EVERYTHING OLD might be new again, but it can still be improved. Brands including Polaroid—rallying after two bankruptcies—and Fujifilm have revived chunky instant-film cameras with a twist: The new models are more accessible and useful than the ones we manically overused as kids, snapping contemptuous cats over and over, hoping the next exposure might finally come out right.

While anyone can now take pictures in endless ways, Fujifilms’s Instax line has caught on precisely because of its charming limitations. No app can replicate the hazy, ethereal quality of film, much less the satisfaction of shaking your photo in a vain attempt to develop it faster.

The new Instax Square SQ6 ($130, fujifilmusa.com) makes taking successful instant photos easier than it was back in the Me Decade, with well-designed buttons and surprisingly consistent images that seem to flatteringly light everyone and everything. That undeniably appealing, square 1:1 aspect ratio makes room for people and their backgrounds. In selfie mode, you can frame yourself with a mirror next to the lens and let the focal length and flash automatically adjust so you don’t become a blurry, blown-out blob. While the SQ6 is about the size of a brick, it’s light and comfortable to hold. In white or slate gray, it’s subtly stylish, while the rose gold model seems destined to be a hot accessory at next year’s Coachella music fest.

Fujifilm’s fine camera also serves as a conversation piece, with a price that justifies the purchase even if you already own a tricked-out SLR or a smartphone. The same can’t necessarily be said of Leica’s pricier Sofort ($300, leica-camera.com), which looks awfully similar to the SQ6, albeit in orange or mint, with nearly equal results. Polaroid’s even cheaper throwback OneStep 2 ($100, polaroidoriginals.com) boasts the most old-school cred but can give subjects a muddy, underexposed look evocative of grim 1980s family photos.

I took all three to a David Bowie dance party at Brooklyn Museum and kept returning to Fuji’s SQ6 for its reliability. But the Leica did grab one magical black-and-white shot of a friend beaming with a Bowie-inspired lightning bolt drawn on her face. “Can I have it?” she asked. “I want to make it my profile picture.”