Topic: Fujifilm Instax Mini 50S Instant Print Camera

[seekingfocus]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/744147-REG/Fujifilm_16102240_Instax_Mini_50S_Instant.html

Anyone heard of or used one of these cameras? Looks cool- Small enough (literally) to go in a pocket, some nice features: Fill Flash, Exposure compensation, Fujinon 60mm lens, closeup focusing, etc.

The price is not too bad, and film can be had at a good price ($16.81 for 20 shots at B&H)

Only thing is the prints are small (62 x 46mm), so something like a 2/3 the size of normal instax. Thoughts? I'm tired of lugging my SX-70 around when traveling and my reserve of 600 is running low anyway. Might be something I consider for the next trip.

-Jason

[Nick Moys]

Saw one of these at the weekend - nice camera to handle and looks great in black (for a modern camera) - prints are pretty small though - like old cigarette cards - good fun at a party I should think.

[Heather]

I don't have the mini instax but i have a full-size instax... and for its size, the quality in the pictures is really lacking for me. I love my sx-70 even though it has no good film to go in it anymore.

From what I've seen on pictures online, i don't think the instax mini really fits in a pocket unless you have REALLY huge pockets.....

[Randy B]

I got one of these a few months back. I like it alright but its not even close to being a replacement for an sx70. The focus and framing of close subjects is tough, especially with the close up filter.  Its pretty small but i don't think pocket sized would be an accurate description.  Its thicker than an sx70 and about as wide and maybe 2 inches shorter.  But its still easy to stick in your bag as a second fun camera along with your other walking around camera.  For the most part the prints come out well but they have a small dynamic range similar to slide film, you will almost always get blown highlights or low detail shadows in bright light.  The camera tends to lean toward overexposure in most situations from my experience, using the darken setting is pretty standard in most situations.  Also when using flash and the closeup filter you will be way overexposed every single time, so i keep a little piece of wax paper taped to the camera to put over the flash as a diffuser, this works really well for the most part. 

All that said, it is relatively inexpensive to shoot, the film is around 12 bucks for a twin pack on the web and in a pinch you can find the polaroid 300 film in some retail stores in the US if you need some and can't wait for delivery.  Its very easy to use and powers up quickly for a shot.  If you're a big instant fan you should definately give it a try, youll probably like it.  I had the bigger 210 camera previously but sold it because its so big i never felt like carrying it around.  I did prefer the larger prints though.  Sine the only alternatives at this point are overpriced expired polaroid film or overpriced and finicky impossible film in the integral instant realm I'd highly recommend it to the instant junkies out there who don't want to pay 3 bucks or more per picture.

[calbisu]

Two weeks ago we were in Taipei and went to a Coool place for breakfast (those place that you don't find in Manila). They had a Fujifilm Instax and took a mini fuji pic of the family.I made a shot of the pic with the iphone... The more and more places I go that have something related to POlaroid. Well lately I am seeing not only polaroid colors all around but also identifying the colors around as Polaroid packs colors, or may be I am go to a hotel and I see room 55 and I thinkg about film 55... I think this is getting dangerous.

[Mil Mascaras]

A pretty wife, a lovely daughter and a Rolleiflex 2.8. Carlos, whatever the game of life is, you have won.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand, I have similar opinions to Randy, I picked up one of these (the Piano black) in Taiwan and they are a lot of fun but are a different product to a SX70, the big Instax or a Pack film camera. They are perfect for light-hearted fun pictures, like for goodbye parties, for wedding/birthday signature photo books, to take pictures of children, etc., but I'd not consider it a serious camera (whatever that means).

However, just like Randy, I have a 210 which I never use because it's a tank so this one is a fine replacement as it's cheap, fun and easy to carry around.

I use this one in Africa to give pictures of themselves to children who live in rough conditions. The WTF!!!!!!!!!!! look on their faces as the pictures develop is priceless.

[Randy B]

I will agree that the novelty for others around you is half the fun of a camera like this. You'll get older folks saying "they still make polaroid?, i used to have a blah blah blah" and younger people intrigued by the olde timey quality and charm and memories of their parents probably having one. One thing i havnt gotten to do yet with it is shoot a small child and watch thier tiny heads explode as they watch the print develope.  That sounds like fun and i highly doubt many kids under 15 have ever seen instant film.

[sapata]

Oh yeah... pretty cool shot Calbisu!

[calbisu]

Thank you Mil Mascaras and Sapata, that is one of the shots I cherished the more from that trip. And I do not even have the original with me!! 

Mil Mascaras - Que mas se le puede pedir a la vida? Totalmente de acuerdo 

[Mil Mascaras]

Mil Mascaras - Que mas se le puede pedir a la vida?

Pues un hijo para completar la parejita, una Leica MP y una XPAN II... pero poco mas, vaya.

[seekingfocus]

I will agree that the novelty for others around you is half the fun of a camera like this. You'll get older folks saying "they still make polaroid?, i used to have a blah blah blah" and younger people intrigued by the olde timey quality and charm and memories of their parents probably having one. One thing i havnt gotten to do yet with it is shoot a small child and watch thier tiny heads explode as they watch the print develope.  That sounds like fun and i highly doubt many kids under 15 have ever seen instant film.

Yeah, that's my primary reason for considering this- I had my SX-70 in Peru earlier this year and some of the reactions (and truly genuine cultural interactions that followed) were unforgettable. So something small like this, that is also affordable in terms of film would be great- The prints aren't for me, there are for people who is some cases have never seen a photo of themselves! It's great.

Thanks everyone for the thoughts and reviews. Will try to get my hands on one in person to try it out.

-Jason





(from here.)

[calbisu]

Jason - You are right, Land's magic still has to be equalled! Grreat first shots 

[LeonY]

I bought a Mini s25 in a cash converters (high class pawn shop) and 200 shots for $99 AUD. Its really fun, specialy for kids. Im taking it to my friends 30th birthday this weekend instead of my D3...so yeah lotsa kids(drunken adults) are going to have lots of fun with this little camera..

I wouldn't buy one for anything serious, the film is around $1.50-2AUD a pop, but there is heaps of it on ebay and in stores!

[gregor]

I ordered some fp-3000b45, a instax (210) was in the box when the film arrived - not sure if was packed accidentally or what, but I wasn't charged for it.

I gave it to my son who likes it because he loved the polaroid joycam format of integral film (Polaroid 500).

But oh my, is their an uglier camera design than this (hmmmm, new thread, "ugly cameras")?