The Polaroid Flip, my favorite retro instant camera, is cheaper than ever

I emotion instant cameras due to the fact that of however they assistance maine dilatory down and beryllium originative without the distractions of a phone. Holding a existent people besides feels grounding successful a screen-dominated age, which is wherefore I deliberation a batch of radical these days are drawn to them — and wherefore models with old-school vibes similar the Polaroid Flip marque specified large gifts. It’s usually pricey, but contiguous you tin bargain the Flip for $184.99 ($35 off) directly from Polaroid, which is its champion terms to date. Amazon is besides selling the camera with 2 packs of movie for $212.49 ($37 off), which marks a caller debased too.

Polaroid Flip

Where to Buy:

• $219.99 $184.99 astatine Polaroid
• $219.99 $186.99 astatine Best Buy
• $249.99 $212.49 astatine Amazon (with 16 prints)

Polaroid cameras offer the astir charming, old-fashioned instant-film acquisition of immoderate I’ve tested, and the Flip is nary exception. It sports a classic, retro-inspired plan with a flip-up lid and prints vintage-style quadrate I-Type photos with Polaroid’s iconic achromatic frame. Yet astatine the aforesaid clip it’s got the cleanable magnitude of subtle modern conveniences baked in, similar Bluetooth, USB-C charging, and a beginner-friendly companion app that lets you set saturation and exposure.

But what makes it truly basal retired is its representation quality, which outshines different Polaroid models successful this terms range. The Flip has the astir almighty flash of immoderate Polaroid camera, and paired with its unsocial sonar autofocus and four-lens hyperfocal system, it produces sharper, much consistently in-focus images than immoderate exemplary Polaroid offers astatine this price. You tin manually tweak exposure, too, and the camera adjacent sends warnings you erstwhile a changeable is apt to beryllium over- oregon underexposed. These are each features that spell a agelong mode toward reducing the fig of wasted shots, which is adjuvant fixed I-Type movie costs a whopping $18.99 for conscionable 8 prints.

That said, the instant camera’s not for everyone. Fujifilm’s cheaper Instax Mini 12 develops prints overmuch faster and looks much true-to-life portion struggling little successful debased light. Still, the Flip’s dreamy, vintage aesthetic has its ain appeal, particularly if you similar a much artistic, old-fashioned look.