Fujifilm Instax mini 7 Camera Taps into Analog Magic

Anyone jones-ing for the now-departed days of Polaroids might love the Fujifilm Instax mini 7: press a button, and you get a credit card-sized printed photo.

Old-school analog point-and-shoot photographers have lamented the demise of Polaroid instant cameras, with their point-and-print results giving instant pictures you could pass around to friends. These days film-free digital cameras absolutely dominate the industry—but that doesn’t quite mean inexpensive analog picture-taking is dead! Fujifilm has just rolled out the Instax mini 7, a compact fully analog camera that offers point-and-shoot prints: find your subject in the viewfinder, check the LED exposure indicator, then press a button: a few minutes later, you have a credit-card sized color photo in your hands.

The Instax Mini 7 runs on four AA batteries (so no wall wart to carry around) and uses special Fujifilm Instax mini film good for 20 shots per pack. As a camera, the unit isn’t all that spectacular, but it’ll do the job for fun-and-games and the younger set: it features a 1/60th second electronic shutter, automatic film feed, an LED exposure meter, and a manual on-off switch: the Instax mini 7 produces prices 46 by 62 millimeters. Folks who like the idea but who want bigger prints can also check out the Instax and Instax 210 cameras.

The Instax mini 7 is available now for $85 in kid-friendly blue and pink bodies; the film packs cost $15 apiece.