Fujifilm’s Instax instant cameras have indeed taken the world by storm. There seems to be an Instax option for every type of photography lover and the new Instax Mini 40 brings yet more options for consumers to choose from. The new Instax on the block doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but certainly does a lot to ramp up the cool factor.
In a lot of ways, this latest iteration of the popular line of instant film cameras is basically the same internally as the Instax Mini 11. It’s a very simple camera for those who just want to point and shoot. But, for those who want an instant camera with a more retro look, the Mini 40 offers a reskinned design with a textured surface. The Mini 40’s faux leather finish and silver trim details give it a more mature appearance than the Mini 11, making it a great choice for grown-ups who still want to partake in the fun of instant photography.
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It is light enough to use comfortably with one hand, and the rubberised thumb rest provides plenty of support. With just two buttons, which are both found on the front face, it’s very easy to use. One extends the lens barrel, the other releases the shutter. The built-in flash is automatic and can’t be disabled. The viewfinder sits to the right of the flip-out rear film door, and again, as we saw on the Mini 11, it’s slightly off-center to the lens. What you see through the viewfinder isn’t entirely representative of the final print, and it will take some getting used to adjust your focus when snapping shots.
The Mini 40 also offers a Selfie mode via an adjustable lens barrel. The spring-loaded lens barrel pops up once the release button is pressed and can then be manually pulled out further to activate Selfie mode, which is designed for shooting between 0.3 and 0.5m. The small mirror on the lens barrel helps line up your shots in Selfie mode.
The camera’s fixed f/12.7 lens has a 60mm focal length and each print is mechanically ejected via a slot in the top of the camera. We found it was able to cope with both brightly lit and dim scenes, particularly when shooting indoors. It runs on two AA batteries, which typically last for around 100 shots.
In terms of image quality, the Mini 40 produces contrast-heavy and well-defined images, although highlights can be easily blown out. If you’ve used an Instax camera before you’ll get pretty much the same results from the Mini 40 as other models, and it’s really the look that sets this new model apart from its counterparts at a similar price point.
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