Fujifilm has announced the newest instant camera in its Instax Mini line: the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12. The Instax Mini 12 is a remake of the Instax Mini 11, our current top instant camera pick, and will be available in mid-March for $79.95.
Except for a few minor feature and design updates, the Instax Mini 11 and Instax Mini 12 look identical. However, the structure of the lens is the most noticeable change. You can now, for example, rotate the lens to enter close-up mode instead of pressing a button, as you would with a traditional point-and-shoot. I’ve only just started testing the camera, but based on my first impressions, this makes zooming in a bit more fun and intuitive as a result.
Now you can also turn your instant camera on and off simply by turning the lens to the clearly labeled “on” and “off” settings. Previously, you had to click a button on the side to turn the camera on and pop out the lens and then push it back to turn the camera off. That’s not exactly intuitive, and I imagine that, combined with the lack of clear “on” and “off” labels, it may have made it a little more difficult for kids to use the Instax Mini 11.
Still, while I like the fact that it’s now more intuitive to turn the camera off, I prefer using the Instax Mini 11’s button to turn it on. This is because Close-up mode is close to the “on” and “off” settings. This makes it easy to accidentally turn off the Instax Mini 12, which I did while trying to switch the lens to close-up mode. However, things may improve after further testing the camera and adjusting to the change.
Fujifilm also made some changes to the flash that are worth noting. Although, unfortunately, you still can’t turn the flash off, Fujifilm says the new autoflash control should better optimize image quality in bright and low-light settings. I’ll have to do more testing to see if that statement is true, but I hope it is, as that was one of my main issues with its excellent predecessor.
Finally, as mentioned above, the Instax Mini 12 features some design changes. Most notably, the body is more rectangular than square, albeit with the same rounded edges as its predecessor. It also lacks the curved side of the Instax Mini 11 and is less wide, making it easier to hold while taking photos. Also, Fujifilm swapped out the black color scheme with a fun new mint green shade that may appeal more to the younger crowd.
In addition to the Instax Mini 12, Fujifilm has announced the release of a new INSTAX UP! smartphone app to be released soon. Users can digitally scan, import, organize and store their images in the app no matter which Instax print or camera they own, which means Instax Mini 12 users will be able to use it too.
I’ll update our instant camera guide soon after I finish testing the Instax Mini 12 and add my thoughts on how it stacks up against its rivals from Polaroid and Kodak, so stay tuned.
