Customer Ratings & Reviews

The now + generation 2 is Polaroids newest instant film camera. Instant film cameras have become extremely popular over the last couple of years. The Now + is feature packed so that you can use your imagination to create awesome photos. Unfortunately, I believe that the abundance of features makes this camera very complicated to use and hard to get a good photo. Included in the box is the camera, a small strap, a lens cover, USB-C cable, and several different color filters. This camera does not include film. Polaroid film is quite expensive. Since the camera has a built-in battery, it can use both I-Type film or 600 film. The I-Type film will save you a few dollars but is still quite expensive. This camera is able to connect through Bluetooth to a mobile app. Some of the features in the app are a remote, self-time, double exposure, aperture mode, tripod mode, portrait mode, light painting, and manual exposure. From what I can tell the only way to use these modes is by using the app. Trying to get perfectly exposed photos with this camera is nearly impossible. I tried several different modes, multiple lighting conditions, and my pictures either came out under exposed or over exposed. I was able to get a few decent photos but even those were of horrible quality in my opinion for what this camera costs. I also tried using the camera without the app and there were multiple times it would not even take a photo. There are very few buttons on the camera so I am not sure how you can change any of the settings without using the app. This camera is not completely worthless. I think it packs a ton of features that some people will find very useful. I believe these features make it too complicated for the average person to get useful photos. If you try extremely hard and take a lot of time you can get somewhat usable photos. Overall, I was a little disappointed and expected it to perform better than 30+ year old polaroids I have used in the past. One feature that I think polaroid should add is a live view.

