A little while ago I was offered the chance to try out some of FujiFilm’s new cameras including the Instax Mini 8. I’ll be reviewing the other models I tried out over the coming weeks as well so look out for them!
I have wanted one of these cute little instant cameras forever! James even almost bought me one last Christmas but at the last minute decided on getting some of my old photos printed instead.
They always look so damn fun when I see people online paying with them, so did it live up to the hype?
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The camera is basically snapshot oriented. It’s meant to be taken out on adventures and used to memorialise fun with friends! It’s a camera which is supposed to be all about fun!
This is the kind of film quality you can expect:
It really couldn’t be any easier to use, you switch it on by pulling out the lens, choose a brightness setting (inside, cloudy, hi key, etc) then take a photo. It comes in a bunch of cute pastel colours and I have seen some completely adorable decoden versions! If this hadn’t been a loan camera I would have gotten right to deco-ing it myself!
So was it fun? Yes, extremely! We had 20 shots to go through and that was extremely easy to do.
I loved being able to take silly shots with friends and it was really nice to have something physical as a reminder afterwards. That’s my main problem with iphone photos, I take all of these fun snaps but I never see them again as they get filed away on a hardrive. It was really fun to find places around the house to store these and now when I look at them it’s cool to remember those times!
I thought it made taking photos a very social thing as well because it was a conversation starter and we would all crowd around waiting for it to develop to see how silly we looked!
It was a really fun camera but this wouldn’t be a good review without thinking about the downside of things. Even though it’s the “Mini”, it’s still quite bulky if you’re comparing it to a mobile phone or a compact camera. Obviously you are getting a different end result but it is something to consider if you value your purse space! Cost is the other thing to consider. While the Instax Mini 8 retails for around AU$80-100 the film is going to be your major cost in the long run. From local stores like JB Hifi, Officeworks and various camera stores packs of 10 shots cost $20. When you start to think that every shot you take is costing you $2 it can add up very fast! Of course buying film online brings down the cost but to get real savings you need to buy in bulk and even then they average around $1 per shot. That definitely made me think twice about whether I really needed 23940823 shots of my hair… which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Some other models come with a tiny mirror on the front of the camera which you can use to line up self shots. I didn’t have any issues lining up self shots but one can never have too many mirrors.
Nothing can stop me from lining up set shots XD
The fact that it was so easy to use was a big plus and I definitely found using it a lot more fun than I usually have when taking photos like this!
Something to keep in mind is that because this is not a digital camera, what you see in the view finder isn’t necessarily what you will get on the finished photo. This is because you are looking through a view finder rather than a digital view of what the lens sees. I didn’t think about it at first but considering most of you also probably haven’t used a non-digital camera in many years it’s worth noting!
The shots all tend to be very hi key which gives them a unique feel.
We tried to do cute couple shots and failed miserably XD
And this is why James wasn’t allowed near it after his first shot:
I have a couple of shot like this from a friend when Lottie was really little and it was so fun comparing how much she’s grown!
Overall would I buy my own Instax 8? Yes I would. While the on going cost of film is a bit expensive, I loved the social aspect and the fact that it made regular outings a bit more fun. I carry big bags usually so the size isn’t an issue for me and I really enjoyed having the shots as keepsakes. Plus you can get shoulder straps that attach to the camera, making it into a nifty accessory and freeing up your purse real estate. I don’t think I would be using this as my exclusive camera but I really liked having it in my bag as well and I love the novelty factor. If you are looking for something which would add some fun to your camera collection I would definitely suggest checking out the Fujifilm Mini 8, you can find more information on the FujiFilm website here! When I eventually do get my own one of these to keep you can certainly expect some tutorials for deco-ing it and making accessories haha! What do you all think of instant cameras, could you ever see yourself replacing your standard camera/phone camera completely or would you use them as a secondary cam?
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