My name is Mike Yawney. I have been reviewing tech products for over 15 years. Most of that time has been spent in front of the camera, talking tech and reviewing everything from smartphones to video games on one of Canada's most popular national morning television programs. We love instant photography at AP, and our team regularly test and review the best instant cameras – one of our writers recently explored why the Instax mini 8 is a lot more than just a toy. As such, we’ve had a few debates among staff in putting this list of the best instant cameras and printers together, but as a result, there should be options for all stripes of instant shooter. Setting up the Step was easy. Its companion app (available for iOS and Android) walks you through the process, connecting your phone to the portable printer via Bluetooth.

Once printed, photos appeared crisp with a surprising amount of detail. However, the color reproduction was not always accurate. It uses Zink paper, which means you don't have to add ink, but on the downside this means the picture quality isn't the best," says Tom May in our review. "Still, if you just want to hand out mementos at a social event, it's still a good choice, and it would make a fun gift for kids too." If you’re after a bit of a balance between the larger wide film and the tiny mini film available from Instax, then the square format is the one you’re looking for. This is the most up-to-date printer from the brand, using the widespread USB-C charging port rather than the less common and older Micro USB alternative present in much of the range, and it has the same sleek styling we’re used to from Instax printers. This depends on the printer. The Instax Link series uses actual instant film (the same as you put in Instax film cameras) to produce an authentic instant print. This is a definite stylistic choice, giving you a low-detail, low-fidelity, analog quality that can't be achieved on traditional printers, but comes at a cost –as instant film is pretty pricey. While, as I said, the printer has a mini USB port for charging, Bluetooth is its only connectivity option. According to Kodak, the onboard battery charges in about 90 minutes and lasts long enough to produce 25 prints.

Connecting to and Using the Mini 3 Retro

The Zink paper tech in these is a bit different when compared to Instax models. Instead of ink, it uses colourful crystals embedded inside the paper – it’s a little slower to print but pictures don’t need time to develop. They also may look a bit more washed out than instant film, though, and we generally think the “Polaroid” charm is more present in models from Polaroid and Fujifilm’s Instax. We’d also suggest looking at the battery life of the printer, as it determines how many prints you can make before recharging. Look for printers with long-lasting batteries and consider whether they use standard batteries or rechargeable ones. The “mini” and “square” sizes are the most popular, and we especially like the mini for making images that are ideal to keep in our wallet. We have a handful of snaps printed from the Mini Link 2 that we keep with us wherever we go, but this versatile image size is also great for a scrapbook or for pinning up on your fridge using magnets. So what’s different about the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo? It’s intended as a hybrid between analogue and digital, and actually has a 3-inch LCD screen on the rear. This allows the user to easily browse and select images to be printed, as well as do minor edits and adjust settings. The Mini Evo is designed to bridge the gap between an instant camera and an instant printer, and as such it can also be used to print photos directly off your smartphone’s camera roll. As one of the smallest models we tested, the Fujifilm Instax Mini Link is perfect for on-the-go fun. The app lets you customize prints by applying filters and adding fun captions. You can also buy photo paper with designs already printed on it, to add even more character.

Think about why you want to print pictures on the move. Do you want the absolute best image quality? Choose a dye-sublimation printer. Do you want the cheapest prints, regardless of quality? Go for a Zink printer. Do you want the coolest prints? You'll probably want an Instax-based printer.The app would see the printer and tell us it was connected. Then, when we tried to print a photo, it produced an error. The problem? No printer was connected. Never used a mini printer before, and are you a little nervous about technology generally? Don't worry: the handy Kodak app for Android makes this printer a breeze to use.By making use of the Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities of this printer you can enjoy printing in seconds: it’s compatible with both iOS and Android via the Bluetooth connection.