I can remember using my grandma’s old Polaroid camera to take pictures when I was about 8 or 9 years old.  In fact, a few of my favorite pictures from my childhood were taken with a Polaroid camera (I know for a fact there’s one of me about a week old with my left middle finger up!).  Of course, when I think of Polaroids I think of those square photos that are packed away in a few photo albums.

Then Instagram came along.

Instagram was the first take on bringing back our beloved instant, square photos… only digitally. I know there’s different ways for people to get their Instagram photos printed, so they’re almost like Polaroids, in the sense that they’re square anyway.  But who says Polaroids have to be square?

They don’t.

You’re most likely not a stranger to the new Polaroid cameras that are sweeping the nation – the Fujifilm instax camera series.  There are a variety of these new “toys” including the instax mini 8, 25, 50S, 90 and the instax WIDE 210 and 300 cameras.  I just so happen to have a pink instax mini 8 camera.

Overall, I love the camera.  Yeah, it looks like a toy, but I rather like that appeal to it – not everything needs to look professional.  Besides, it’s cute!  When the camera is on, there is a light indicating where the dial should be for the best setting for the lighting you’re in so that you get a good photo.  Of course, you get the photo instantly and it’s about the size of a credit card (again, cute!).

I’d say the only cons to the camera are that, of course, you don’t always get a perfect shot… especially when shooting outside and the sun changes on you.  The other con is that the film itself can be pricy.  I get mine from Amazon in group packages, so it’s not too bad.

I have to say it’s a cool toy to have for photography lovers!

What do you think of the instax mini camera series?