Print ejection is motorized, but while the SX-70 cameras simply spat one out and development began immediately, it’s a bit more complicated with the Polaroid Originals film. After taking the shot, a flexible protective cover unfurls from the camera to prevent the exposed print being instantly dosed with available light. You then need to place the print face down (and away from direct light) to await complete development which is now thankfully shorter than the 30+ minutes required by The Impossible Project films, but still longer than we suspect Dr Land would have approved of. The Polaroid OneStep 2 (left) vs the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 (right). (Image credit: Polaroid / Instax) The original OneStep, unveiled in 1977, was billed as “the world’s simplest camera” because all you had to do was press the shutter button… and the camera did the rest. There were no controls, not even an on/off switch and, while there was an adjustment for exposure, you didn’t necessarily have to use it. The print was automatically ejected via a motorized transport and was self-developing, a big advance on the previous peel-apart Polaroid materials.

It’s a shame the app’s onscreen button is a little on the small side, though. It’s easily missed when you’re looking at the viewfinder instead of your phone.The OneStep+ is every bit the homage to Polaroid’s ’70s-era original, with chunky styling that’s full of retro charm. As far as shooting ‘modes’ go, there’s just a slider to make your photos either darker or lighter. Until, that is, you pair the camera to your smartphone over Bluetooth. Polaroid’s Originals app adds a remote trigger, timer shooting, light painting and double exposure modes, as well as manual shooting. Fuji's first foray into instant was a little later in the 1980s with cameras like the Instax 100, but only after it managed to avoid a potential lawsuit for infringing Polaroid's film patents. Those patents would expire in 1998, at which point Fuji introduced its first Instax camera. La nueva cámara de la familia OneStep de Polaroid Originals conserva el aspecto vintage de la OneStep 2 y presenta un elegante acabado en negro con el clásico arcoíris de la marca en su parte frontal, como en la popular Polaroid OneStep de 1977 On the top you'll see the lever to change between the two focus modes. It has two settings, distant and close. The former is identified with icons showing a tree and two figures, while the latter shows a single figure. You'll want to use the distant setting for most shots, but when leaning in toward a subject you'll want to use the single-person setting.

Aside from the close-up capability, the OneStep+ delivers image quality that's on par with the more affordable OneStep 2. But the flexibility to lean in and snap tighter shots is a boon. The OneStep 2 supports focus to about two feet, but you can get closer with the OneStep+. You won't have to stretch your arms as far for selfies, and you can get in a little closer when making portraits. Cámara instantánea inspirada en la Polaroid OneStep de 1977. Disponible en blanco y en grafito. Esta versión Viewfinder (VF) mejora la OneStep 2 lanzada inicialmente por Polaroid Originals con el contundente saliente del ocular, diseñado para poder usar más cómodamente el visor directo The lens – made from optical-grade polycarbonate and coated to reduce flare – has a focal length of 106mm (roughly equivalent to 40mm) and again the focus is fixed, this time from around 60 centimetres to infinity. Polaroid still sells refurbished versions of some of its classic models, like this Polaroid 600 OneStep. (Image credit: Polaroid) Polaroid’s I-Type film produces fairly colourful photos, albeit with stark contrast. Still, with enough light the results are charming. Get a snap right and you’ll have a physical memento of those spontaneous moments – which is exactly why instant film has so much appeal.

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It is the successor to last year’s OneStep 2, and borrows the same basic look and features – but then adds a selection of smartphone-enabled shooting modes, updating the instant camera for mobile snappers that want a bit more flexibility from their photography. The built-in flash is the biggest change over the original, which only has a dedicated port – shared with the SX-70 – for fitting either a ‘Flashbar’ module which housed ten flash bulbs (five on each side) or the accessory Q-Light electronic flash unit. Incidentally, the latter has been re-created by MiNT and is available from Polaroid Originals.