Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Instant Camera - Lilac Purple

Why it's worth it

A compact instant camera in lilac purple that prints credit-card-size photos in about five seconds. It's the rare gift that starts working during the party itself.

Here's what makes an instant camera different from everything else in the pile: it does something for the room, immediately. Somebody shoots the group, the print slides out, and now there's a small object nobody planned for. If your exchange happens among people who actually like each other, this is the gift that makes the night.

The auto exposure is what makes it foolproof. Digital Camera World singled it out as a major leap over the Mini 11, specifically for getting accurate shots in the uneven indoor light of a living room or a bar. Automatic flash control means the picture isn't washed out at close range — the failure mode that made older instant cameras frustrating for beginners.

From our review of 8 white elephant gifts

What we like

• +Here's what makes an instant camera different from everything else in the pile: it does something for the room, immediately
• +The auto exposure is what makes it foolproof
• +Everything else is deliberately simple
• +Fujifilm's Instax line has held the top spot in global instant camera share for over a decade, per the company's corporate…

What to know

• –Film is sold separately, and that's the single biggest mistake givers make
• –The prints are small — about two by three inches — and owners regularly note that film is the expensive part over time
• –It's also the most personal pick here, which cuts both ways