final image.
@@robertworkman7135 I don't know about that. In a low-stakes situation it could work, like offering to take a couple sitting at a bar's photo using both films, and then asking them which they liked better could work
Good point by Robert haha, I love this idea but the 10 minutes of waiting on the street while inconveniencing someone is triggering an anxiety attack 😂😂
I'm pretty sure everyone here has cameras from both brands. I love how I sometimes change my mind while analyzing cameras. Nothing's perfect, but I enjoy spending time shooting photos with friends and family-sometimes with Polaroid, sometimes with Fujifilm. I would love to see something new in this game
I use the Instax in my NONS camera for shooting my celebrity portraits. I use my SX-70 when shooting other people as a surprise gift for them. Either way, my instant formats are mostly interior. Anything like old gas station signs, landscapes, etc will be digital in case I want to make enlargements. While I do have a great print scanner, I prefer the intimacy a portrait on the print.
The video we all needed! Fantastic as always! ✨ And so cool to briefly see myself with my signature knuckleduster filter in the beginning of the video! 💕
i've trued using instax film for pinhole photography and noticed the reciprocity failure is Very noticeable. Once the exposure takes more than a couple seconds, it starts to turn in to minutes, and minutes into hours.
@@heatonize yep, one drawback of Instax. I made my own Instax pinhole and it took like an hour or more to expose an indoor shot in room lighting correctly. FYI, Polaroid film, on the other hand, has VERY good reciprocity characteristics. I once metered an outdoor waterfall scene for 15 seconds, and then used an ND filter over my SX-70 and dang if it wasn't spot on, no exposure adjustments needed.
Would love to see a chart if you’ve managed to calculate one using your experience. I actually really love the extended dynamic range instax gives when shooting longer exposures, but have yet to nail down any firm calculations. I tried using the data sheet for Fuji Pro 800Z as a starting point but even that has lower reciprocity failure.
@@hellothisiskyle I did the exact same thing re: using Pro800z as a base point, haha. I don't think I explored it much more than that afterwards just cause it was such a pain to get right.
@ yeh with pinhole I can imagine it would be pretty awful but I’m shooing it around f/5.6-8 for night photography and getting pretty manageable exposure times.
so i did some digging (read: came across a reddit post about first generation sx-70 film and then read quite the amount of articles from the period) and current polaroid film behaves really similarly with first and 2nd gen sx-70. think: unstable development especially in temperature etc, light sensitivity issues, contrast and color is pretty muted, the same 10-20 minute developing time, film fades even in storage... thing is, polaroid b.v. doesn't have the same amount of money and resources to back their r&d unlike og polaroid, so yes while i noticed the film improving a lot since ive started shooting in 2018, there's still quite a long way to go. (yes i agree that its way too inconsistent and frankly shit for most people, but honestly ive fell in love and kinda incorporated that inconsistency in my shooting style too.) yes, instax is the more consistent and true-to-life film. actually its reminiscent of pre-2008 polaroid from what ive seen! so yeah.
Love both! I am using an SX70 sonar and a OneStep+, for Instax it is an Lomo’Instant Wide (the older one). I’d wish there would be more backs for other cameras like my Bronica ETRS…
I'm always baffled by how Fuji chooses to put absolute bottom of the garbage barrel optics into a good number of their Instax cameras. It's no longer 1880, surely they can afford at least a triplet.
I got into an argument with a friend years ago that instax and polaroid are different companies now, different formulas and ultimately a different end product in 2020. he was so mad and I sent one of your older videos to him, stating that instax is actually polaroid and I had to tell him after the impossible project they branched off long ago. glad this one exists now. sure people will misnomer instax as "Polaroid" for the foreseeable future but im glad more of us are starting to realize the process and color science are almost completely DIFFERENT.
Just shot my first pack of instax on my 4x5 this past weekend the lomo back is great but I do agree the blow out/no dynamic range sucks a bit however I still love it for what it is. It was cloudy and over cast so I got some bluish tones but converted to b&w after scanning really made the photos worth while (for printing purposes, I don’t have social media) so I love this video a lot and thank you for always giving your opinion and showing what’s possible!! Wish it was FP-100c still 😅 but all good things must end
This is my approach, I converted a Polaroid 110A to take graflok backs, so by definition the Lomograflok. I like Instax but it is a HUGE PAIN (to me) to manually dial in the correct exposure with such a limited dynamic range. The 10 shots/pack loses it's advantage cause you're losing at least a few shots to incorrect exposure.
I enjoy both types of film but find myself using Instax wide most often due to cost. I do like to snatch up the fun color versions for Polaroid when they make them.
As I recall, Instax is a version of Kodak's Instant Picture Film system developed jointly with Fujifilm that took a bite out of Polaroid's market. Miffed, Polaroid sued the Kodak Instant Picture system out of existence before "they went away like Pontiac." Fuji made a deal to "keep it domestic," which kept things going until the arrival of the Instax system.
Quickly found that Polaroids visuals feel like a genuine optics to film result, and Instax feels like digital that happens to print to film. I suppose that's simply how the things work?
As someone who shoot digital, both look like films (duh) to me. Unless you got those hybrid Instax cameras which actually does shoot digital and print to film, looks less good than analogue Instax.
@@shira_yone The way colors stand out in the Instax in this (great) video feel like an advantage that sometimes detract, a very situational thing, that's where I raised an eyebrow. Simultaneously the Polaroid results feel like a cheap used Holga a lot of the time that also detracts, but I really appreciated the way it made things feel soft and real when it did work out. (EOS M with lenses from the 70's is how I roll to get satisfied these days)
Thanks for this comparison! I had no idea that all instax cameras had an automatic flash. I primarily shoot Polaroids on a SLR 680, and almost never use flash, so if I ever did pick up an instax camera I'd have to get one from Mint or invest in an RB67. I'm not really a fan of Instax's more redish color palate, and I've been shooting Polaroids long enough to know how to deal with almost any lighting I'm in, so I'll primarily be sticking with Polaroids.
Awesome vid! Fern is the best assistant. I'm thinking one aspect of the mini and new wide evo hybrid cameras are a workaround to the solarization aspect of instax film; seems like their direction is to go hybrid digital with analog prints~ It'll be interesting to see if they start incorporating their mirrorless sensors into these cameras! Love shooting both films though, cost-wise polaroid is quite prohibitive in Canada and we have less access to the unique frames, not to mention the months of cold weather lol but it's hard to beat the SLR experience on the sx70; makes every shot more precious. That said, instax is great fun on the RF70 and TL70+, mostly I lose exposures to missed focus, which happens way more with the rangefinder/TLR unfortunately. Those instax shots out of your mamiya though, chef's kiss!
