Instax Mini 12 review: The best instant camera for beginners

Price when reviewing

$79.99

Best Prices Today: Instax Mini 12

Fujifilm’s latest addition to the Instax family is the Instax Mini 12. Mini cameras are some of the most popular models on the market, and for good reason. They come with funky designs and are simple to use as point-and-shoot cameras.

While this generation’s hardware hasn’t had a huge upgrade over the last model, Instax has introduced something on the software side that could be a game-changer for many users. Here’s what I think of the Instax Mini 12 after testing it.

Design and build

• Five colors available
• Toy-like design
• Vari-angle lens for powerful close-up shots

For its spring launch, Instax opted for softer hues for the Mini 12. It comes in a choice of five colors: pastel blue, floral pink, lilac purple, clay white and mint green.

I tested the green version (one of my favorite colors), which has a fresh and unique side. The plastic body has a matte finish that is easy to clean if there are any marks on it.

It has a bubbly design, which gives it a more toy-like feel. It’s great for younger users, but if you want something a little more sophisticated, it’s worth looking at the Instax Mini 40.

Its curved shape makes it ergonomic and, with a weight of only 306 g, it is easy to hold and carry with you for spontaneous shots. The film packs are rear-loaded, which come off easily – although you shouldn’t do this before using your film or it will spoil the footage.

The flash can’t be turned off, so if you’re shooting in direct sunlight, the colors might be a bit too bright

Instax has completely ditched the power button, which was present on the Mini 11. Instead, you just flip the lens and go, resulting in a much cleaner design.

Like the Mini 11, it includes a zoom. Instax has changed the name from ‘selfie mode’ to ‘close-up mode’, and you activate it by twisting the lens a notch further (rather than manually removing it). Selfies are pretty easy to take with the included mirror on the front.

The camera is powered by two AA batteries (included in the box) and uses Instax Mini Film. Film is not included with the base camera, but some retailers offer bundles. The camera can fit in a pack of ten sheets in one turn. Instax also offers an optional easy-to-attach wrist strap.

There’s no option to recharge this camera – you’ll just need to replace the AA batteries when they run out of juice.

Features and image quality

• Images with a vintage look
• Daylight gives the best shots
• Instagram Up! the app allows you to digitally upload prints

The Instax Mini 12 produces Polaroid-style images. They have a vintage spirit, with soft colors. The camera features constant firing flash and auto exposure, and like its predecessors, it performs best in daylight. The flash can’t be turned off, so if you’re shooting in very bright sunlight, the colors might be a bit too bright.

Inside, things look much darker than real life. However, this is common for an instant camera. It can get usable shots at night, provided you have bright artificial lighting. Otherwise, things can look pretty blurry.

There are no extra features or lenses included with the Instax Mini 12. If you want something more customizable, you can check out the Polaroid Now+. However, this camera produced much more inconsistent results than Fujifilm’s snapper.

Once again, Fujifilm has knocked it out of the park

Images take approximately 15 seconds to print and 90 seconds to fully develop depending on ambient conditions. There’s an “O” shaped viewfinder that can help you line up a shot.

The mini film is about the size of a credit card and includes a section at the bottom to write on. Prints are ideal for slipping into your wallet, scrapbooking or putting on a bulletin board.

Close-up mode is for selfies or objects within 0.3m-0.5m distance from the camera. Fujifilm has now introduced parallax correction to this mode, which means whatever your subject is, it will be in the center of the frame. On the previous model, it ended up being on the side, which made shooting more difficult.

Fujifilm also launched the Instax Up! app alongside this new camera, which is available on iOS and Android. For the first time ever, users can scan their physical shots, upload them to the app, and perform basic color corrections, cropping, and removing some highlights.

This application can be used for all Instax prints, including those in Square and Wide formats. I tested this and it worked successfully. Your downloads are then added to a digital collage in the app, but you can also share them on your social networks or download them locally.

Price and availability

The Instax Mini 12 costs $79.99 / £79.99. That’s a $10/£10 price hike over the previous generation when it launched, although the Mini 11’s price has increased over time – so it’s essentially the same price now.

You can buy it now from Amazon, Best Buy, B&H and Target in the US, and Amazon, Fujifilm, Argos and Boots in the UK.

Once again, Instax has succeeded in producing one of the most affordable and user-friendly instant cameras on the market. There are other options such as Polaroid and Kodak, but they aren’t as easy to use and don’t produce as high quality shots as this one.

If you prefer printing photos on your smartphone, you can also check out our list of the best portable printers.

You should also consider the cost of Instax Mini film, which will increase over time. Single prints cost around 98c/75p per print. By comparison, the Zink paper used by some competitors costs 50c/50p per sheet – but of course it’s not real film, so the quality isn’t quite as good. You can buy Instax films in bulk and often get discounts for buying higher quantities.

If you want larger sized prints, you can consider the Instax Square SQ1. Alternatively, if you want a digital camera that can also print snaps, check out our review of the Instax Mini Evo.

Verdict

The Instax Mini 12 is the best instant camera you can buy right now. It’s only brought minor changes over the previous generation, but all of them are positive – and there’s not really a financial advantage to going for the Mini 11 over the Mini 12.

It’s a great gadget for those who want small, vintage-looking prints with minimal effort. It can struggle in extremely bright and dark lighting conditions, but that’s a minor issue with what is overall a solid, funky and reasonably priced portable camera. Once again, Fujifilm has knocked it out of the park.

Specifications

• 104 x 66.6 x 122mm
• 306g (without batteries, strap and film)
• Real image viewfinder, 0.37x, with target spot
• 2-component retractable lens
• Programmed electronic shutter, 1/2 to 1/250 sec, slow sync for low light
• Auto exposure control Lv 5.0 to 14.5 (ISO 800)
• Constant firing flash with automatic light adjustment
• 7 seconds or less recycle time
• 0.3m and beyond shooting range (close-up mode for 0.3-0.5m)
• 2 AA 1.5V alkaline batteries
• hand strap
• Requires Fujifilm Instax Mini Film
• Film Size – 86 x 54mm
• Image Size – 62 x 46mm
• Approx 90 seconds film development time depending on ambient temperature