Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide £199 / $249

The closest competitor to the Instax Wide 300 is similarly brick-like, thanks to the wider-format prints it emits and the four AA batteries that power it. The Instant Wide differs in featuring the viewfinder on the opposite side of the body to its Fujifilm doppelgänger, but these cameras are two peas from the same pod.

It is no surprise, therefore, that this model uses the same film packs as the Instax Wide 300. It’s less obviously design-conscious than the Fujifilm, however: the frill-free execution here is all a bit Heath Robinson, although there are dedicated buttons for disabling the flash and swapping exposure between +/- 1EV.

Like its competitor, images come out better defined with the exposure dialled down or flash disabled. With a selfie mirror on the front and a large ridged lever for the shutter release – like a foot pedal for the thumb – the camera’s lens ring allows you to dial in a focus distance between 0.6 metres and infinity. Interestingly its lens cap multitasks, housing a CR2025E lithium cell that cleverly allows the cap to function as a remote control.

PROS Uses Fujifilm Instax Wide film packs for bigger prints; large and straightforward controls

CONS

Big, clunky and heavier than rivals; tiny optical viewfinder

Verdict