I shoot both Polaroid and Instax and love them both. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. The biggest advantage of Instax is cost and film consistency. Instax film just works while Polaroid has issues in hot and cold conditions. Polaroid photos are more retro and nostalgic, so they have advantage over Instax.
I shoot Polaroid 600, i-type and sx-70 because: 1. I’m amazed at the strides and battles The Impossible Project has overcome over the years, so I want to buy more film supporting those amazing people and the further research and development in improving it. 2. Retro Polaroids from the 80’s is the face of instant film that’s been burned in my brain, I love them. I love the boxy 600’s with their simplicity and cheap price, I love the futuristic Impulse AF with their weird rotating drum back elements focusing (still very affordable), and all the folding ones, specially those without the AF system that has this uncomfortable weight on the body making it feel more clunky. 3. Just the brand name, what it represents, it’s incredible history and how other people perceive it. 4. The film size just feels right to me (I don’t really like the wide or smaller ones either from Instax or Polaroid themselves). 5. Using all those old cameras in the new age and not letting them be forgotten stored away.
Had 2 I type 2 cameras for my kids. Lenses broke and images were awful. Actually, an original polaroid I bought for $5 is the best polaroid I own! Still have it. Still makes great images. Got us all Fuji and we love them. Photos are more consistent.
Haha sometimes a $5 bargain bin Polaroid hits different. I got a similarly yard sale style Polaroid as a gift over Christmas and it’s ripping amazingly well!
@@InAnInstant Right??!! It's a Polaroid Flash. It's crazy how good it is! $5! Love bargain bins. Exposure is just incredible, with or without flash. Thx for the video!
Excellent video. I am wondering if polaroid already updated the chemistry of their regular B&W line, pulled from the "Monochrome frames edition" they were advertising a few months ago.
Hey Alex!! For some reason they didin't announce this, but according to my peoples, the B&W film has been the updated monochrome emulsion since around the middle of last year.
I like both! Each has their own situation where they are superior. I do think that the basic Instax cameras are only good for casual photo taking though. All my Instax cameras are mods of existing Polaroid cameras or new creations like my pink Big Roid. But yeah, I see Polaroid and Instax like dogs and cats. Both different but both equally loved.
Instax has the better film, but Polaroid has the better cameras. I love the Instax, but I havent found a camera for it that I like. If I didnt have an Instax back for my 4x5 I would never shoot Instax. For all its faults, I try to always bring a polaroid along when I'm out taking photos. Plus Polaroid makes 8x10 film so they get a lot of points for that
I prefer the instax, the color is better… I like the idea of instant film…. But it’s too pricey (instax or polaroid) in my country, you can get decent lunch for the price of two pictures of instax wide
I prefer Instax Wide and shoot it using a Chroma Camera Instant Edition with LomoGraflok back. This isn't a 4x5 camera but a camera dictated by the size of the LomoGraflok back. It's zone focused and uses a 6x9 lens and shutter combination. I recently bought an I-2 but haven't really got the results that I think a 600 GBP camera should provide. Both my Insta and Polaroid cameras are similar cost but the Instax is much more usable day to day, for me anyway. Excellent channel and video :o)
@@arsmale1 I converted a 110A that can use a Lomograflok back but this is so much more compact! 😦 May have to save up for it, I wonder if they can mount a 127mm Kodak Ektar lens/shutter...
Great review. I’m surprised there was no mention of the Instax Evo mini or upcoming Evo wide. True hybrid cameras that allow for lots of creative options with instant film.
This is a really interesting comparison. I find myself drifting to instax because of its cost effectiveness, and my enjoyment of the Mini 99 and the digital instax printers. That being said, I wonder sometimes if there will ever be an expansion of consumer-grade hardware that mitigates some of the limitations of the film, be it filters, an optional lens attachment, or even some light meters or ISO options. Although we can all take a photo with our phone, there must be some great satisfaction to have from a self-contained instant photography system that actually gives you manual controls and info on the lighting of your subject. Are those hopes too out of reach for someone like me (broke) to ever afford?
Yeah, it's more expensive, but i would buy Polaroid rather than Instax for three reasons: because of It's unique look, because i think the company deserves the support for their effort to save and maintain a cultural icon, and because supporting Polaroid will eventually translate in better film and lower prices (hopefully). Bonus reasons: i'm slightly angry to Fuji because they no longer produce film (except for instax, that sells very well). Polaroid cameras are, historically and in general, much more beautiful (at least for me). Their design (both technically and aesthetically) is like a paralel evolution of photography coming from another planet, and i think that's so frckjfking cool
Only briefly mentioned is the temperature stability of development. In the long California summers Polaroid is at a distinct disadvantage with massive color shift depending on ambient temperature. I’ve seen some Polaroid diehards carrying ice packs in insulated bags on hot days to keep their shots from shifting color. It’s great to see so much support for both formats, what an age we live in! Now if only Instax could get some decent cameras from Fuji….
Does anyone know if the B&W emulsion that Polaroid used in the Monochrome Frame B&W 600 last year is going to be used in upcoming 600/iType B&W? Or will they make more of the Monochrome frame B&W? It was just better, and I only have a pack left 😞
Kind of an important point I’m not sure I transmitted; one of these films instills that intangible feeling for me, while the other has more practical/clinical vibes
I bought a Land Camera last year and got it converted to Instax Square and have been having an unbelievably hard time figuring out exposure on the d**n thing. Until watching this, I thought the problem was all my fault. Thanks for the info.
this has been my experience as well using a converted Polaroid 110A. My go to's right now are rating it ISO 400 for indoor room lighting and like 1600 for a sunny outdoor day. (to not blow out that sky :/ ) was considering trying a graduated ND filter to even the sky exposure out)
@@Exxcalibur186wild, I rate it at 640 outdoors on all my manual cameras, and 400 indoors. Get very consistent results. Could potentially be your metering method? Are you using incidental or reflective? I was using a sekonic for the longest time but have found I actually get better results doing reflective metering with an iPhone app 😂
I think the cameras are what draw me to Polaroid. So many options. I like my Lomo Wide. But it’s zone focus, and I have to bump the bottom of the camera after every shot to get the arm to go back down. If I don’t the arm won’t push the next shot out and will leave a shadow on the film.
