Fujifilm Instax mini EVO is an all-in-one digital camera, traditional Instax printer and photo printer that prints smartphone photos.
Author’s Note: Fujifilm was loaned Petapixel This camera was provided for review. The story is unsponsored and represents my opinion about the camera without any Fujifilm intervention. This video also contains my thoughts on the camera and its unique features.
A Triple Threat
The primary function of the mini EVO is to print images of the company’s Instax mini film. The camera is also a disguised Instax printer, or an Instax digital camera.
The Fujifilm Instax mini EVO shares a lot of resemblance to the company’s X100 lineup; in fact, it looks quite a bit like a mashup between the X100 and a Fisher Price camera. The camera is made of plastic and is light but not big enough to fit into most pockets. It barely fits in my jeans, which happen to be a little stretchy, but it fits well in my jacket pocket. A camera strap is included, but this doesn’t feel like the type of camera to hang around your neck.
You get a camera that is $200 and a creative device where the totality of the parts is greater than the sum. Digital camera features have a limited resolution. Prints are made to the Instax mini format. Images printed from a smartphone are output at a lower resolution that photos taken with the camera.
I was able to take hundreds of photos using this camera, as well as taking my smartphone with me on some local trips so that I could play with the camera more.
Inside the mini, EVO is a Type 1/5 5-megapixel CMOS sensor that, by design, is not particularly high-resolution but at the same time it doesn’t feel like the camera is a toy. Instax mini EVO offers creativity and versatility. The 35mm fixed-aperture lens features an aperture of f/2.8. Both ISO and shutter speed are automatically set. The camera performs better in bright light than it does in low light.
There are 10 “looks” controlled by a top-mounted dial and 10 “lenses” held by the fake aperture ring on the front. In reality, these are all effects, but the analog-like nature of selecting these creative tools makes it feel like you’re using different film stocks and lenses rather than simply programming in a setting.
I hadn’t expected to evaluate this camera, and I hadn’t expected to be so enamored with it either. PetaPixel is currently in the process of reviewing Fujifilm’s Instax Square Link smartphone printer, and during that testing, I was comparing the larger Square format prints to the mini film and so I asked Fujifilm to send us an Instax mini EVO to compare.
Larger prints are better from devices with higher resolution. The stand-alone printer also has intelligent features like QR codes addition, seeing notes, and effects. The mini EVO can be used with a smartphone.
This is Why I am attracted to this camera
Instax cameras were used to capture photos of customers in a coffee shop years ago. The prints were then hung on the wall. People loved to be part of the shop and we had hundreds of photos in our ever-growing art collection. But it always bothered me that I couldn’t give customers a print to take home with them and that I couldn’t post to Instagram or social media without taking a photo of the photo.
Maybe that’s why I am so drawn to this camera. Combining digital and physical output solves these problems.
Eric, a friend of mine, has a 2-year-old son. I met them while testing my camera. I snapped a photo of Eric holding his son, and gave them the print. His son loved it immediately.
When the film finally developed, his son looked at it and said “baby!”
Although I doubt that the image will make it to a toddler, I was able send them a copy.
Everyone I’ve given prints to was surprised to see the film coming out of the camera and was delighted to get a photo. A photograph I took of the owner of our local deli was put up on the wall. She was delighted to have it.
I’m particularly fond of the monochrome preset, which has Fujifilm’s signature look, and the Vivid preset also has a typically-Fujifilm feel to it. It can be a little too washed out in bright sunlight. The camera tends toward overexposure, but there’s an exposure compensation setting in the menus.
Although the mini EVO prints are often crisp and rich, some prints may be blurred or muddy. This is often due to difficult lighting. Sometimes, however, I am not sure why prints come out so clear or blurry. Again, that’s part of the charm.
Creative Reboot
The Fujifilm Instax mini EVO is much more expensive than the company’s fully-analog cameras, but it’s vastly more helpful. Film photography is enjoying a resurgence in popularity because it encourages creativity. Growing up with film photography, the only thing that makes me dread the idea of film shooting is the fear. The Fujifilm Instax mini EVO, on the other hand, gives me a creative boost. It takes my creativity to a place that is not possible with the technically-perfect lenses or cameras I use.
While it’s not going to be for everyone, for $200, I find this an excellent device for creative expression, and the ability to make people happy when they get prints is worth every penny.
Disclaimer: David Schloss was formerly in charge of media relations for Sony’s Alpha Public Relations agency. While this makes him more familiar with the system, his opinions are his own, are backed by PetaPixel’s editorial team, and are not swayed either for or against the company. Schloss has over 20 years of experience in journalism and is very proud of his integrity.