Nearly a month after announcing that a square-format instant film camera was in the works, Fujifilm has released the first glimpse at what the camera will look like with a new teaser video. Fujifilm first teased with snippets of the camera’s details at last month’s Photokina in Germany, but only released the sneak peek at what the camera may actually look like on Sunday.
The new camera, expected out in spring 2017, expands on Fujifilm’s line of instant film cameras that — contrary to the false idea that film is dead — actually outsell the brand’s digital cameras. Fujifilm’s current Instax line, however, uses the traditional rectangular aspect ratio while the new format will have a 1:1, 62 x 62 mm image area.
The teaser doesn’t yet offer a full glimpse of the complete camera, but shows a few close-ups that reveal details bit by bit. The lens appears to be similar in style to current Instax cameras, with only a small offset from the camera body. The camera will have a built-in flash, the video shows, and the side view appears to indicate that the camera will be fairly slim, at least for an instant film camera. The square format camera in the teaser also appears to more closely resemble the solid colored cameras rather than the retro style of the black and silver Instax Mini 90.
The new square format comes after the company re-introduced black and white instant film compatible with Instax cameras.
Instant film photography has seen a resurgence as a medium that merges the aesthetics of film while avoiding the equipment and expense necessary to run a darkroom. Many instant film cameras have also made a comeback as “party” cameras, making it easy to hand out photos without visiting a photo booth.