I think when you go off the deep end and start getting into mint cameras or custom builds, that’s when instax starts making more sense for being more economical
It is true that they give different results, even for me the insta film also gives different results depending on the camera I use it with, I like both formats but I know that if I want a more faithful and striking color I should take shots on sunny days
I use all three formats of Instax with Lomography cameras (Lomo Wide, Instant Automat, Diana Instant Square). I think price per performance it a happy medium until we get a reasonable full manual experience. I considered the Mint RF70 but don't think the decouple rangefinder experience is for me. I also use Instax printers.
I was given a Polaroid 636 closeup made in England. Which film do you recommend I should buy? I have never shot with a Polaroid camera. Great video. Greetings from Brasil.
I really want to support the Polaroid format just for the endeavour it has taken to keep the format alive and even now thrive. It would very much have to be a me purchase though, with Instax most of my shots are family one's and part of the fun is seeing the film develop. I have taken more artsy shots on Instax too but it's not that common the main constriction there being time. Having said that I do prefer the highlights on Polaroid and would be surprised if I didn't make a purchase sometime this year
Ive dabbled in Instax over the years but non of their cameras have wowed me and the time I got the Lomo Instant Square, the parallax on that made the I-1 look like a masterpiece. Also I just generally find Instax too 'digital' if that makes sense
I have a question; how can you tell that you're buying the new black and white polaroid instant film, as opposed to the old packs? If anyone has an answer...let me know! Thx!
check the dates if you can. They usually do 3 or 4 releases a year (winter, spring, summer, fall) so I always look at my calendar and then call my local place and ask them to check dates.
I don't intend to get into a controversy, but taking the photo with a digital medium format camera and printing it with the Intax Wide Link, would that be included in this comparison?
Great video, as always, Ben. Fair and super detailed. I use Polaroid a lot for serious use, but Fuji it’s fine for casual shots. And of course there’s a love to the brand. Its like Apple and Samsung. I can never take seriously a Samsung phone, a soulless brand vs a brand with identity and a philosophy behind. And I’ll never forgive Fuji for killing peel apart 😂
Im a big fan of the "vintage" and "old timey' look Polaroid offers compared to the sharpness and color accuracy of Instax but this is just a subjective matter. I think an important note to hit is the price difference between the two. Polaroid only has 8 images while instax has 10 and is much cheaper compared to Polaroid and is more widely available. You can get instax mini film almost anywhere.
A few years ago, I picked a used Polaroid camera from a thrift store. I then I went about trying to find film for it. Here in Canada, I had to special order it. The film turned out to cost more than the camera did! It's still sitting in the fridge, as I've been waiting for the right opportunity to use it, as it costs $4.38 per shot! 😂
I have a Graflex SLR already, so unless they were to send review units (which they aren’t atm), I won’t have my hands on one to review it. Quite expensive for something I didn’t truly need.
I personally prefer Polaroid over instax, mainly due to that the Polaroid camera’s are more enjoyable to shoot with. I do have a instax back for my Speed Graphic but as noted it’s very difficult to get a balanced exposure outdoors without flash. I was shooting the One-instant peel apart film at the same time as the instax and the One-instant was way easier exposing for shadows vs the instax.
Despite owning various cellphones over the years and one cheap Samsung digital camera in the early aughts photography never really appealed to me. It was finding my grandpas old Polaroid camera and deciding to install a new frog tongue in it that sparked my photography interest. I may shoot way less of it now but I have a soft spot for it despite knowing how much superior instax is for color (at least on a technical level). I do think that Polaroids new black and white packs are superior to instax’s black and white by a landslide.
I tend to lean towards shooting Instax when I am out and about with friends or at parties since I’m more willing to give the prints away, but overall I prefer Polaroid given the characteristics of the film and the cameras. The SX-70 and SLR 680 have inspired me much more than any of my Instax cameras, though I hope my 500AF doesn’t take that personally… no hard feelings man; you’re still my favorite Instax camera by far.
Hey hey, let's not trash-talk the black holes. It's an interesting aspect of the instax format. I love the Polaroid factory cameras adjustability, even if I do have to use an app on my model. The film definitely struggles with temperature and light, and it can't be long-term displayed or it fades. Most of the time I'm using instax in a Nons, just for the stability in more extreme temperatures
I've always said in my mind that Instax is like taking a "digital quality" image in an instant format, whereas Polaroid does feel like the true "instant picture" experience and feel. Instax is much more reliable in terms of taking a good picture, but there is a je ne sais quoi about Polaroid that just keeps me hooked.
The video production was fantastic, but I think the audio falls flat-it sounds very echoey and distant. I'm wearing headphones, and it's especially noticeable. Just a hopeful, helpful tip! Thank you for the video 📸
My heart will always belong to Polaroid more specifically the impossible project That’s was my start in photography in 2013 began. Came across with One step close up and fell in love. I remember the only way to get film was have it shipped to you. Being only 14 years old at the time I remember scouring every penny I could get, just to buy three packs. Good times. Omg and don’t even get me started with spectra film. That was my go to at 15 years old. I’ll miss that the most :(
When the impossible project scrapped Spectra film, I have up on all things polaroid. Instax may not have held a candle to REAL (defunct) Polaroid, Impossible:s noble attempt to reinvent the genius of the original can't hold a candle to Instax (Kodak's instant film formula) I'm very fond of my old memories preserved on original Polaroid, and have mourned the memories lost to decomposed Impossible film. Thanks for the thorough comparison on the strengths and weaknesses of each format.
I’ve been shooting with a modified instax wide that takes Mamiya press lenses (shoutout to SPRKPLG for his mod). I’m in love with Fuji blues. Exposing for the skies brings out fantastic colors. Also I wish Polaroid had a shoot through the back film so it could be adapted without producing a flopped image.
I wish Polaroid would release more borders for the 600 camera I remember when the impossible project first started they had more of a variety like Color 600 Round Frames or the Skins edition or the Poisoned Paradise Film 😢 I usually shoot Polaroid but at this point I feel like instax is better on the wallet and the pictures come out clearer and I don’t feel like I just burned my $ ..especially now a days , but I guess we’re lucky enough that both still exist in the technology era
Nice! I veer towards Polaroid but am a very casual user that got a SX70 on his lap years ago. Through the years, the film has been from fantastic to so so, depending also on the compenssation. Was very impressed at a Polaroid shot I was taken of in an i2. Indoors, flash and practically perfect. However, recently did not get replicable similar results in the SX70 (using 600 with a ND). A friend plays with an instax printer and indeed the prints have uncanny realism. 11:30 I have a Fuji GW690 and sometimes think it would be perfect for Instax Wide, if a back for it existed.