I grew up in a world of Polaroid (and Fotomats) and still have some Polaroid instant prints laying around in shoe boxes and taped inside photo albums. I remember those days fondly so when the new Polaroid Now Instant Camera Gen 2 came onto the scene promising pictures with all the “charming flaws and imperfections you remember” but with a modern and updated twist, my nostalgia muscles contracted and I just HAD to try it out. To my surprise, my oldest daughter said she’d also been DYING to get one of these because so many of her friends had been talking about them–she was over the moon when I brought one home. Well, after spending some time on a recent family trip with the Polaroid Now, I quickly realized that the reason we used these cameras when I was a kid wasn’t because they took great pictures, or even that they were necessarily convenient to haul around so that you'd never miss one of those once-in-a-lifetime photo ops (you could still do that with a regular camera)…it’s because we simply didn’t have anything else. There was no way to take a photo and see the results instantly like you can with a cell phone, or admittedly, with an instant photo printed from a Polaroid or other ultra-portable instant camera. At best, you had to drive to a one-hour photo shop with your roll of film and hope they could squeeze you in and get your pictures back before you had to drive home. So in that sense, the Polaroid Now delivers a nostalgic bit of photographic instant gratification–you DO get to see your photos AND hold them in your hands just a scant few minutes after you take them. Sadly, the cost, trouble, and abysmally low-quality results associated with all that effort makes the Polaroid Now a very poor investment for anything more than a prop at an 80s costume party. To be fair, this is every bit the Polaroid you remember and more. The colorway is precisely as I remember and the shape is just as weirdly trapezoidal, with jutting, angular shapes and protrusions that make it anything but a joy to tote around…again, sporting the same clunky ergonomics as the Polaroid cameras of my youth. There are two wrist-strap slots on the back that, in my time, would have accommodated a neck strap so that you’d at least have your hands free when walking about while the camera bumped and bounced around at chest level. Here, you only get one wrist strap, and at ~1.2 lbs with a loaded film pack, it’s not heavy per se, but you definitely feel the weight and hard shapes, edges, and angles bouncing around awkwardly at the end of your hand. The fact that there’s no neck-strap option included makes the new Polaroid Now more troublesome to carry than it should be. There is a bit of modern flair thrown in for good measure. The little paper picture counter at the back of the camera that indicated remaining shots in the film cartridge has been replaced with an easy-to-read LCD display. The camera is USB-C chargeable, which not only makes it easier to find a charging cable these days, but that built-in battery means you can use the slightly chapter i-Type film packs that don’t have a battery in them necessary to otherwise power the flash, electronics, or picture roller/motor. There’s a power button on the back, and a big ol’ red button up front for taking a picture. There’s also a handy flash control button at the back next to the power button that lets you cancel the flash per exposure; the button itself blinks with a glowing lightning bolt in the middle when the flash is ready to use, and is not illuminated at all if you turn the flash off–that’s some nice usability/design work that helps make the camera pretty much self-explanatory. I loved the addition of the small self-timer button on the front; but in use, it was a bit of a mixed bag. The Polaroid design makes it really easy to simply “point-and-shoot,” so long as you are generally facing the direction/object you want to capture. But if you are really looking to frame your subject properly, there’s a telescope-like viewfinder jutting out of the back you can peer through to get a better sense of how the image will be composed on the print. Unfortunately, there is no threaded tripod mount on the bottom of the camera so you generally have to find other objects–a tree branch, park bench, shelf, table, etc. to set the camera on and hope it’s at roughly the proper height/angle if you want to use the timer to get into the action yourself. Of course, the rub here is that most objects we needed to use in the moment as a camera prop didn’t easily accommodate someone walking behind the camera to make sure everything/everyone was in frame. This is not a knock on THIS Polaroid camera…the same was true in my youth, back when they were all the rage, but the general inability to properly frame most shots when each exposure is relatively expensive quickly drained some of the nostalgic fun from the prospect of repeated re-shoots and one more-for-luck or one-more-for-mom photo ops. That brings me to the heart of our misgivings with the Polaroid Now, especially in today’s day and age. After a LOT of searching at several different big-box stores, we were finally able to track down some Polaroid film. But short of buying a bulk package of film online that started to close in on the price of the camera itself (!!!), the cheapest we could find Color i-Type film (which, again, is slightly cheaper than 600 film) was about $16 per pack–for 8 exposures! At roughly $2 per photo, that struck me as more than a little pricey because there’s a good chance that not every one of those 8 photos was going to come out in focus, in frame, or lit well enough to make out the subject…aaaaaaaaand, sadly, I was right. I picked several colorful compositions to start things off…my dog next to a colorful plaid doggie bed, my wife next to a bouquet of flowers bursting with color, my daughter posing in her newest outfit purchased solely for going on job interviews, etc. Each photo was taken during the day, in a brightly lit kitchen or dining room, or outside in the daylight. With each photo, I experienced a healthy dose of that quaint, old-fashioned Polaroid magic when you see (and hear) a picture slowly spill out of the front of the camera and start developing right before your eyes. Only this time, you’re not supposed to take the picture out and either shake it or stare at it while it develops. Instead, you’re supposed to keep it in a dark place or face-down while it fully develops. You can even leave it perched at the front lip of the camera under the dark protective cover screen–which was actually a cool design feature and I give Polaroid major props for thinking of it when you don’t have a dark, flat surface ready at hand to allow the photos to safely develop on their own. But once the photos did develop, the disappointment set in. Yes, the prints came out often as soft and “charmingly flawed” as they used to, while many others were simply unusable due to being so washed out or so dark and underexposed that it was hard to believe I was looking at a picture of the same scene I had just photographed. My wife and I compared notes and frankly neither of us remember the Polaroids of our youth coming out looking quite as badly as these did. I grant you, perhaps our “Polaroiding” skills were a bit rusty, but I don’t remember photos taken 2-3 feet away under the cast of bright overhead lights (and with assistance of the onboard “accurate flash” to boot) coming out quite so dark and soft-focused. Worse still, after just a few test shots, I had already burned through $12 of photos with only two decent but absurdly dark prints for my trouble. Then the next realization sunk in–with so few prints in each film cartridge, I was going to have to tote around a LOT more film packages in addition to the rather bulky camera itself if I was going to get any legitimate use out of the camera on our family trip. I did relent and bring it along, but the novelty quickly wore off as fatigue set in from carrying the bulky camera and multiple packs of instant film around with me, as did my misgivings at throwing away at least 70-80% of the photos we took. Honestly, I don’t remember what the economics of a Polaroid camera were in the late 70s and 80s…maybe the marginal cost of each photo is still about the same now as it was back then relative to the price of the film packs, but I just can’t abide throwing so much money away on film with so little return on my investment, especially when digital photography has changed the landscape of photography and photo-sharing in such dramatic and fundamental ways. YES, the Polaroid Now delivered every bit of the unique “photo-taking experience” I remember when using similar cameras in my youth–and it was a nice, albeit brief, sashay into those familiar feelings when we couldn’t wait to produce an instant photo we could hold in our hands. And I freely admit that Polaroid photography probably takes some practice and getting used to, and we might not have given it enough time to shake off the cobwebs. But the ergonomics and economics of the Polaroid solution just doesn’t make the kind of sense today as it did back when we were burning through several photo packs a week, especially when there are so many other options for picture-taking and picture-sharing available these days. I can certainly see the appeal at parties and for recapturing the retro-spirit of DIY photography; but I think we’ve sadly outgrown the Polaroid mindset and I’d have a hard time convincing anyone to come back into the fold based on our experience. In fact, when I told my oldest daughter she was free to keep the camera for herself but would have to buy the film packs on her own from now on, she looked up the price of an 8-pack of film, did the math for even a brief outing with her boyfriend, and told me, “That’s okay, dad, I don’t really need it.” For all her exuberance and excitement, that told me all I really needed to know.

