Polaroid Go Generation 3 Is the World’s Smallest Instant Analog Camera

Left: A black Polaroid instant camera prints a photo of a person. Right: A smiling person holds a small, compact camera up to their face, as if taking a picture, against a pink background.

Polaroid has announced its smallest instant analog camera ever, the Go Generation 3. The company takes that one step further, describing its brand-new instant camera as “the best Polaroid Go yet.”

The Polaroid Go Generation 3 uses Polaroid’s small-format Go film, which has a 1.9 x 1.8-inch (47 x 46-millimeter) image area on a 2.1 x 2.6-inch (53.9 x 66.6-millimeter) paper size.

Two people relax on green grass; one lies smiling with eyes closed as the other places a clover leaf on their forehead. A small white camera rests nearby.

A white Polaroid camera, three instant photos, orange sunglasses, and green-tinted eyeglasses rest on an orange towel spread over rocky cliffs by blue water.

As Polaroid explains, Gen Z “craves to slow down,” meaning that younger generations are attracted to slower, more tactile and intentional ways to capture their memories.

“From phone-free concerts and clubs to low-fi aesthetics, analog experiences continue to resonate with Gen Z consumers looking for moments that feel more personal, tactile, and lasting.”

Three friends stand with their arms around each other, facing the ocean at sunset. One person holds up a camera to take a selfie. The rocky shoreline and calm water are visible in the background.

A person wearing a purple jacket and beige shorts is climbing a tree. They have a white camera with a red button hanging on a strap around their neck. Pine branches and foliage are visible around them.

Two people in swimsuits jump into a lake from a rocky ledge while someone in the foreground holds up a portable projector, aiming it toward the jumpers on a sunny day.

The Polaroid Go Generation 3, Polaroid’s smallest instant analog camera, is designed to be taken anywhere and everywhere. It’s also made to be very easy to use. It includes a built-in selfie mirror on the front to help users compose their self-portraits, a self-timer for group shots, and a double exposure mode.

The camera features a built-in 64mm polycarbonate (plastic) lens with dual f/14.4 and f/32 apertures. While that sounds like a long lens for an instant camera, it is worth considering the camera’s crop factor. While it uses relatively small instant film, the image area is still much larger than that of a traditional full-frame digital camera. The crop factor is approximately 0.5 times, so it’s more like a 35mm prime than a mid-telephoto lens.

The Polaroid Go Generation 3 features a built-in Xenon flash, promising that classic on-camera flash look rather than the drab look of the LED flash featured on many modern compact cameras.

A young woman in a red jacket stands outdoors by a wooden fence, holding a camera. A brown chicken is perched on her shoulder. The background is green with grass and trees.

Five Polaroid instant cameras in teal, white, black, blue, and purple hang from matching straps, arranged in a row against a plain light background.

“With Polaroid Go Generation 3, we set out to design the world’s smallest instant camera that still takes picture-taking seriously. We focused on perfecting the optical system, integrating a genuinely powerful flash, and optimizing the camera for great, close-up selfies of you and your friends,” says Stine Bauer Dahlberg, Chief Product Officer at Polaroid.

“Every decision supports how people actually use a camera this small, while delivering strong performance across different lighting conditions. All of that engineering work is wrapped in a new personality and design that keeps all the joy people expect from Polaroid.”

Pricing and Availability

The Polaroid Go Generation 3 instant camera is available now in five colors, including black, white, teal, purple, and light blue directly from Polaroid starting at $89.99. Bundles that include film will push the price up. It will be available through authorized retailers starting on June 16, but can be preordered now.


Image credits: Polaroid

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