I use both. I prever polaroid film (emulsion and format) but there are situations that instax has more chance to succeed 😅 So I decided I can be on both teams 😄
I like working with the Instax and Polaroid printers, I use my regular camera to create the images I want and then use the instant format to creat the final visualized image.
I am an Instax Wide printer user. Every modern camera I have seen for instant film is terrible to me. I throw the printer into my bag and I can print pics for people from my phone so very quickly. I can also copy pics from my EOS R5 to my phone and I have learned what dynamic range will work on the portable Instax printer. It only took me 15 prints to grasp what I see on my mobile device to grasp what would be blown out.
The ten minutes and how unstable the polaroids are on different situations is what makes me go back to instax every time
What is your Instax camera of choice?
@@InAnInstant i owned 2 different 210 wide still my favorite.
It would be interesting to have a comparison in durability between the formats. I have both, and usually like to display the pictures simply by taping them around the house. I have noticed that in places that receive more sunlight, like the kitchen, the polaroid film after 3-4 years start to fade, while the Instax look still like new.
I’ll pull a Boyhood and make an episode over a 14 year period, then publish the results!
I’ve had a Polaroid picture degrade by putting it up on my wall using washi tape… you know the least harmful tapes
It's not just sunlight. I've been working on putting together data on different storage condition tests; universally Polaroid film just washes out after a couple months - unless you refrigerate it for some amount of time prior to storing it in an album. Will update you when that data is ready
My instax photos in the sun are washed out, had to take them down. Polaroid film tends to wash out but turn magenta-er
I have both Polaroid and Kodak instant photographs I took in both the 1970’s and 1980’s. The Kodak images still look good but the Polaroids have changed a lot. They lost color and got darker in albums protected from the light.
While not exactly the same, Instax is based on Kodak Instant, so I would expect it to have reasonable stability, at least in albums. All dye based photographs (which means all color, and some recent B&W) of all types are going to change if exposed to light for long periods. Silver based B&W also changes, but at a much slower rate. All instant B&W is dye based.
I bought an SQ6 last year, and it was what sparked my journey into shooting film. When the exposure is just right, it can produce stunning photos-even landscapes come out beautifully.
However, capturing great shots in poorly lit environments can be quite challenging. The built-in flash is helpful, and the three colored plastic caps that came with the camera make it even more fun to experiment! That said, the lack of manual control became a bit frustrating for me. Some photos ended up out of focus which bothered me.
Photos taken on rainy days, however, often turned out washed-out, which I found less appealing.
Photos not being framed the way I hoped surprisingly did not bother me as much, and can make the whole experience more fun sometimes!
That being said, the SQ6 is still an excellent camera to bring along on summer holidays with friends! It’s simple, fun to use, and everyone gets to take some of the pictures home!
This experience, though, eventually led me to invest in an SLR this year so I could shoot scenes I couldn’t quite manage with the SQ6. Maybe one day I’ll upgrade to a NONS SL660 for the best of both worlds.
Yesss! The content we have been waiting for! 🤩
Love this comparison video!
Amazing, amazing video (and sample photos)! I lowkey started my instant photography journey because of your Lomo Instant Square video. You have a new subscriber and fan here!
I got the Nons Instax back for my Hasselblad. I love that the results look very similar to the Ektachrome I like to shoot, just with less dynamic range. I have no interest in a instant camera without aperture control, nor any interest in a instant camera with a lot of depth of field (little bokeh)
Instax wins again. The colors are way better than polaroid. You get more photos per pack and way less expensive than polaroid film. You'd think Polaroid would have upped their game by now. Intsax makes fuji more money than anything else they sell.
the detail that you put into your videos is amazing. you make me want to pick up my camera and shoot 👏
My guy!!
I love Polaroid and the film has definitely improved over the years I’ve been shooting (since 2019). But damnnnnnn Instax has great results
I got my NONS Instax back for my Hasselblad last week and I've been playing with some Instax Monochrome. I've been taking outdoor pictures and a few things stood out to me: Very easy to blow out the highlights, as you've found as well. It also took a good while before the blacks were fully black. I noticed your pictures were still quite gray at their darkest, mine turned inky black after +/- 10-15 minutes (much longer than the color Instax iirc). I shot a few on a tripod at f/8 and I have to say I was very impressed with the amount of detail. I underexposed them one stop, so I still had some definition in the sky and I let the shadows turn black.
So far I really like it, it reminds me of the high-contrast b/w presets on some digital cameras, but with a more soft/gentle feel.
The film really does benefit from having some quality glass in front of it, because the shots taken with my regular Instax camera really can't compare.
Very true Ren, behind a proper lens the film is truly itself, though still finicky in its own way. Good point about the shadows as well, these were scanned after a full day, but blacks are pretty lifted (perhaps it’s just my scanning setup)
I try to find joy in both formats. I just feel lucky we have the option of two mass market instant films. I have a Binstax and it is one of my favorite ways engage with photography. Its stunning, almost unbelievable, the kinds of images come out of that camera. Alternatively, when I get a well exposed shot out of an SX-70, I feel an intense mix of my skills and my luck being put to the test. As someone who shot some of the original Impossible Project emulsions, it's been a journey I've been grateful to be a part of. Also, try shooting instax through Kodak cameras, it's a great time!
Great content as always, Ben! My experience is that Polaroid is awesome, but it doesn't keep as long, whereas Instax is super contrasty, but keeps for a long time. As someone who invents stuff and does a lot of test shots, I have to keep lots of fresh polaroid on hand(refrigerated), but the instax can be junk in a crumpled pack, or leftover stuff from old cameras thrown in a drawer.
this is a good point, and very useful when buying expired packs for lots less than retail (you can get amazing Instax deals off of Mercari and the like). Basically you can get 5-year old Instax packs stored at room temp or worse that work like new, but Polaroid that old would not only not be their most up-to-date consistent emulsion, but also would have to be from a fridge to really work at all.
It's really no contest. Instax is better IQ and color and also costs half as much. But Polaroid is still magic and appeals to our emotions. Plus the cameras are cooler than Fuji. I prefer Poloraid in B&W.