This is my review for my Polaroid - Now+ Instant Film Camera Generation 2 -in the color: White. Camera is super cute, comes with charging cable. I wish it would have also come with the charging box for a usb C, but I was able to plug it into my computer so I wouldn’t have to buy a box adapter, which is kind of annoying because if I want to travel with this camera I have to go and buy a charging box adapter. Also the camera didn’t come with film, I did have to go out and buy the film which was pricey. There is interchangeable color “filters” that you can switch on the camera lens which is pretty cool. We have taken a couple of pictures with them but I feel like they come out a little blurry or very very not so great looking. Pictures seem to be very Inconsistent and also take a very long time to expose, I know this is supposed to almost replicate a “vintage” type Polaroid camera , but I probably would not purchase again, to many cons out weight the pros and film is expensive! It is a cute concept though probably needs some twerks

I really wanted to love this camera. I had fond memories of Polaroid photos when I was a kid. I still have some in old photo albums. Unfortunately, there has been little improvement to the camera or the film over time. There are just a lot of problems. I wouldn’t consider this a point and shoot like I thought it would be. There is quite a learning curve. Of the first 14 photos I took, maybe 3 or 4 are keepers. At $2 per photo, that’s $20 wasted just trying to figure this thing out. First off, the photos tend to be blurry and dark using the camera out of the box without the app. This is the way they were back in the old days but I had hoped there would be some improvement. Using the camera with the app, you can adjust the exposure time and aperture. This can lighten up the photos a little but doesn’t seem to help that much. There is also a delay between pressing the button and the camera taking a photo. Often, I would push the button, hear nothing. Then after I start moving, a ruined photo is taken. The viewfinder is straight out of the 70’s, super simple, and the field of view is very small. Connecting the camera to the app using Bluetooth is simple enough. The camera is quickly recognized by the app as well. The app does give it a few additional features, like remote shutter activation, a timer, a portrait mode, and a manual mode that lets you adjust exposure and aperture. However, the app is not arranged very well for me. It needs to be simplified and made more consistent. The features you want to use more often are spread out between large panels. On top of that, the last panel that you use will move to the top. Because of this, they are never in the same place making you search and scroll to find them. The one feature I really like is the ability to use your cellphone’s camera to “scan” the Polaroids into your phone’s Photo Library. The app lets you take photos at an angle to avoid glare, and then adjusts the photo to look flat and frames it to look like a scanned Polaroid. The processing also lightens up and makes the photo sharper. I also had some bad luck with the first pack of film I purchased. The package was damaged and the film pack was slightly bent. I was able to get the pack into the camera and use it but 2 of the photos were damaged and only partially developed. Again, money wasted. There are a lot of “rules” you need to follow. Keep the film in a refrigerator (do they do this at retailers?), don’t fan the photos as they are developing, keep the film in a dark place or face down on a table as they develop, etc. This a really hard product to recommend. If you are looking for a nostalgic camera and are willing to put in some time to use it, you might like this. If you are looking for great, quick, easy point and shoot photos, you might want to try something else. I have a couple of portable, rechargeable, Bluetooth photo printers that I can connect to my phone. They can be put into my pocket, they print quickly on the go and the quality is sooo much better. The apps let you add text and Smilies as well. At half the cost, this is what I would tell people to look into. Sorry Polaroid, you need to do better.

I love my Polaroid Insta camera! It's so much fun to use - I can take a picture and have a physical print in my hand in just a few seconds. The camera is compact and easy to carry around, so I can take it with me wherever I go. The picture quality is great, and I love the retro look of the prints. It's also really easy to use - I just point and shoot, and the camera does the rest. Overall, I highly recommend the Polaroid Insta camera to anyone who wants to capture and print their memories in a fun and unique way.

Easy to use 'n learn, plus the image quality is perfect on both type of films you wish to use for a more authentic "old school look" or a modern look and adding the film itself is really easy too

The nostalgia hits hard when capturing your first photos with the camera. It's a fun looking camera that definitely is a hit in the looks department. But after a few snaps, that fun feeling of waiting for your results to appear was quickly replaced with a sense of worry that the results would come out disappointing. There is a bit of a learning curve to the Polaroid Now+. From the weak and spotty flash to the placement of the shutter release so close to the flash bulb, you really need to be aware if you are to overcome the issues it has. And at around 2$ per shot with 8 shots per cartridge, you can quicky waste a lot of time and money trying to compensate and work around these limitations. I found the Polaroid app is an almost necessity when using this camera. the various modes will tell you if you are too close or far before committing to the shot. In fact, the app won't even let you take a photo if the conditions aren't met for each particular mode. The downside being that either the sensors on the camera or the app itself is so picky that I was rarely able to meet the conditions to activate the in-app shutter release in certain modes. I appreciate the app information and in theory it's a useful tool but having to constantly look away from the camera viewfinder to the phone screen without losing composition was annoying. Ergonomically, having the flash right above the shutter release makes it all too easy to get in the way of the flash. I don't have big hands by any means but unless I had my right palm perpendicular to the camera, there was a good chance I would block the light from the flash thus ruining the shot. Add the fact that my fingers almost always blocked the film ejection port, it makes for a very awkward experience. The flash itself is for lack of a better term, is 'spotlighty'. It quickly bleeds off and, on my unit at least, seemed to only fill the left half to the frame. This makes the Polaroid really only useful in daytime conditions. Manual and long exposure modes can correct this but isn't practical when capturing children or pets even in the most well-lit indoor environments. I can see the appeal with the having an instant camera. DIY projects and fun little shots for the fridge can really add charm in capturing certain moments. However, unless shooting in strong daytime conditions, I found the issues too cumbersome and really put too many barriers to get a reliable and consistent shot.

