Perhaps, for older generations, Polaroid is the best camera to have for instantly printed pictures. But is there anything to be excited about when it comes to this brand in the context of today’s technology, and does Polaroid have anything new to bring to the table? Both answers are yes, and this is where Polaroid Mint and Snap cameras enter the stage. So if you want to learn more about them, what makes them special and what sets them apart, you came to the right place, therefore keep on reading!
What they have in common
Both these devices come in a few slightly different flavors. Polaroid Mint is available as an instant camera and just as a pocket sized picture printer. Polaroid Snap is available as a digital camera, called Polaroid Snap and as camera with a touchscreen, simply called Snap Touch.
Other common features are:
- ZINK® Zero Ink® Printing Technology allowing you to have your photos in under 1 minute
- No use of paper
- Digital cameras
- 2 x 3 inches printed photos
- Add the classic Polaroid border to your pictures
- Digital copies of your photos, on the MicroSD card
- 3 types of pictures: color, black and white, and with a sepia effect
- Pictures can be used as stickers
- Built in batteries
What sets them apart
It’s now time to see what makes one model more special than the other. How else are you going to decide for or against either camera model?
1. Their appearance
Their design might confuse some people at first. The Mint camera looks very rectangular, sharp and minimalistic due to the lack of buttons or much details on the front and also on the back. Most of its buttons and controls are on the narrow edge. One would think that even the shutter is missing, but in fact it’s rather small, like on a smartphone.
The Snap camera models on the other hand, have rounded corners, and their shutter is pretty big and found on the front. Additionally, Snap has a multicolored line from the shutter to one of the sides. On the back, the Snap Touch has a 3.5 inch LCD touchscreen that the other two don’t have.
2. Their megapixels
Everyone knows that the more megapixels their digital camera has, the nicer and clearer the image is. Polaroid Mint has 16 MP while Snap has either 10 or 13 MP, depending on the model. This difference alone can make one decide for or against a model.
3. Their storage
These cameras can’t store photos internally despite being digital gadgets. However as mentioned earlier, you can use a MicroSD card if you also want a digital copy of the image you’re taking. Of course, the digital version gets saved at the time you take it, just like on a smartphone. You can then share it however else you want.
The difference is that the Mint model works with a card of up to 256 GB while the Snap accepts cards with a capacity of either 32 GB or 128 GB, depending on the model. The devices do have indicators for when the memory card is full.
4. Choose which picture to print
Very few instant cameras have this option, however from the three cameras we talked about, only the Snap Touch offers this function, whereas the other 2 print them all as soon as you released the button of the shutter. This is a great option to have if you want to save paper.
5. Number of pictures
The Polaroid Mint can print up to 40 pictures per battery charge. Additionally it can hold 10 sheets at once. There is no mention of how many photos you can take with either Snap model.
What’s more is that the Polaroid Snap doesn’t come with any paper, unlike Mint and Snap Touch models. The packages can contain between 20 and 50 sheets of paper, but they’re sold separately. Luckily, they fit all the mentioned models.
6. Videos
Many of us would like to also record videos at times. There is no mention of such a feature on the Mint’s specs, so it might be safe to rule it out for this camera. This feature is also not mentioned on the Polaroid Snap. However, the Polaroid Snap Touch Instant Digital camera can record videos in 1080p full HD, making it a huge plus for some people.
7. Timer
If you want to take a group photo in which you also appear, then the Polaroid Snap instant digital camera is what you should consider getting. This model has a self timer included just for this purpose. This feature is not present on the Polaroid Mint. The Polaroid Snap Touch Instant Digital camera even has a mirror for the selfies.
8. Holding the camera
It may be difficult to tell at first, but the Polaroid Mint is designed to be used in portrait position by default, and not in landscape position like most cameras, including the Snap models. Of course, depending on your needs and creativity, you can take picture with either model in whatever angle you desire, just the default position is different on them.
9. Bluetooth
Not many cameras come equipped with a Bluetooth to make the image sharing even faster without the need of a computer. If this is something of interest to you, then you’ll have to consider the Snap Touch instant digital camera, for the Mint model doesn’t have it.
You’d probably have to check the compatibility with the device you want to transfer pictures from and to, beforehand. It’s highly possible that some devices may not be compatible with the Polaroid camera.
A few extra words
We’re pretty sure now you have a better idea of what Polaroid offers with its brand new camera models. Clearly, everyone regardless of their age can find a model to suit their needs and preferences when it comes to instant cameras.
We do hope that this short head to head presentation proves helpful if you’re in search for a new gadget or a present for a loved one, no matter the occasion.