If I can ever get my hands on some of the new Polaroid B&W I'll be happy. Instax Monochrome is fun with filters through. Yellow filters make it look like a tin type
I have an Instax Wide 300 and a Polaroid One Step. I love both but I way prefer the colors and tones of Instax and I actually love the wide aspect ratio.
"And these pages are blank..." I adore you. About seven minutes in, I had to scroll back to find how you labeled yourself at the intro.
Just like Soldja Boy would've wanted.
Soulja Boy WILL atome
I think it would be interesting if you had a section where you asked some people off the street which instant film image they liked better - The average person's opinion of which photo's rendering looks better helps give some perspective
The problem with that is most people don't have the 10-15 minutes to stand around and wait for the Polaroid to develop, let alone the 1hr+ to see the final image.
@@robertworkman7135 I don't know about that. In a low-stakes situation it could work, like offering to take a couple sitting at a bar's photo using both films, and then asking them which they liked better could work
Good point by Robert haha, I love this idea but the 10 minutes of waiting on the street while inconveniencing someone is triggering an anxiety attack 😂😂
This is a really cool idea!
Wait until Polaroid goes back down to a equal developing time like it used to have. Hurry up Polaroid! I’d buy boxes of film if it did.
I'm pretty sure everyone here has cameras from both brands. I love how I sometimes change my mind while analyzing cameras. Nothing's perfect, but I enjoy spending time shooting photos with friends and family-sometimes with Polaroid, sometimes with Fujifilm. I would love to see something new in this game
Instax is way better
😮
Polaroid is way better
Disagree
@@fruity6106 I disagree your disagree
@@antnguyen I have Polaroids from the 80’s that look way better than the new junk Polaroid is pushing.
another lovely video!
Thank you bromeo!
I use the Instax in my NONS camera for shooting my celebrity portraits. I use my SX-70 when shooting other people as a surprise gift for them. Either way, my instant formats are mostly interior. Anything like old gas station signs, landscapes, etc will be digital in case I want to make enlargements. While I do have a great print scanner, I prefer the intimacy a portrait on the print.
The video we all needed! Fantastic as always! ✨ And so cool to briefly see myself with my signature knuckleduster filter in the beginning of the video! 💕
Haha I loved getting that cameo in here! All the love to you Juls ❤️❤️
@@InAnInstantMuch love back to you, Lauren & Fern 🫶
Best comparison I've seen. Kudos.
Appreciate that Steve ❤️
i've trued using instax film for pinhole photography and noticed the reciprocity failure is Very noticeable. Once the exposure takes more than a couple seconds, it starts to turn in to minutes, and minutes into hours.
@@heatonize yep, one drawback of Instax. I made my own Instax pinhole and it took like an hour or more to expose an indoor shot in room lighting correctly.
FYI, Polaroid film, on the other hand, has VERY good reciprocity characteristics. I once metered an outdoor waterfall scene for 15 seconds, and then used an ND filter over my SX-70 and dang if it wasn't spot on, no exposure adjustments needed.
Would love to see a chart if you’ve managed to calculate one using your experience. I actually really love the extended dynamic range instax gives when shooting longer exposures, but have yet to nail down any firm calculations. I tried using the data sheet for Fuji Pro 800Z as a starting point but even that has lower reciprocity failure.
@@hellothisiskyle I did the exact same thing re: using Pro800z as a base point, haha. I don't think I explored it much more than that afterwards just cause it was such a pain to get right.
@ yeh with pinhole I can imagine it would be pretty awful but I’m shooing it around f/5.6-8 for night photography and getting pretty manageable exposure times.
so i did some digging (read: came across a reddit post about first generation sx-70 film and then read quite the amount of articles from the period) and current polaroid film behaves really similarly with first and 2nd gen sx-70. think: unstable development especially in temperature etc, light sensitivity issues, contrast and color is pretty muted, the same 10-20 minute developing time, film fades even in storage...
thing is, polaroid b.v. doesn't have the same amount of money and resources to back their r&d unlike og polaroid, so yes while i noticed the film improving a lot since ive started shooting in 2018, there's still quite a long way to go. (yes i agree that its way too inconsistent and frankly shit for most people, but honestly ive fell in love and kinda incorporated that inconsistency in my shooting style too.)
yes, instax is the more consistent and true-to-life film. actually its reminiscent of pre-2008 polaroid from what ive seen! so yeah.
Love both! I am using an SX70 sonar and a OneStep+, for Instax it is an Lomo’Instant Wide (the older one). I’d wish there would be more backs for other cameras like my Bronica ETRS…
I'm always baffled by how Fuji chooses to put absolute bottom of the garbage barrel optics into a good number of their Instax cameras. It's no longer 1880, surely they can afford at least a triplet.
I WISH they had 1880’s quality lenses! Darlot anyone?
I got into an argument with a friend years ago that instax and polaroid are different companies now, different formulas and ultimately a different end product in 2020. he was so mad and I sent one of your older videos to him, stating that instax is actually polaroid and I had to tell him after the impossible project they branched off long ago. glad this one exists now. sure people will misnomer instax as "Polaroid" for the foreseeable future but im glad more of us are starting to realize the process and color science are almost completely DIFFERENT.
Appreciate you included that shot of Doc & Bob.
Gotta represent
Amazing as always. And the video is pretty good too! Thanks and break a leg for the fresh year!
Just shot my first pack of instax on my 4x5 this past weekend the lomo back is great but I do agree the blow out/no dynamic range sucks a bit however I still love it for what it is. It was cloudy and over cast so I got some bluish tones but converted to b&w after scanning really made the photos worth while (for printing purposes, I don’t have social media) so I love this video a lot and thank you for always giving your opinion and showing what’s possible!! Wish it was FP-100c still 😅 but all good things must end
This is my approach, I converted a Polaroid 110A to take graflok backs, so by definition the Lomograflok. I like Instax but it is a HUGE PAIN (to me) to manually dial in the correct exposure with such a limited dynamic range. The 10 shots/pack loses it's advantage cause you're losing at least a few shots to incorrect exposure.
I enjoy both types of film but find myself using Instax wide most often due to cost. I do like to snatch up the fun color versions for Polaroid when they make them.
The bigger size and the I-2 makes me want Polaroid more. Btw, love all the color grading in this video!
Nice comparing.. you should consider also Lomography Instant camera!
As I recall, Instax is a version of Kodak's Instant Picture Film system developed jointly with Fujifilm that took a bite out of Polaroid's market. Miffed, Polaroid sued the Kodak Instant Picture system out of existence before "they went away like Pontiac." Fuji made a deal to "keep it domestic," which kept things going until the arrival of the Instax system.
