I have always been a big fan of instant cameras, there is something special about watching the image appearing slowly on a paper right after you press the shutter button. Apart from my memories from 80s with the original Polaroid cameras, I have been shooting instant cameras a lot recently since the birth of my son. The Fujifilm Instax mini 90 which is a traditional analog instant camera that we have been shooting with have been a remedy for the long term bad habit of not printing enough photos. There are moments when you don't need the perfection of a post-processed 61MP images taken with large 24-70mm F2.8 lens, you just want to shoot and print instantly, put it on your fridge, hand it to your friend, create tangible memories.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Instant Camera
Shooting with Instax mini 90 is exciting because you generally don't have much idea about what it is going to spit out. You don't really know if it is over exposed or the eyes of the subjects are closed until it is already printed. On the other hand, you wish you had some more control over the final image, and this where the new Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo comes into play.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo vs Mini 90 Film Camera
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo differentiates itself from other instant cameras with its imaging sensor and built-in 3-inch LCD screen. It is a hybrid, a digital camera with a built-in photo printer. For some, it is the perfect combination of instant and digital cameras. You can choose to apply lens and film effects to your images before printing, or choose not to print and take another shot until you get the result that you want. Even further, you can use your Mini Evo as a photo printer to print your photos taken with your smartphone when you need.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Back Side
Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO is actually a 3-in-1 camera considering number of different ways you prefer to use:
1- A digital Camera that you record your photos and later transfer to your computer.
2- An instant camera where you shoot and instantly print to photo paper
3- A photo printer that you can use to print the photos you took with your smartphone
Instax Mini Evi Specifications
- Print media: INSTAX Mini Film
- Sensor type: 2560 x 1920 mm (1/5″) CMOS
- Lens focal length: 28mm
- Maximum aperture: f/2
- Focus range: 3.9″ to Infinity / 10 cm to Infinity
- ISO sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 1600
- Shutter speed: 1/8000 to 1/4 Second in Auto mode
- Exposure modes: Auto
- Exposure compensation: -2 to +2 EV
- Monitor size: 3″
- Flash modes: Auto, Forced On, Suppressed Flash
- Media/memory card slot: Single slot — microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC
- Battery: Built-in Rechargeable Lithium-Ion (approx. 100 shots)
Design
Instax Mini EVo is a very stylish and attractive camera. The retro design language, the silver and faux black leather reminds Fujifilm's X-Series cameras such as the Fujifilm X100V. Body is mostly plastic but this keeps the weight low at 288g/0.63 lbs at the same time.
Fujifilm X100V Mirrorless Camera
Body and Controls
For a simple $200 camera, there are more external controls and dials that one would expect. Here is a list of physical controls on the camera:
- Shutter button x 2
- Power switch
- Effect reset button
- Lens dial
- Film dial
- Select buttons
- MENU / OK button
- Back button
- Playback button
- Function button
- Print lever
One nice example is the two shutter button on the body, one for landscape shooting and one for portrait style shooting.
Front Shutter Button for Portrait Shots and Flash
The print lever is a nostalgic control that was found on the early cameras, and incase of Mini Evo it is used for printing a photo.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Film Lever
The rotatable dial around the lens is used for changing the lens filters. The optical part of the lens is actually very small on Mini Evo but was this dial was probably kept large both for easy rotating and also to give the camera a more traditional look.
Film dial on the top plate of the camera is used for changing the Film filters.
Film Filters Dial
Effect reset button is used to reset the Lens and Film filters as the name suggests.
The rest of the camera settings of the camera can be set on the LCD screen through using the Select, Menu and Back Buttons.
Back Control Buttons
Size
Mini Evo is a relatively compact camera compared to some other analog instant cameras. It has eternal dimensions of 87 mm x 122.9 mm x 36 mm (3.4 in x 4.8 in x 1.4 in) and weighs 285 g (0.63 lbs).
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Size
Compared to the Mini 90 which has external dimensions of 113.4 x 91.9 x 57.2 mm (4.46” x 3.62” x 2.25”) and weight of 294g (0.65 lbs), the Mini Evo is 5mm shorter and 21mm thinner but 10mm wider at the same time. At 285g, it is 9g lighter than the Mini 90.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo vs Mini 90 Film Camera Size
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Film Lever
Mini films
Mini Evo uses Fujifilm's Instax Mini films a a print media. The external dimensions of the films is 46 (W) x 62 (H) mm (1.81 in. x 2.44 in.) but the actual print area is 54 (W) x 86(H) mm (2.13 in. x 3.39 in.). There are several versions of this film and the main difference is the color of the frame around the printed area. I only use the classic white frame model but can see some would prefere Canbdy Pop, Rainbow, Black or Blue frames. There is even a monochrome film that I want to try soon.
This is where the least favourite part of the Instant Camera photography comes: The price of the film! The films are sold and installed in packs of 10 and the average price of a single film is around 0.70-0.75$ in US currently, price fluctuates depending on the vendor or when you buy bulk. This deosn't sound like a high price but once you start using your instant camera regularly, it adds up. Luckily the new Instant Mini Evo unlike other analog models gives you the option to print ony the photos that you want so your hit rate will be higher.
