Fujifilm Announces the New Instax Mini 40

Just in time for Summer, Fujifilm has announced a new camera with a vintage vibe along with a new instax mini film style (Contact Sheet Film)!

Both of the big instant film makers, Fujifilm and Polaroid are constantly releasing new cameras and boarders for films in the hope of boosting sales. What we often see are basic cameras, repackaged with little to no improvements. From all that I’ve read so far, the new Instax Mini 40 camera is just another repackage.

The camera offers very simple operation, really almost bringing to down to the cell phone level of just pointing and shooting and mostly getting a good image. The body is make of plastic and the leather looking surface is just textured plastic.

I look forward to getting my hands on one and giving it a test drive, but from all of the specs I’ve read, it appears to be lacking in new features or functionality.

I am, however, excited about the contact sheet film which draws its inspiration from color contact sheets printed in a dark room. Its a cool look and as long as the price isn’t increase dramatically I’ll definitely be picking up several packs for the aesthetic.

If you’re interested in checking out the new camera - Amazon already has it listed here - Its not available for order yet, but it will be shortly!

Fuji Instax Mini 90

If you’re looking for a Fuji Instax Mini camera with a classic vibe you can pick up today - I really love the Fuji Instax Mini 90. Its a solid camera, I’ve used mine a lot and love it! It also has a similar look as the Mini 40.

Amazon also has a great deal on a 4-pack of colored-frame film - great colors for summer! I went ahead and ordered some for myself, you should too!

Where to Buy Polaroid Film

You’ve got your polaroid camera, you’re feeling inspired and ready to go out and take some photos and live in all the glory that is the instant photo life, except that you don’t have any film…

Where to Buy Polaroid Film

I go through A LOT of polaroid film. And I’ve bought it from every place you can imagine trying to get the best deal, or the newest batches, or just find availability. Today’s post is a quick guide to help you find the film you need to keep your camera loaded and keep shooting!

Buy Polaroid Film Online

This is a great place to start and you can find some really good deals if you look hard enough. There are actually a lot of retailers that sell the film online so you’ll have lots of choices in products and prices. Shopping online gives you the ability to compare and get a feel for what all is out there!

Buy Polaroid Film from Amazon.com

This is the first place a lot of people go, especially if you’re an Amazing Prime member. If you just search for Polaroid Film on Amazon, you’re going to get a lot of different products pop-up, including Polaroid Papers, Instax, and others. But as you sort through, you’ll be able to find a lot of good deals!. Amazon does have some of the best pricing and carries multi-packs which aren’t easy to find in stores. Prices on amazon range from $15.99 for a single pack to around $70 for a five pack.

If you’ve got an I-Type camera (which is all of the newer/modern Polaroid cameras), here’s a great deal on a two-pack for only $29.19!

A bit of warning however, the film you might purchase from Amazon might be older stock that’s been sitting around for a while. With Polaroid film, I have found that the fresher (newer) the film, the better the results. If you’re just getting started with Polaroid, you won’t notice a difference. But if you’re going for higher quality and very specific results, you might not get the freshest batches.

Buy Polaroid Film from Polaroid.com

Getting the film directly from the manufacturer definitely has a lot of benefits. When I have ordered my Polaroid film directly from Polaroid.com, I’ve gotten amazing customer service and the freshest stock of film. They also have a lot of variety in their film offerings, a lot of different combo packs, and occasionally some specialty framed films that are a lot of fun to pick-up. I love getting film directly from Polaroid!

There are a few downsides however. Polaroid.com does not give you an opportunity to get discounted prices, BUT, they are often the exact same price as most retailers! I-Type Film from Polaroid.com comes in at $15.99 plus shipping. The other downside is that shipping can take a little while. It isn’t slow, every just takes the normal few days to arrive.

I normally order from Polaroid.com if I’m wanting the freshest possible film stock for my project. I’ve been a customer of theirs for years (since way back in the Impossible Project days), and I still buy from them on a regular basis. Also, you’re needing SX-70 film, Polaroid.com is probably going to be your best bet. It’s not in stock in any local stores and sometimes its a little hard to find on Amazon.

Buy Polaroid Film In Stores

While many of my projects are using polaroid instant film are planned in advance, there are many times when I’m using the film personally and I find that I’ve ran out. Now, there are several retailers that carry the film IN STORES!!! While several stores do carry the film, I’m only going to talk about the top three that I use on a regular basis.

Buy Polaroid Film at BestBuy

All of the BestBuy locations near me carry the film, in both I-Type and 600. BestBuy even carries multipacks if you’ve needed a whole lot of film. But in my experience, BestBuy usually has some of the oldest film packs out there. I’m not sure why, but most of the manufacture dates on packs at BestBuy are a year or more old. I’ve picked up a lot of film from them, and its competitively priced, but if its for a professional project, I generally steer clear.

Buy Polaroid Film at Target

Target stores usually have a pretty great selection of film also. But, there’s a very special reason why I stop in all of my local Targets and check out their film; Target stores will very often put Polaroid Film on sale at a discount! I’ve picked up older packs of film that haven’t sold for as little as $2.99! Most of the time, the discount isn’t that substantial, but any discount helps! Even if the film isn’t on sale, I still end up picking-up a pack or two. I mean I’m already in the store, standing in the photo section, looking at the film… I might as well buy some!

Buy Polaroid film at Wal-Mart

We get everything else there, why not get my Polaroid Film there too! Walmart’s selection is definitely the least of the in store options and they don’t really ever discount the film. Walmart gets a mention in my post today because of the convenience factor. The film is always older stock but its available when I need it. Well at least a couple of packs are. What I have found is that most stores only have two to eight packs available, so if you’re needing more you might not be in luck if you run to the Wal-Mart.

Cheap Polaroid Film

At around $16 per pack and only 8 shots per pack, $2 per phot isn’t cheap! The prices have come down over the years but getting good with your polaroid takes practice and at $2 per practice shot, you don’t want to waste a lot of film.

So where can you find cheap polaroid film - online or in stores? I would check places like Ebay.com and scroll through a lot of Amazon. I’ve found film and used cameras on Craigstlist and even Facebook. People are often getting rid of their cameras and film and you can find some really great deals in the used but never opened market.

If you’re looking in stores, I honestly have only ever found cheap polaroid film in Target stores because they discount theirs more often than anyone else. But other stores sell the film besides the three I listed. If you go into a store, check to see if they have stock and then keep an eye on their discount bins! As the film ages and new stock comes in, stores often will move their older film to the discount bins!

Conclusion

The good news is that you’ve got a lot of options! The even better news is that once you have the film you’re going to love working with it. Here’s my final breakdown on where to purchase Polaroid Film :

Amazon - Fast shipping, great price but might get older stocks

Polaroid - Slower shipping, comparable price, but will get newer/fresher film packs

Best Buy - Local pick-up, comparable price, will get older film

Target - Local pick-up, comparable to very discounted prices, film seems to be a decent age to maybe a little older

Walmart - Local pick-up at almost every location, comparable price, you will get older film.

I hope that helps you in your search for Polaroid Film! If you’re new to Polaroid and instant photography and would like a little more advice about what cameras and films to buy, check out my other blog post by CLICKING HERE!