Yes, this is discussed in this very video and an episode I did on the matter: ua-cam.com/video/mWdB180p4Ac/v-deo.htmlsi=A99P3gwe9r73rZvD
Polaroid B&W tend to get sepia after a few months even stored in darkness.
Quickly found that Polaroids visuals feel like a genuine optics to film result, and Instax feels like digital that happens to print to film. I suppose that's simply how the things work?
As someone who shoot digital, both look like films (duh) to me.
Unless you got those hybrid Instax cameras which actually does shoot digital and print to film, looks less good than analogue Instax.
@@shira_yone The way colors stand out in the Instax in this (great) video feel like an advantage that sometimes detract, a very situational thing, that's where I raised an eyebrow. Simultaneously the Polaroid results feel like a cheap used Holga a lot of the time that also detracts, but I really appreciated the way it made things feel soft and real when it did work out.
(EOS M with lenses from the 70's is how I roll to get satisfied these days)
You had me at "And these pages are blank"
Thanks for this comparison! I had no idea that all instax cameras had an automatic flash. I primarily shoot Polaroids on a SLR 680, and almost never use flash, so if I ever did pick up an instax camera I'd have to get one from Mint or invest in an RB67. I'm not really a fan of Instax's more redish color palate, and I've been shooting Polaroids long enough to know how to deal with almost any lighting I'm in, so I'll primarily be sticking with Polaroids.
i assume you're already making a video about that new Fuji wide cam, yeah?
Awesome vid! Fern is the best assistant. I'm thinking one aspect of the mini and new wide evo hybrid cameras are a workaround to the solarization aspect of instax film; seems like their direction is to go hybrid digital with analog prints~ It'll be interesting to see if they start incorporating their mirrorless sensors into these cameras! Love shooting both films though, cost-wise polaroid is quite prohibitive in Canada and we have less access to the unique frames, not to mention the months of cold weather lol but it's hard to beat the SLR experience on the sx70; makes every shot more precious. That said, instax is great fun on the RF70 and TL70+, mostly I lose exposures to missed focus, which happens way more with the rangefinder/TLR unfortunately. Those instax shots out of your mamiya though, chef's kiss!
I fear that Fern could soon unionize!
I shoot with Instax because of cost and reliability, but I have an urge to shoot with Polaroid. Love the video, thanks Ben. 😎
I shoot both Polaroid and Instax and love them both. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. The biggest advantage of Instax is cost and film consistency. Instax film just works while Polaroid has issues in hot and cold conditions. Polaroid photos are more retro and nostalgic, so they have advantage over Instax.
Happy flipping New Years, my guy! I’m pretty split between using the Wide Instax Color with the MiNT RF70 and the B&W 600 Film with the SLR680.
2025 came in like a shotgun! Still love your RF70?
I really do love it! The film advance/release lever, the rangefinder, and the manual controls, all of its quirks.
I shoot Polaroid 600, i-type and sx-70 because:
1. I’m amazed at the strides and battles The Impossible Project has overcome over the years, so I want to buy more film supporting those amazing people and the further research and development in improving it.
2. Retro Polaroids from the 80’s is the face of instant film that’s been burned in my brain, I love them. I love the boxy 600’s with their simplicity and cheap price, I love the futuristic Impulse AF with their weird rotating drum back elements focusing (still very affordable), and all the folding ones, specially those without the AF system that has this uncomfortable weight on the body making it feel more clunky.
3. Just the brand name, what it represents, it’s incredible history and how other people perceive it.
4. The film size just feels right to me (I don’t really like the wide or smaller ones either from Instax or Polaroid themselves).
5. Using all those old cameras in the new age and not letting them be forgotten stored away.
Polachrome is an instant format.... Right guys?
I always want to like Polaroid more but instax just always does better.
Had 2 I type 2 cameras for my kids. Lenses broke and images were awful. Actually, an original polaroid I bought for $5 is the best polaroid I own! Still have it. Still makes great images. Got us all Fuji and we love them. Photos are more consistent.
Haha sometimes a $5 bargain bin Polaroid hits different. I got a similarly yard sale style Polaroid as a gift over Christmas and it’s ripping amazingly well!
@@InAnInstant Right??!! It's a Polaroid Flash. It's crazy how good it is! $5! Love bargain bins. Exposure is just incredible, with or without flash. Thx for the video!
Excellent video. I am wondering if polaroid already updated the chemistry of their regular B&W line, pulled from the "Monochrome frames edition" they were advertising a few months ago.
Hey Alex!! For some reason they didin't announce this, but according to my peoples, the B&W film has been the updated monochrome emulsion since around the middle of last year.
I like both! Each has their own situation where they are superior. I do think that the basic Instax cameras are only good for casual photo taking though. All my Instax cameras are mods of existing Polaroid cameras or new creations like my pink Big Roid. But yeah, I see Polaroid and Instax like dogs and cats. Both different but both equally loved.
Question. Which ones the one that Andrew 3 stacks told me to shake again?
😵
Instax has the better film, but Polaroid has the better cameras.
I love the Instax, but I havent found a camera for it that I like. If I didnt have an Instax back for my 4x5 I would never shoot Instax. For all its faults, I try to always bring a polaroid along when I'm out taking photos. Plus Polaroid makes 8x10 film so they get a lot of points for that
I prefer the instax, the color is better… I like the idea of instant film…. But it’s too pricey (instax or polaroid) in my country, you can get decent lunch for the price of two pictures of instax wide
I prefer Instax Wide and shoot it using a Chroma Camera Instant Edition with LomoGraflok back. This isn't a 4x5 camera but a camera dictated by the size of the LomoGraflok back. It's zone focused and uses a 6x9 lens and shutter combination. I recently bought an I-2 but haven't really got the results that I think a 600 GBP camera should provide. Both my Insta and Polaroid cameras are similar cost but the Instax is much more usable day to day, for me anyway.
Excellent channel and video :o)
Do you have any image samples? I haven’t been able to find any info on the chroma
@@D3fa_lt I did put a comment with a link to chroma dot camera but it was auto deleted. My own work is on bsky as holgapics.
@@arsmale1 I converted a 110A that can use a Lomograflok back but this is so much more compact! 😦 May have to save up for it, I wonder if they can mount a 127mm Kodak Ektar lens/shutter...
@@Exxcalibur186 I would have thought so. Email them and ask. Steve can usually accommodate.
