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The Kodak Mini Shot packs in Bluetooth and a printer — for $100

Kodak Mini Shoot
Kodak
The $70 Kodak Printomatic is one of the cheapest digital instant cameras on the market but now the budget camera has a big brother with a few more features. The Kodak Mini Shot is a compact digital camera with a built-in printer and unlike the budget option, the camera includes an LCD screen and Bluetooth connectivity. Prinics Co. Ltd. announced the new camera on Tuesday, December 5.

Like the Printomatic, the Mini Shot uses a 10-megapixel digital sensor to capture photos and while the camera uses a different type of ink-cartridge-free paper with credit-card-sized 4Pass paper, both print small instant photos with sticker backs. The built-in printer uses heat to activate the colors embedded in the paper, a process known as dye-sublimation. The paper has an extra protective layer and is both water- and fingerprint-resistant, the company said.

While the Mini Shot has similar sensor specs to the Printomatic, the Mini Shot contains a handful of extra features warranting the $30 price increase. The Mini Shot uses a 1.7-inch LCD screen for previewing the shots before printing, while the Printomatic has no screen or menu options.

The Mini Shot also includes Bluetooth connectivity, which means photographers can edit those shots before printing by using the Kodak Mini Shot app (available for iOS and Android) then sending the file back to the camera. The app also allows users to trigger a photo remotely and can also print photos that were shot on the smartphone.

“There is a resurgence for ‘instant-print’ photography, and the demand for affordable and versatile products is massive,” Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke said in a press release. “The release of the Kodak Mini Shot and recent launch of the Kodak Printomatic Cameras are a continuation of Kodak’s commitment to instant printing and represent just the beginning of the Instant Print Solutions Kodak plans to bring to market. We are fully committed to growing a diverse product portfolio and investing in the instant photography business.”

The Kodak Mini Shot can print images that are 2.1-by-3.4 inches or square-format 2.1-inch images. The camera retails for $100 and comes in black, white or yellow color options.

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When Eastman Kodak unveiled the Brownie camera in 1900, it was little more than a cardboard box with a lens and a roll of film (a concept that made a bit of a comeback in 2019). As basic as it was, it was revolutionary in democratizing photography.
In those days, buying a camera was simple. Fast-forward more than a century later, and modern cameras are so diverse and advanced that buying one is definitely not a one-model-fits-all kind of decision.
Most of us already own a pretty decent camera in the form of a smartphone and knowing when a dedicated camera provides an actual benefit over our phones can be difficult to determine. Prices for new cameras range from a couple hundred to a few thousand dollars, with numerous brands and models at each tier along the way.
This guide is designed to get first-time camera buyers pointed in the right direction. As we'll be referencing different sensor sizes, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with those first, or scroll to the megapixel myth section for an explainer on why bigger sensors take better pictures.
Point-and-shoot cameras

These run a wide gamut. They can be compact, affordable, and easy to use, or advanced models with long zooms, large sensors, and full manual controls. The one constant is a lens that can't be removed from the camera.

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Its superb lens, compact size, solid build, and -- importantly for street shooters -- near-silent leaf shutter, make it a top choice for photographers keen to capture scenes of everyday life. The Japanese camera maker recently launched the X100V, marking the fifth update in nine years. Digital Trends recently compared the latest model with its predecessor, the X100F, to see if it’s worth upgrading.

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A bridge camera is an intermediate step between an interchangeable lens model (either mirrorless or DSLR) and a smaller point-and-shoot. While bridge cameras often resemble an interchangeable-lens camera in appearance, their insides are much more like point-and-shoots. You won't find a bridge camera with anything larger than a 1-inch-type sensor, for example, and sensor size plays an important role in image quality.

The use of smaller sensors, however, allows bridge cameras to fit incredibly long zoom lenses in much less space than what would be required for a DSLR or mirrorless camera. For this reason, bridge cameras are often called "superzooms." Since zoom range and sensor size form a balancing act, you won't find the longest zoom on the bridge camera with the largest sensor, so you'll have to decide which feature matters most to you before deciding.
At a glance:

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