Instant film was cool even before going retro was cool — but Fujifilm’s latest Instax camera should be almost just as easy as snapping an Instagram photo. Announced on Tuesday, February 25, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is a newbie-friendly, selfie-friendly instant film camera.
Digital photographers often take auto mode for granted, but the previous camera, the Instax Mini 9, required adjusting for different lighting presets from sunny to indoors for the camera to take a proper exposure. The Instax Mini 11 is all auto, however, with a sensor that determines how much light is in the scene to set the shutter speed and flash accordingly. That should help beginners, non-photographers, and even kids to snap better photos faster.
Designed for the Instagram era, the camera includes a selfie mode that’s activated by pulling out the front edge of the lens. That allows the camera to focus at arm’s length for a selfie, or for other types of close-up photography without any accessories. (The Mini 9 had an attachment instead.)
On the exterior, the Instax Mini 11 boasts a modern design with rounded edges and pastel colors. A different material wraps the lens to give the body a bit of contrast. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 will launch in five color options — blush pink, sky blue, charcoal gray, ice white, and lilac purple. Two shutter button stickers allow for a bit of customization on the camera body, Fujifilm says.
As the name suggests, the Fujifilm Instax Mini accepts Instax Mini film, which is roughly the size of a business card with a photo that’s about 2.4-inches tall excluding the frame. With instant film cameras, quality is often similar to other cameras that take the same type of film, though the camera’s lens can create some variation in quality. With the camera, Fujifilm is also launching a blue marble and white marble patterned print frame film, compatible with any Instax Mini camera.
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is expected to start shipping — and hit store shelves — in mid March. And another perk of instant film — the list price sits at around only $70 for the camera. A pack of 20 film sheets sells for around $14, with the per-sheet price dropping when buying in bulk.
