Photo booth vs photo mirror – what machine is better to start a business with?

The decision to start a photo booth business is behind you? Pros and cons considered, marketing strategy done? Have you already made the decision on the source of financing? If so, it’s time to choose your photo booth machine! The question is: photo booth or photo mirror? The choice is not easy, and there is plenty to choose from – there is a wide range of photo booths and modern selfie mirrors on the market. The photo mirror is of course a variation of the photo booth – you can say – its an improved version of it. Both devices are designed to do the same thing – taking photos that are printed immediately after taking a photo session. Selfie mirror and photo booths have a lot of similarities, but differ in some important details. Today we will tell you about them. We will also suggest which photo machine will be a better choice for you to start your business.

Photo booth and photo mirror – similarities

Both, photo booth and photo mirror have common features. They include:

• possibility of making personalized layouts, ie the layout of the printed photos by adding an individual signature, logo or text on the photos
• taking photo sessions consisting of any number of shots – most often there are 3 or 4 shots
• quick printing of photos and thus a perfect souvenir of the event
• great fun at the party
• availability of fun gadgets that allow you to create interesting and varied photo sessions

Both, photo booth and photo mirror operate on the basis of similar equipment. A dye-sublimation printer, a camera, a flash and, of course, a control unit in the form of a computer are the basic pieces of equipment in each model of a photographic machine.

Market trends and the choice of a photo booth model

There is probably literally no one who would not know what it is and what a photo booth is for. It is an attraction which is very often present at events such as a weddings, proms or corporate events. A photo mirror, also known as a selfie mirror or a magic mirror, is a newer edition of this photo attraction. Traditional photo booths are on the market a few years longer than photo mirrors. Selfie mirrors, on the other hand, began to gain popularity little later and to this day they storm weddings and event halls. This does not mean, of course, that photo booths are a thing of the past! A photo booth, both traditional in the form of a retro style booth or modern – with RGB LED backlight, is still a very popular attraction and it cannot be said that it has been replaced by the photo mirrors available on the market.

Of course, trends like trends – they like to change, and the flexibility and adaptation of your offer to the needs of the market is an important competitive factor. However, this is not the only factor, so when choosing your first photo machine, you should not base only on trends.

Basic differences between a photo booth and a photo mirror

As we have already mentioned, photo machines such as photo booths and photo mirrors differ in some respects. They mainly include:

Different casing design

The photo mirror most often has the form of a box – case with a large mirror mounted at the front in a surroundings of a decorative frame. Photo booths, on the other hand, have various designs – most often it is a two-module “post” in white or black, there are also smaller models whose modules constitute a housing and a stand. The shape of the casing is also related to its weight – photo mirrors are usually much heavier than photo booths, and thus require more effort during transport. You also need a larger car to transport the photo mirror and its accessories, so you should consider this when choosing.
A different aesthetic setting for the event

Behind the different design of the housing is the difference in the aesthetic setting of the event. With the help of a photo mirror, a “Hollywood atmosphere” is often created at weddings or corporate events. An elegant mirror in a decorative frame in a set with decorative posts, a red carpet, sometimes a gold or silver wall – the background – makes an electrifying effect! The photo booth itself usually looks less impressive, and the most common addition to it is the background – in the form of a printed background, sparkling stripes or an inflatable wall.

Different interfaces – photo booth interface vs. animation for a photo mirror

Photomirror animations are short films that are displayed before and after the session, as well as between individual shots. Their task is to encourage guests to play, inspire them to create even more interesting shots – the level of interaction with the user is much higher and better quality than in the case of a photo booth. Professional, moving characters, matching voice-over voices, funny texts – it all takes the fun with the photo mirror to the next level.

Up to a point, the limitation in the case of photolusters was the need to use a green background to be able to take pictures on any graphic background. Often this idea had to be abandoned because the green background does not match the elegant photo mirror. Currently, the software capabilities allow you to take photos with changing the background without the need to use any physical background. This gives new possibilities and further extends the functionality of the selfie mirror. Check out our recent post on this topic.
What brings more profits – photo booth or photo mirror?

The photo booth business, as we wrote in another article, is a profitable business, assuming you have an appropriate marketing strategy. On average, the price of renting a photo mirror is higher than the price of renting a photo booth by PLN 200-300 per package. The answer seems simple – the investment in a photo mirror will pay off faster than in a photo booth. Of course, we are not talking about equalizing the prices for renting photo booths and photo mirrors – because such situations also happen on the market. Potentially higher profits is one of the factors that can be taken into account, but you have to remember that a photo mirror is a bigger investment at the start, and the costs of the add-ons mentioned above additionally raise the price. In addition, having a photo mirror on offer may increase the interest of customers – many people want to have the most interesting and the latest attractions at their events. The return on investment may therefore be faster, but it does not have to be either – we are of the opinion that the most often the payback period is similar for traditional photo booths and photo mirrors.

What do event clients prefer – photo booths or photo mirrors?

This question is (on purpose) incorrectly posed. There is no single answer to them. Both photo booths and photo mirrors find their buyers all the time. Often, the Hollywood atmosphere is not something the client likes, and the limited space in the wedding hall makes the photo booth the best option. There are clients for whom the number of photos taken during the wedding is a priority – the more the better, there are those for whom it is more important to have the latest attractions. Interesting models of photo booths – check out ours from the retro range – often match photo mirrors in terms of design. They also perfectly improve the aesthetic setting of weddings, communions and birthdays. There are people for whom the price is important, and because the photo mirror is more expensive, they rent a photo booth. As you can see, it is impossible to say what the customers prefer – both types of devices will undoubtedly find their buyers.
Photo booth or photo mirror – what to choose?

When choosing the type and model of the machine, a lot depends on priorities, transport possibilities and the result of local market research. Because it is on the local market that you will primarily act. A large number of traditional photo booths in the environment can turn the scales in favor of a photo mirror. On the other hand, having a small car for transport makes it more sensible to choose a photo booth. The photo mirror, despite having wheels to facilitate transport, is heavier and the operation of the event on its own will be difficult for this reason. Currently, customers choose both photo booths and photo mirrors – we know from the opinions of our customers that the appearance of photo mirrors for some time meant that they rented photo booths less. For some time, however, these differences have started to blur, and now both types of slot machines are equally popular. The decision is worth considering – because the first slot machine can either encourage or discourage you from running and continuing this business. And that this is a quite enjoyable business, we already mentioned, right?