i have wanted a polaroid for 2+ years now (interest developed in 2019) and finally scratched that artistic itch. don’t be a dumb idiot like me and wait — so much fun and learning a lot! it is easy to use, load film, and reload, i suggest wiggling the empty film cannisters loose instead of messing with the rainbow tab (so much easier). also don’t slam the film cannisters in, it’ll increase the chance of making it harder too. it’s exciting using a product where it may or may not turn out, you learn as you go (point and shoot far more often than trying to be perfect in the beginning, only practice makes better) and all the working with the camera is exhilarating. i love it. seriously, don’t wait.

[Employee of bestbuy] Solid battery life, and the ease of use of the app allows for some cool shooting opportunities. Love this camera

This thing is amazing takes Good Photos reminds me of old school vibes. this is so recemended and also its good on your desk for decoration

It is simple to use and makes cool looking images. Def a beginner camera when it comes to polaroids but amazing for its value

Attractive design. Captures and gives a perfect contrast picture.

Such a nice camera and so easy to use. Love taking photos with my girlfriend on jt

Camera is easy to set up--inserting the film and charging is pretty straightforward. The quality is OK; the old Polaroid camera quality was actually better, but it's a fun blast of nostalgia.

I am fortunate enough to come from a time where I was able to experience life before and after the internet boom. I remember having a landline, turning your television to channel 3 so that you could play a video game, and of course...Polaroids. Everyone loves Polaroids with their instant gratification of an image developing right before your eyes. These pictures are especially great for scrap booking, making a photo wall, or making your own "who done it" board for all of you murder mystery fans. So when I was offered the opportunity to try this camera, I was excited for the nostalgia. Now this camera does not come with film, and let me tell you, the film is pricey. You will easily spend more in film than the cost of this camera. The other difficult part about the film is that Polaroid recommends using film that is within 1 year of its manufacture date as printed on the side of the box. After going to 4 stores, I finally found a 16 pack that was manufactured in January 2023, barely within the one year window. After acquiring the film, I charged the camera, downloaded the companion app, and put my photography skills to work. The Polaroid App does link directly to the camera and allows you to try your hand at some advanced techniques such as double exposure. The app is minimal but simple, so anyone really can use it. However no matter what filter or setting I tried, the pictures just came out subpar. I had an opportunity to use this camera over the Halloween holiday and with my child dressing up as Wednesday Addams, this retro style picture taking device was PERFECT for giving that eerie old Halloween look. However when you try to use it for anything else, it just falls flat on its face. Pictures are not vibrant and seem...underdeveloped. I am not expecting digital quality by any means, however I have other Polaroid style cameras from over the last couple years and they blow this iteration away. Also, no matter the film. I always ended up with a defect in the upper left corner of all the photographs similar to a spider web. Is it possible that my camera is defective? Maybe. However, in my experience, this product was very underwhelming.

Great camera got it for my girlfriend and she loves. Great memories

This camera produces a nice quality picture, while being easy to handle and to operate.

“The Polaroid instant camera is a timeless classic that brings joy to every moment captured. Its retro design combined with modern technology makes it a must-have for photography enthusiasts and casual users alike. With its instant printing capability, you can see your memories come to life right before your eyes. The simplicity of operation ensures that anyone can snap a picture and cherish it forever. Whether you’re documenting a special occasion or capturing spontaneous moments, the Polaroid instant camera adds a nostalgic touch to every snapshot. It’s a delightful companion for creating tangible memories in our digital age.”

Awesome build quality and the battery lasts forever. I purchased it for my family Christmas and took 16 photos with it. The camera doesn't do well in dim lit areas at all and the film is outrageously over priced. Ultimately the price of the film made me return the camera. It just isn't worth the price of the film, its about 2$ every time you press the capture button and i had 2 photos not develop correctly out of a pack of 8. Not worth it

Bought for my wife. Camera works great and very easy to use.