The best creative film and instant cameras

While many of us associate the humble disposable camera with highly saturated colours and simplistic tones, renowned film developer Ilford has taken a different approach. Packing in 27 exposures of HP5 Plus film, with an ISO of 400, it's geared up to shoot entirely in monochrome. It works at a shutter speed of 1/100sec and features a fixed focusing distance of 1m to infinity, as with the others in this group. It also boasts a 30mm plastic optic, which is set at f/9.5. There's a viewfinder, though it's not through-the-lens, so what you see is slightly different to the finished shot. While the construction is what you'd expect for a single use camera – cheap and cheerful – it's the Ilford HP5 film that elevates this model. You'll find a healthy smattering of traditional grain, and a good range of tones and medium strength contrast, which has made the film extremely popular among black & white photographers. The plastic lens optic is surprisingly sharp, all things considered, and the built-in flash is very handy for shooting in low light.

Another well-known name in the disposable camera market, Fujifilm's offering comes pre-loaded with Superia X-TRA 400 film that gives a maximum 27 exposures. It delivers impressive true colour rendition, as well as deep contrast. It also boasts a 4th Color Layer Technology that helps to produce clear and sharp shots. In our testing, we found the results to be very pleasing, and marginally more impressive than the others in test. As with the competition, it's built from plastic, which makes it light. It has also been constructed from 82% recycled materials, which is great to offset the disposable nature. Fujifilm even takes the camera, once finished, and puts it back into the system for creating its other disposable cameras, leaving you with a clear conscience. There is a flash included, which is perfect if you're shooting indoors or at night. We were also impressed with the quality of the plastic lens, with the shots appearing much sharper than we had anticipated from a humble disposable camera – a welcome bonus.

More than your average disposable, this fun plastic camera is actually reusable. You can re-spool 35mm film and shoot until your heart's content. It comes loaded with a 36-exposure Colour Negative ISO 400 film from Lomography itself, and includes a flash with three coloured gels. The plastic lens features a 31mm focal length and f/9 aperture, while the camera is preset to a fixed shutter speed of 1/120sec. It's pre-focused from 1m to infinity, so closer subjects won't appear sharp. A major draw of this camera is the flash gels, which come in yellow, blue and purple. You swing these over the flash to create coloured light, and can mix and match for extra effects or colour combinations. The flash is activated by holding down the switch at the front of the camera, though it's not powerful enough to work in bright daylight. It has a recharge time of 15 seconds, which can feel like an eternity! That said, when it works, it creates some very interesting colours in shots, and the Colour Negative film has a nicely saturated appearance, with medium contrast.

Although the name Polaroid is synonymous with instant photography, Fujifilm's instax brand has been right at the forefront for a number of years now. This latest square-format instant camera is one of many the company has released over the years, and creates prints that are 1.3x larger than the instax mini film, at 86x72mm, including the border. The body itself has a contemporary look, eschewing the retro feel of the other two in test. You'll find a large lens with a focal length of 66mm. It also includes a selfie mirror, making it ideal if you want to get in on the picture. A motor-driven focusing system allows for focus from 0.3m to infinity, achieved by switching between Macro, Normal and Landscape modes. The automatic shutter release system gives speeds of 1.6-1/400sec and you can add plus-or-minus 2/3 of exposure control. The built-in flash is great for use on darker days, and we love the inclusion of a Double Exposure mode for those who are looking to add some extra creativity to their instant shots.

As you'd expect from a company dedicated to retro, the design of the Automat Glass is a direct throwback to the '80s. It's boxy, with square lines and a black and red motif evocative of the era. We're reviewing the Magellan edition, which is the first instant camera to feature a wide-angle glass lens, packing a 38mm focal length, multi-coated surface and wide f/4.5 aperture – the widest in test. We love the automatic settings, which will work out the best aperture, shutter speed and even flash power for your shot. You can also use the Zone Focusing for added accuracy from 0.3m to infinity. As with the SQ6, the Automat allows you to take multiple exposures, and it also includes a Splitzer. This replaces the lens cap, and allows you to block the light from one side of your image. You can then turn it to expose that side for split images. It also features a lens cap that doubles up as a remote shutter, working up to 5m by infrared – a nice touch if you're taking group shots.

'Create big, smaller' is the messaging behind Polaroid's newest addition to the family, the Polaroid Go. It's not only the smallest of their range, but the smallest analogue instant camera in the world. Extremely lightweight and compact, the camera is just 10.5cm long, 8.4cm wide, and 6.1cm tall. It's the best analogue gadget to be launched in a long time. Being a miniature version of the classic, it has been designed with convenience and accessibility in mind. Whether you are grabbing a coffee with a friend or going for a quick walk to the park, you know your Polaroid Go can always be ready by your side if something sparks your creativity. With a simple interface and easy design, the rechargeable camera has some nifty features such as a double exposure setting, automatic flash, and self-timer. Affordable, playful, and very impressive with its incredible 15-pack battery life, it's the perfect little companion no matter your skill level. The Polaroid Go starter set includes the Polaroid Instant Camera and the Polaroid Go Color Film Double Pack (16 photos in total).

After being left out to stud, the Polaroid legacy was resurrected thanks to the incredible passion of The Impossible Project. It reverse engineered the previously destroyed Polaroid film recipe, and has also recently acquired the Polaroid Original name for its brand new line-up of instant cameras. The OneStep 2, inspired by 1977's OneStep Polaroid, packs a rechargeable battery, allowing it to take the slightly cheaper i-Type 600 film. You'll get a high-quality plastic lens with a fixed focus of 2m to infinity, as well as a self-timer and built-in flash. You can also use the rudimentary exposure compensation dial, allowing you to either brighten or darken the shot, depending on lighting conditions. Reloading the cartridges is incredibly simple, though you are limited to eight shots per cartridge, which works out at a whopping £1.85 per shot. Despite the film cost, which comes in a touch higher than the competition, the joy of seeing your shots develop can't be overstated.

First Manufactured in the 1960s in China, this children's camera gained popularity through many counter-culture photographers fighting against the perfection found in digital cameras. It's similar to the Holga 120N in construction and results, with a cheap plastic body and plastic lens helping to create a vibrant shot that oozes retro charm. It takes 120mm film, and can be set to four apertures, which are Pinhole, f/8, f/11 and f/16 – ideal for following the sunny 16 rule. You have a choice of 1/60sec and Bulb shutter speeds, and a focal length of 75mm. As with the Holga, you will find a simple Zone Focusing system, allowing three settings from 1-2m, up to 4m to infinity. These are displayed on the front of the lens with handy graphics to remind you of the correct positioning. The shutter is activated by a spring-loaded trigger, and there's a small viewfinder and shot counter on the rear. You can even get this model with a bulb flash, which really stacks up the ultimate retro kudos.

Definitely the most bizarre and alternative camera in our test, the panoramic Sprocket Rocket is so-called because it exposes across the entire film, letting you capture shots around the sprocket holes, or the perforations that latch onto the gears and catch to wind the roll on. By default it exposes a 72x35mm image onto the film, meaning you'll only get 18 shots from a 36-exposure 35mm film. However, it also features a reverse winder, which means you can wind on and wind back. This is great if you want to get really creative, allowing you to capture a series of multiple exposures, or even overlay a single image over two shots by winding back half-way. It's built from plastic, and the lens itself features a 30mm focal length, with either an f/10.8 or f/16 aperture. As with the others, you can use Zone Focusing between 0.6m to infinity, and you can choose from shooting at 1/100sec or Bulb. While it may be extremely niche, we love the fact you can keep the sprocket holes in-shot for creative effects.