Instant cameras have come a long way since the days of the emulsion prints of Polaroid. Take for example, Impossible Project’s new I–1 camera, a sleek instant camera controlled by an accompanying smartphone app.
What if you want something a little less expensive and a little more DIY though? The answer might be this clever instant camera made from a Raspberry Pi computer and a thermal printer, stuffed inside a cardboard box.
Reminiscent in quality of the iconic Game Boy Camera (which once held a record for being the smallest digital camera) and its accompanying printer, this little contraption is made up of a Raspberry Pi Model A+, a Pi Camera Board, a thermal receipt printer, a few buttons, and a cardboard box.
Related Offer: Get all the Raspberry Pi gear you need for a DIY Polaroid here
Writer Phillip Burgess of Adafruit shows how to build this DIY digital instant camera, from top to bottom. The guide is far from beginner material, but if you have experience with Raspberry Pi computers or Arduino builds, it should be a fairly straightforward creation, especially considering the code needed to get the build up and running is provided.
From our rough estimation, the camera will come to roughly $100, pending what computer equipment you already have on hand and a few other components in the event you want to further customize your build.
One customization suggestion is opting for a better enclosure. Burgess chose to recycle the box the thermal printer cam in, but for more adventurous builders, there are plenty of other options, including 3D printing.
For a full rundown on how to build the camera, head on over to Adafruit and read though the guide. Remember, don’t pull the trigger (or shall we say, press the shutter) on any purchases until you know exactly what you’re getting yourself in to.
Fujifilm just gave its most popular instant camera a serious digital upgrade. The Instax Mini Evo 2 now comes with a touchscreen, larger sensor, and a video feature that captures four seconds before each photo. It is set to arrive by the end of November for $289.95.
What's new with the Instax Mini Evo 2?
Full-frame cameras tend to be chunky beasts, but Sigma wants to prove that big imaging doesn't need a big body. Enter the Sigma FP2, the successor to its tiny, boxy fp mirrorless camera. It keeps the same modular design but packs in some serious upgrades, including a 24.5-megapixel partially stacked full-frame sensor, improved autofocus, 6K video recording, and 70GB of built-in storage. Sigma calls it the world's smallest full-frame camera, and while it might be tiny, the same cannot be said for its price tag.
Sigma FP2 brings faster shooting and 6K video
A phone thermal camera is one of those tools you don’t think you need until the first time it saves you from an expensive problem, and the Thermal Master P3 just got easier to try. For Halloween, it’s discounted with the code THERMCAM10, a 10% cut that works out to $107 off the total. It’s also fresh off a win at the 2026 Tom’s Guide AI Awards for best phone thermal camera, which is the kind of third-party nod that separates a serious tool from the cheap clip-on sensors that flood this category.