Fujifilm’s Instax series of instant film cameras has seemingly defied the odds. It has not just kept instant photography alive, it has continued to grow it. And now, Fujifilm has announced the next step: produce the entirely new Instax Square format that will see at least one new camera in 2017.
The Instax Square format and camera are currently under development and Fujifilm has released few details about either. What we do know is that the image area will measure 62mm x 62mm for a true 1:1 aspect ratio, which Fujifilm touts as the “format of choice for users enhancing their artistic expression.”
As for the camera itself, your guess is as good as ours. Given the format is the same height but not as wide as Fujifilm’s existing wide film, it is possible the camera could be noticeably smaller than an Instax Wide camera.
The square format has long been a popular choice for photographers but in more recent years, apps like Instagram have brought it into the mainstream. Of course, Instagram has since opened up to allow other aspect ratios, but the iconic square remains the default setting.
This announcement follows a string of previous Instax news that Fujifilm has put out in the past few months. Just a couple of weeks ago, it revealed it would finally produce a black-and-white Instax film and in June it unveiled its second-generation Instax Share mobile printer.
It may seem odd that the same company that on Monday announced a super high-tech mirrorless medium format camera is putting so much emphasis on instant film photography, but it makes more sense when you consider that Fujifilm’s Instax products outsell its digital products nearly four to one.
So wait, why can’t we have FP-100C anymore?
