Fujifilm Instax mini Evo: Why this hybrid instant camera offers users the best of both worlds

Instant cameras inject an old-school sense of fun into photography. If you appreciate delayed gratification, you’ll enjoy the sense of anticipation that comes from watching your print photo develop before your eyes.

WHY HYBRID INSTANT CAMERAS WORK

While instant cameras give you a unique keepsake of the occasion, more basic models without screens don’t offer an image preview. In short, the printed photo may not match your creative vision.

Enter hybrid instant camera models like the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo – the brown version of which is discounted on Amazon Japan. Think of it as a digital camera and portable printer in one compact device.

Photos can be previewed on its 3.0-inch LCD colour screen. And since you can select and edit your shots before printing them, every photo is a keeper. It also prints photos from your smartphone via the Instax app – enabling the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo to double down as a portable photo printer.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Hybrid Instant Camera, Brown (S$232.03; Usual Price: S$329)

This retro-styled hybrid instant camera features a 28mm, bright F2.0 prime lens. Its 1/5-inch CMOS image sensor has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,920 pixels. The Instax mini Evo stores about 45 images in its internal memory. This can be expanded thanks to a built-in microSD / microSDHC card slot. Fujifilm says each additional GB of storage holds about 850 images.

It also offers 10 different lens effects (like double exposure and vignette) and 10 different film effects (including sepia and monochrome). These can be combined for a total of 100 possible creative effects that can, for instance, make your photos more vibrant or less saturated. Connecting the camera through the Instax app lets you use your smartphone as a remote control.

• Image sensor: 1/5-inch CMOS with primary colour filter
• Lens: 28mm, F2.0
• Resolution: 2,560 x 1,920 pixels
• LCD screen: 3.0-inch TFT color LCD screen
• 10 lens effects, 10 film effects

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WHY BUY ONE?

For a start, instant photography is a fun way to introduce young children and teens to the joys of photography. It encourages them to get off the couch, think creatively and seek out photo opportunities.

Printed instant photos are an analogue throwback to a simpler time. The small form-factor of each photo (54mm x 86mm) means they’re easy to store in your wallet, album or scrapbook. They also make for highly personalised mementos of special occasions and people. Think of it as pre-social media sharing, minus the online aggro.

Instant cameras also offer a different kind of immediacy as you get a printed photo a few minutes after it’s taken. Instax mini film packs are also available with a variety of border patterns and colours, including white, stone grey and confetti.

GET IT IF

• You want a fun way to introduce children and teens to photography
• You want small-format prints of your photos (even ones from your smartphone) and you want them fast
• You appreciate the nostalgic feel of printed photos

The Fujifilm Instax mini Evo is a hybrid instant camera that scores a trifecta of photographic wins. It’s an instant camera that prints its own photos and a portable printer that also produces images from your smartphone. It’s also a digital camera that lets users preview and select photos, making wasted prints a thing of the past.

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