This Camera Charges You $2 Per Photo and People Can’t Stop Buying It

The Polaroid Now Gen 3 costs below $120. That’s the easy part. The expensive part is every single photo you take after that.

Price: $109.98
Where to Buy: Amazon

Each shot on Polaroid’s i-Type film runs roughly $2 when you buy a standard color pack. In a world where your phone stores 10,000 photos for free, the Polaroid Now Gen 3 turns every frame into a financial decision. And this Polaroid Now camera isn’t just surviving on shelves. It’s selling. So the real question is: why do people keep paying $2 a frame for a camera their phone outperforms in every measurable way?

The Gen 3 actually fixes the thing people complained about

Polaroid launched the Now Gen 3 in March 2025 with an upgraded two-lens autofocus system, a repositioned light meter, and an improved ranging sensor that delivers more consistently exposed shots. The biggest complaint about previous models wasn’t film cost. It was how many shots came out too dark, too bright, or slightly off.

The Gen 2, released in 2023, swapped micro-USB for USB-C but kept the same autofocus and metering that frustrated users. Gen 3 overhauls both. If you skipped the Gen 2, this is the Polaroid Now camera that earns the upgrade.

There’s a built-in tripod mount now, a feature Fujifilm’s closest Instax competitors still don’t offer. Self-timer and double-exposure modes fill out the creative side, and battery life covers about 15 packs of film before you need to plug in.

Six colors, recycled plastic, and no Bluetooth

The body is 40% recycled materials in six colors: Arctic Blue, Pebble White, Coral, Purple, Yellow, and Black. At 448 grams it’s light enough to toss in a bag. Compact at 150mm x 112mm x 94mm, though not pocket-sized.

Here’s the catch. No on-body exposure compensation. If you want EV control, you’ll need the Polaroid Now+ at $139.99, which adds Bluetooth and app access. The standard Polaroid Now Gen 3 is a point-and-shoot in the most literal sense: frame, press, hope the autofocus did its job. Six aperture settings between f/11 and f/64 handle the rest.

Film is the real cost (and the real catch)

The Polaroid Now Gen 3 shoots i-Type film, Polaroid’s battery-free format designed for its current lineup. Each pack holds eight exposures at ASA 640. Prints measure 88mm x 107mm overall with a 79mm x 79mm square image area, closer to vintage Polaroid prints than Fujifilm’s smaller Instax Square format.

Color film has quirks no hardware update can fix. Shots need shielding from light for about 10 seconds, and temperature affects results more than you’d expect: cold pushes colors toward cyan, heat shifts them red. Black and white film produces noticeably sharper contrast and more consistent tones.

At roughly $2 per shot, two packs on a weekend trip cost $32 in film alone. That’s the math Polaroid doesn’t print on the box. And it’s the math that isn’t stopping anyone.

Why this camera is trending right now

The Now Gen 3 isn’t riding first-week hype. It’s been on shelves for months and people are still buying at full price. Retailers aren’t cycling it into clearance. They’re restocking it. That staying power says more about the cultural moment than the hardware.

The retro camera wave that started as a TikTok film-dump aesthetic has settled into something broader. Anything that forces you to slow down and stay off your phone is moving steadily. Gen Z treats analog gear as a deliberate lifestyle choice, and Polaroid sits at the most accessible entry point. You can feel the shift when you walk into an Urban Outfitters and the instant camera display sits next to the candles and tote bags.

Walk into a college dorm and you’ll see the prints pinned to string lights and stuck to mirrors with washi tape. The tangible photo has become social proof that you cared enough to spend $2 on the moment. A blurry Polaroid on a wall carries more weight than a phone shot in a camera roll no one opens.

The real pitch isn’t the specs. It’s the friction. Two dollars a shot makes people think before they press the button. That constraint is the entire point, and it’s exactly what people want right now.

Who should skip this

If you want creative control or reliable low-light results, the Now Gen 3 will frustrate you. No exposure compensation on the body, no flash override, no manual adjustment for warm tungsten interiors. You’ll notice it the first time you try a dimly lit room and the print comes out muddy. The Now+  closes most of those gaps, but the standard Gen 3 stays locked in full-auto.

The cost math matters here. At $2 a shot, casual weekend use adds up fast. If you take 30 photos to get one keeper, instant film will punish that. This camera rewards people who think before they shoot.

Who this is for

The Polaroid Now Gen 3 fits someone who wants intention in every frame. Better autofocus and metering mean more shots actually turn out, the one thing earlier Polaroids couldn’t promise. If photography feels like a ritual rather than a reflex, the $2 per shot stops feeling like a penalty.

It lands well as a gift. At below $120 with six color options and a compact 448-gram body, it’s easy to hand to someone who’d appreciate a reason to put the phone away. You’ll spot it on wedding tables and in college care packages throughout the year.

What the Gen 3 signals is simpler than its spec sheet. This Polaroid Now camera isn’t competing with phone sensors or mirrorless kits. It’s pricing imperfection at $2 a frame. For a camera built on constraint, the Gen 3 is the most refined version of that bet Polaroid has made.

Price: $109.98
Where to Buy: Amazon

Polaroid lists the Now Gen 3 at $119.99 MSRP. Retail pricing varies: Target and Best Buy have listed select colors, while Polaroid.com bundles start at $144.99. Check current listings before checkout.