@D3fa_lt I do but can't put anything on here at the moment
Great review. I’m surprised there was no mention of the Instax Evo mini or upcoming Evo wide. True hybrid cameras that allow for lots of creative options with instant film.
Thank you!! As for the Evos, those are digital cameras that print onto instant film, which is mostly outside the scope of my interested.
I really wish Fuji would just do a run of film for the old Kodak cameras - several of them were German-made, with excellent lenses.
I saw that! The Double R Diner...RIP David Lynch
🪵
Wow, I wasn't expecting Polaroid's b&w to crush the competition. Then again, I didn't know Instax monochrome was just color film with dyes.
cost makes me choose instax for snaps..but when Im trying to get detail...I choose polaroid every time
This is a really interesting comparison. I find myself drifting to instax because of its cost effectiveness, and my enjoyment of the Mini 99 and the digital instax printers. That being said, I wonder sometimes if there will ever be an expansion of consumer-grade hardware that mitigates some of the limitations of the film, be it filters, an optional lens attachment, or even some light meters or ISO options.
Although we can all take a photo with our phone, there must be some great satisfaction to have from a self-contained instant photography system that actually gives you manual controls and info on the lighting of your subject. Are those hopes too out of reach for someone like me (broke) to ever afford?
Yeah, it's more expensive, but i would buy Polaroid rather than Instax for three reasons: because of It's unique look, because i think the company deserves the support for their effort to save and maintain a cultural icon, and because supporting Polaroid will eventually translate in better film and lower prices (hopefully). Bonus reasons: i'm slightly angry to Fuji because they no longer produce film (except for instax, that sells very well). Polaroid cameras are, historically and in general, much more beautiful (at least for me). Their design (both technically and aesthetically) is like a paralel evolution of photography coming from another planet, and i think that's so frckjfking cool
Only briefly mentioned is the temperature stability of development. In the long California summers Polaroid is at a distinct disadvantage with massive color shift depending on ambient temperature. I’ve seen some Polaroid diehards carrying ice packs in insulated bags on hot days to keep their shots from shifting color. It’s great to see so much support for both formats, what an age we live in! Now if only Instax could get some decent cameras from Fuji….
Does anyone know if the B&W emulsion that Polaroid used in the Monochrome Frame B&W 600 last year is going to be used in upcoming 600/iType B&W? Or will they make more of the Monochrome frame B&W? It was just better, and I only have a pack left 😞
It has been in the i-Type packs since mid-late 2024, don't know why it wasn't announced.
Polaroid BW gives me feelings 🤐
Kind of an important point I’m not sure I transmitted; one of these films instills that intangible feeling for me, while the other has more practical/clinical vibes
Love this channel, thinking about getting a SQ1 😬
Get an sq6. Great camera. Lots of bells and whistles.
I bought a Land Camera last year and got it converted to Instax Square and have been having an unbelievably hard time figuring out exposure on the d**n thing. Until watching this, I thought the problem was all my fault. Thanks for the info.
this has been my experience as well using a converted Polaroid 110A. My go to's right now are rating it ISO 400 for indoor room lighting and like 1600 for a sunny outdoor day. (to not blow out that sky :/ ) was considering trying a graduated ND filter to even the sky exposure out)
@@Exxcalibur186wild, I rate it at 640 outdoors on all my manual cameras, and 400 indoors. Get very consistent results. Could potentially be your metering method? Are you using incidental or reflective? I was using a sekonic for the longest time but have found I actually get better results doing reflective metering with an iPhone app 😂
I think the cameras are what draw me to Polaroid. So many options. I like my Lomo Wide. But it’s zone focus, and I have to bump the bottom of the camera after every shot to get the arm to go back down. If I don’t the arm won’t push the next shot out and will leave a shadow on the film.
I think when you go off the deep end and start getting into mint cameras or custom builds, that’s when instax starts making more sense for being more economical
an instant like ❤
It is true that they give different results, even for me the insta film also gives different results depending on the camera I use it with, I like both formats but I know that if I want a more faithful and striking color I should take shots on sunny days
I use all three formats of Instax with Lomography cameras (Lomo Wide, Instant Automat, Diana Instant Square). I think price per performance it a happy medium until we get a reasonable full manual experience. I considered the Mint RF70 but don't think the decouple rangefinder experience is for me.
I also use Instax printers.
I was given a Polaroid 636 closeup made in England. Which film do you recommend I should buy? I have never shot with a Polaroid camera. Great video. Greetings from Brasil.
Hello, you need 600 film for that camera, enjoy!
I really want to support the Polaroid format just for the endeavour it has taken to keep the format alive and even now thrive. It would very much have to be a me purchase though, with Instax most of my shots are family one's and part of the fun is seeing the film develop. I have taken more artsy shots on Instax too but it's not that common the main constriction there being time. Having said that I do prefer the highlights on Polaroid and would be surprised if I didn't make a purchase sometime this year
I’ve got the Polaroid back for my RZ67, and it has been mostly delightful. Except for when I occasionally forget to take out the dark slide 😅
by some miracle happened only once during our testing 🤣
@ happened to me 3 times yesterday, but… I was shooting with a model and I don’t do that very often. 🙈🤷♂️
Ive dabbled in Instax over the years but non of their cameras have wowed me and the time I got the Lomo Instant Square, the parallax on that made the I-1 look like a masterpiece.
Also I just generally find Instax too 'digital' if that makes sense
I have a question; how can you tell that you're buying the new black and white polaroid instant film, as opposed to the old packs? If anyone has an answer...let me know! Thx!
check the dates if you can. They usually do 3 or 4 releases a year (winter, spring, summer, fall) so I always look at my calendar and then call my local place and ask them to check dates.
@ Great tip! Thanks so much!!
I don't intend to get into a controversy, but taking the photo with a digital medium format camera and printing it with the Intax Wide Link, would that be included in this comparison?
It wouldn’t as it isn’t light-to-film which is basically how I roll
Great video, as always, Ben. Fair and super detailed. I use Polaroid a lot for serious use, but Fuji it’s fine for casual shots. And of course there’s a love to the brand. Its like Apple and Samsung. I can never take seriously a Samsung phone, a soulless brand vs a brand with identity and a philosophy behind. And I’ll never forgive Fuji for killing peel apart 😂
Their unforgivable act of betrayal will not be forgotten 🧨
@ NEVER 😂
Im a big fan of the "vintage" and "old timey' look Polaroid offers compared to the sharpness and color accuracy of Instax but this is just a subjective matter. I think an important note to hit is the price difference between the two. Polaroid only has 8 images while instax has 10 and is much cheaper compared to Polaroid and is more widely available. You can get instax mini film almost anywhere.
