For Polaroid's 80th anniversary, the former company Impossible Project, now Polaroid Originals, announced its first camera called the Polaroid OneStep 2. This easy-to-use instant camera bears a strong physical resemblance to its spiritual predecessor from 1977, the OneStep, while featuring several modern conveniences such as USB charging and a self-timer.
However, Polaroid Originals is not the only manufacturer of modern cameras. One of the best-selling instant camera models, the Instax Mini 9, is produced by the Japanese company Fujifilm. Like its equally popular predecessor, the Mini 8, the Mini 9 became popular due to its simple controls and cute, somewhat toy-like appearance.
If you’ve come across this article, you’re probably wondering what the main differences are between these two instant cameras. So let’s find out!
Cartridges
The type of cartridges used by each camera is the biggest difference—aside from the brand and the cameras’ appearance :)
The Polaroid OneStep 2 works with Impossible Project’s I-Type cartridges or with 600-type cartridges from the same manufacturer. Each pack contains 8 photos and is easily loaded into the front of the camera, with the photo developing in 10 to 15 minutes. Both mentioned cartridges measure 107x88 mm, with the actual image size being 79x79 mm. Cartridges come in color and black-and-white.
Photo from polaroid.com
The Mini 9 uses Fujifilm Instax Mini cartridges, about the size of a business card. Compared to Polaroid cartridges, they are smaller (photo size: 54x86 mm, actual image: 46x62 mm). Each pack contains 10 photos. Development takes about 2-3 minutes on average. Cartridges come in color, black-and-white, and with various colored borders.
Battery
An intelligent and eco-friendly addition to the Polaroid OneStep 2, as the battery is called by Polaroid Originals, is the MicroUSB port used to charge the internal lithium-ion battery. The battery holds a charge for about 60 days.
The Instax Mini 9, on the other hand, runs on standard AA alkaline batteries, which need to be replaced every 100 shots. Two batteries are included.
Flash
The Instax Mini 9’s flash automatically fires regardless of lighting conditions. You can select the shooting mode, which the camera suggests, by adjusting the ring on the lens. The camera has brightness settings: "indoors," "cloudy," "sunny," "very sunny," and "hi-key."
The OneStep 2 also has an automatic flash, but if you are outdoors on a bright sunny day, you can turn off the flash with a special button.
Dimensions and Accessories
The OneStep 2 is longer, wider, and heavier than the Instax Mini 9, while the Instax is slightly taller.
- OneStep 2: 150x110x95 mm, 460 g
- Instax Mini 9: 116x118.3x68.2 mm, 307 g
The Polaroid OneStep 2 comes with a manual and a branded strap. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 includes two AA batteries, a stylish strap, and a macro lens (allowing shooting from 35 cm).
Conclusion
Both cameras are great for beginners in analog photography and photography in general, as they are very easy to use. The shooting process is the same: point the camera at the subject, press the shutter, and wait for the photo to develop.
The cameras are completely different in design. For fans of retro aesthetics, we recommend the Polaroid OneStep 2, which replicates the design of the 1970s camera. For lovers of original and even slightly quirky designs, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 is available in five unusual colors.
We won’t discuss photo quality here, as we are well familiar with Fujifilm Instax Mini cartridges—they don’t fade over time and always preserve bright and rich colors. The cartridges used by the Polaroid OneStep 2, I-Type, have just been released, so we can’t give an assessment yet :)
This article used materials from the site instantcamerablog.com