Instax Mini Film Selection
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Filmss
Sensor and Lens
The Mini Evo features a 1/5-inch CMOS with 4.9MP resolution, and the image size is 2560 x 1920 pixels so nothing to write home about. Even an average smartphone has a higher-spec cameras these days. However it is not a big drawback when you think how small these images have to print. The print size of the Fujifilm Instax Mini film that this camera is only 61mm x 46mm (2.4" x 1.8") so higher resolution would not be much visible on such a small print.
The lens on the Mini Evo is quite diferent from the lenses on the analog instax cameras. Mini Evo sports a 28mm (35mm equivalent) prime lenses with F2 max aperture whereas the analog instant Fujifilm cameras such as Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 generally has 60mm focal length and F12.7 aperture. Comparing these two lenses is like apples and oranges though. Mini Evo lens only has to cover a 1/5-inch sensor so can be built much smaller. On the other hand, the lens on the Mini 90 directly exposes the instant film inside the camera so has to be larger.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Lens e
The minimum focusing distance of the lens is 10cm although due to the small size of the 1/5-inch sensor, almost everything in the frame is in focus and getting any bokeh effect is not possible.
Smartphone App&Printing
I have used the iOS version of the Instax Mini Evo app without any major issues during my review. The main functions of the app are:
- Direct Print from smartphone
- Remote Shooting
- Image Transferring
Remote Shooting with Live View with Instax Mini Evo App
Pairing your Mini Evo and your smartphone via Bluetooth connection was fast and seamless. There are some strange limitations though. The biggest one is that the App letys you tranfer ony the photos that you have printed, for some reason you can't transfer the photos that weren't. The second one is that the direct prints from your smartphone are printed in lower resolution compared to printing the images you took with the Instant Mini. The quality is not too bad but the differenece is visible. We think these issues may be addressed via a firmware update.
Direct Print from Instax Mini Evo App
Lens and Film Effects
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo lets you apply 10 Lens effects and 10 Film effects, and which in total gives the user 100 different effect combinations. It is fun to play with these effects and most of the time it is possible to find an effect that you like.
Lens Effects: Normal, Vignette, Soft Focus, Blur, Fisheye, Color Shift, Light Leak, Mirror, Double Exposure and Half Frame
Instax Mini Evo Filters
FIlm Effects: Normal, Vivid, Pale, Canvas, Monochrome, Sepia, Yellow, Red, Blue and Retro
The lens effects are applied by rotating the dial around the lens and the film effects are selected by rotating the film dial on top left side of the camera.
LCD
The screen on the back of the Mini Evo is 3.0-inch TFT color LCD screen type and has a Pixel count of 460,000 dots.
There is also a selfie mirror in front of the camera which cames handy in order to frame your selfie shots.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Selfie Mirror
Unlike the Mini 90 and other analog Instax cameras, the Mini Evo doesn't have a viewfinder, and you probably don't need one anyway. The optical viewfinders on the analog instant cameras were never accurate, weren't even close so the LCD screen lets youf rame your shot much more precisely. But incase you insist, the accessory shoe on the Mini Evo lets you attach an optional optical viewfinder.
Top plate
Storage
Instax Mini Evo has a internal memory that is enough to store approximately 45 images and also features a microSD / microSDHC memory card slot which lets you easily extend the storage. An average image file takes only 1.2MB space so a 16GB SD card lets you store close to 13K images!
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Charging Port and Memory Slot
Battery
Instax Mini Evo has a built-in non-removable battery however it can be charged via a USB Micro-B cable and takes approximately 3 hours to cfully charge it. I would prefer a removable battery just like my Mini 90 which came with a removable battery and a charger. The battery is rated for 100 shots which sunds low but than it is $70 worth of printing which you probably won't do it in same day and will have a chance to charge at the end of the day. Battery life also this depends on how much you print which drains the battery faster.
Price and Availability
The Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO is available in USA starting from February 2022 with a selling price of $200. I have bought mine from B&H Photo, other vendor that we recommend is Amazon bu currently it is out of stock in most places.
In comparison, Instax Mini 90, another popular analog version is currently selling for around $130-140 at Amazon and the more recent Instax Mini 40 sells around $100. Another option is to just ditch the instant camera and just buy a Fujifilm Instax Mini Link smartphone printer around $110 which may make more sense for some people who don't want to carry around a bulkier instant camera but still want to print their photos from their smarthpones on the go.
Instax Link Photo Printer
Check Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO Price and Availability at: B&H Photo / AmazonUS / AmazonCA / AmazonDE / AmazonES / AmazonFR / AmazonIT / AmazonUK / AmazonIN / AmazonAU
What is Good?
- Retro design and good ergonomics
- Print quality
- Tons of effects/filters
- Mini Evo phone app
- Doubles as a photo printer
- Two shutter buttons
- Tripod mount on the side for portrait shots
- Built-in storage
What can be improved?
- Can only transfer photos to phone app if they've been printed
- Not great as 'Digital-only' camera (small low resolution sensor, but good enough for small printing)
- No Weather Sealing
- No Lens Cap
- Can't edit photos in camera after shooting, effects have to be chosen prior