Fujifilm Instax Mini 12, the evolution of the icon

In the midst of the digital era, there are products that, against the current, arouse passion for analogue.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
24 April 2023 Monday 21:57
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Fujifilm Instax Mini 12, the evolution of the icon

In the midst of the digital era, there are products that, against the current, arouse passion for analogue. The Fujifilm Instax, their instant photography models are one of them. And the Mini model is the key. 12 years ago, in the process of disappearing analog photography on film, Fujifilm tested the launch of this type of camera in Southeast Asia, aimed at a teenage audience. The market response exceeded any expectations, so the rest of the world got a taste of the passion for Instax. And it worked. A few weeks ago, the Japanese company renewed its icon, the Instax mini 12, as recognizable as the first, but up to date.

The Instax mini 12 draws attention for its rounded volumes and pastel shades of pink, green, white, purple, and blue, albeit with the trade names Blossom Pink, Mint Green, Clay White, Lilac Purple, and Pastel Blue. This is the same base that the previous model, the 2020 Instax mini 11, already had, with a new parallax correction mode that better focuses selfie captures. To use that feature, simply turn the release ring on the camera. It improves the framing of images at distances of 30 to 50 centimeters, which are controlled by a small mirror located next to the lens.

Other improvements of the Instax mini 12 are better automatic flash control in all conditions, with slow synchronization for low-light shots, which results in the quality of images that have their charm precisely in that aspect of candid photography, of imperfect colors, like something out of an album from decades ago. Fujifilm's new camera uses its Instax mini 10 paper-based photo cartridges, with an image size of 62mm by 46mm. The price of the Instax Mini 12 is 89.99 euros.

Fujifilm has shown with the Instax line that it understands the adolescent market like few others. Along with the Instax mini 12, it has also launched an app, the Instax UP, which is used to scan images on paper, save them, organize them, and share them on social networks. As the Instax glossy paper causes reflections, the new application reduces those glare so that the captures have more quality.