Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 40 is an instant camera, similar to last year’s Instax Mini 11, but with a new retro look and a $ 30 higher price tag. It’s as easy to use as the previous Polaroids (once you put the film in), with just two buttons, a built-in flash, and a “pop-out” close-up lens.
As with the Instax Mini 11, place the film cartridge in the back and press the button under the lens to pull out the lens and turn the camera on. As soon as you press the shutter button to take a photo, the camera does the rest, choosing the right exposure to optimize the shutter speed and flash output. This will help beginners (including children who are large Instax users) take photos easily in most situations. It also offers normal and selfie modes. For the latter, simply pull the lens out half a centimeter and that should make close-ups sharper. On the front there is a small mirror that you can use to compose shots.
Cactus Images Limited
The Instax Mini 40 isn’t the most environmentally friendly product as it runs on a pair of AA batteries that only provide 100 shots and the large plastic cartridges only allow 10 photos in total (film is generally not very green). However, if you’re looking for an instant camera that looks a little better than the Mini 11, it will be available for $ 100 in late April. Fujifilm also introduced the Instax Mini Contact Sheet instant film (above), with the black border and red lettering designed to look like old contact sheets. That also comes out later this month at $ 15 for 10 exposures.