Discussed in the video how close that pride gap is getting! Polaroid color is now only .60 cents more expensive per shot.
I learned. Thanks, Ben.
A few years ago, I picked a used Polaroid camera from a thrift store. I then I went about trying to find film for it. Here in Canada, I had to special order it. The film turned out to cost more than the camera did! It's still sitting in the fridge, as I've been waiting for the right opportunity to use it, as it costs $4.38 per shot! 😂
Woh, no time like the present to burn CAD!
I was wondering if there will be a video on the smartflex 4x5 with its custom instax wide back when it comes out
I have a Graflex SLR already, so unless they were to send review units (which they aren’t atm), I won’t have my hands on one to review it. Quite expensive for something I didn’t truly need.
@@InAnInstant makes sense
I personally prefer Polaroid over instax, mainly due to that the Polaroid camera’s are more enjoyable to shoot with. I do have a instax back for my Speed Graphic but as noted it’s very difficult to get a balanced exposure outdoors without flash. I was shooting the One-instant peel apart film at the same time as the instax and the One-instant was way easier exposing for shadows vs the instax.
Despite owning various cellphones over the years and one cheap Samsung digital camera in the early aughts photography never really appealed to me. It was finding my grandpas old Polaroid camera and deciding to install a new frog tongue in it that sparked my photography interest.
I may shoot way less of it now but I have a soft spot for it despite knowing how much superior instax is for color (at least on a technical level). I do think that Polaroids new black and white packs are superior to instax’s black and white by a landslide.
I tend to lean towards shooting Instax when I am out and about with friends or at parties since I’m more willing to give the prints away, but overall I prefer Polaroid given the characteristics of the film and the cameras. The SX-70 and SLR 680 have inspired me much more than any of my Instax cameras, though I hope my 500AF doesn’t take that personally… no hard feelings man; you’re still my favorite Instax camera by far.
Hey hey, let's not trash-talk the black holes. It's an interesting aspect of the instax format.
I love the Polaroid factory cameras adjustability, even if I do have to use an app on my model. The film definitely struggles with temperature and light, and it can't be long-term displayed or it fades.
Most of the time I'm using instax in a Nons, just for the stability in more extreme temperatures
I've always said in my mind that Instax is like taking a "digital quality" image in an instant format, whereas Polaroid does feel like the true "instant picture" experience and feel. Instax is much more reliable in terms of taking a good picture, but there is a je ne sais quoi about Polaroid that just keeps me hooked.
The video production was fantastic, but I think the audio falls flat-it sounds very echoey and distant. I'm wearing headphones, and it's especially noticeable. Just a hopeful, helpful tip! Thank you for the video 📸
Wow that’s a first! Using pro audio gear so not sure why it’s coming through like that for you
@@InAnInstant It was only noticeable while you were sitting down at the table. Everything else was 🤌
My heart will always belong to Polaroid more specifically the impossible project
That’s was my start in photography in 2013 began. Came across with One step close up and fell in love. I remember the only way to get film was have it shipped to you. Being only 14 years old at the time I remember scouring every penny I could get, just to buy three packs. Good times. Omg and don’t even get me started with spectra film. That was my go to at 15 years old. I’ll miss that the most :(
When the impossible project scrapped Spectra film, I have up on all things polaroid.
Instax may not have held a candle to REAL (defunct) Polaroid, Impossible:s noble attempt to reinvent the genius of the original can't hold a candle to Instax (Kodak's instant film formula)
I'm very fond of my old memories preserved on original Polaroid, and have mourned the memories lost to decomposed Impossible film.
Thanks for the thorough comparison on the strengths and weaknesses of each format.
This is the content I crave
I have an EVO and SX-70 Alpha converted to take 600 film. (Brooklyn Camera) I love them both
I’ve been shooting with a modified instax wide that takes Mamiya press lenses (shoutout to SPRKPLG for his mod). I’m in love with Fuji blues. Exposing for the skies brings out fantastic colors.
Also I wish Polaroid had a shoot through the back film so it could be adapted without producing a flopped image.
Definitely would like to flip that flop. And shoutout to Mario for that mod!
I wish Polaroid would release more borders for the 600 camera I remember when the impossible project first started they had more of a variety like Color 600 Round Frames or the Skins edition or the Poisoned Paradise Film 😢 I usually shoot Polaroid but at this point I feel like instax is better on the wallet and the pictures come out clearer and I don’t feel like I just burned my $ ..especially now a days , but I guess we’re lucky enough that both still exist in the technology era
What is the name of the Polaroid back you use on RB67?
Does RB67 cover the entire frame of Polaroid (no black frames)?
An RB67 + Instax back CAN be a daily carry camera... If ur man enough!!! 💪😤🏋
Once again being attacked by Bills mafia
That’s what I’m saying! I’m daily carrying a 4x5 SLR all over Asia and I wouldn’t trade the results I’m getting for anything!
Nice! I veer towards Polaroid but am a very casual user that got a SX70 on his lap years ago. Through the years, the film has been from fantastic to so so, depending also on the compenssation. Was very impressed at a Polaroid shot I was taken of in an i2. Indoors, flash and practically perfect. However, recently did not get replicable similar results in the SX70 (using 600 with a ND).
A friend plays with an instax printer and indeed the prints have uncanny realism. 11:30 I have a Fuji GW690 and sometimes think it would be perfect for Instax Wide, if a back for it existed.
An SX-70 in the lap is worth two in the bush!
I use both. I prever polaroid film (emulsion and format) but there are situations that instax has more chance to succeed 😅
So I decided I can be on both teams 😄
I like working with the Instax and Polaroid printers, I use my regular camera to create the images I want and then use the instant format to creat the final visualized image.
Impossible project has had 15 yrs. and they still haven't worked out the bugs with their emulsions.
It’s complicated chemistry but it is hard to believe that in 2025 they still can’t get it right.
I am an Instax Wide printer user. Every modern camera I have seen for instant film is terrible to me. I throw the printer into my bag and I can print pics for people from my phone so very quickly. I can also copy pics from my EOS R5 to my phone and I have learned what dynamic range will work on the portable Instax printer. It only took me 15 prints to grasp what I see on my mobile device to grasp what would be blown out.