Which Instax Camera Should You Buy?
Other Instax Cameras and Printers
Fujifilm is constantly refreshing its Instax lineup, adding new features like parallax correction and faster USB-C charging, which almost all Instax cameras now offer. In some cases though the company has not stopped selling the old models. In general, we suggest sticking with the latest models, but sometimes you’ll find deep discounts on older models. Here are a few other models that are worth considering.
Instax Pal for $80: Late last year, Fujifilm introduced the Pal, a tiny digital camera that you can also buy bundled with an Instax Mini Link 2 smartphone printer and a 10-pack of Instax Mini film. I have not tried the Pal yet, but I struggle to understand who needs it. You can get many of the same features in the Mini Evo, but maybe the Evo is less likely to stand up to life in a child’s hands? I’ll be testing this one soon and will report back.
Instax SQ 6 for $150-$200: This one is a head-scratcher to me. As noted above, the SQ 6 is a better camera than either the SQ 1 or SQ 40, which seem to have jointly replaced the SQ 6. Heck, there was even a Taylor Swift version of the SQ 6 (I’d hate to see what that’s going for on eBay). Whatever the case, Fujifilm no longer lists the SQ 6 on its Instax website. Still, if you like the square format, the SQ 6 is a fantastic camera. It has a number of manual features not found in the others—I especially like the Lighten and Darken modes, which can be used like exposure compensation—in addition to the fully automatic mode of the SQ 40. There are some nice extras like a selfie timer, close up mode, and the ability to turn off the flash. There appears to still be a fair bit of new old stock out there, so if you can find this one for around $100-$150 and you love the Square film, I say go for it.
Instax Mini 11 for $80-$120: This one is covered above, but in case you missed it the Mini 11 is almost never worth buying. It’s only a few dollars cheaper than the newer Mini 12 and lacks most of the features that make the Mini 12 such a good buy. If you can find this one for under $50, maybe it’s worth it, but otherwise avoid the Mini 11.
Instax Mini Link Printer for $145: Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link was replaced by the Mini Link 2, but the upgrades were minor and, honestly, I can’t tell any difference in print quality. If you can find the original Mini Link for less than the price of the Link 2, go for it. The Link 2 sells for $100 most of the time, so if you can find the Link for less, grab one. They’re both great printers.
Instax 7s/8/9: These are all older, low-end Instax models. They all use a fixed 1/60 shutter speed, whereas the comparably-priced Mini 12’s auto exposure can choose between 1/2 to 1/250 second shutter speeds, making it much more flexible. Given that most of these are hard to find anyway, give them a pass.
