Fuji Instax

I got an Intstax Mini to play around with. The print size is small (a little bigger than a business card) so it is hard to evaluate image quality. Color saturation is good, the images are nice and rich. It seems like the image comes up a little more slowly than the 600 films.

This camera is great fun at parties. People crowd around to get their pictures taken.

 

Another problem with the mini is that the cameras and film are not distributed in the US, so you have to buy them off Ebay. I think the larger instax is available from a few camera stores here.

The mini is indeed small, but fun.

 

The colour is good, but I am disappointed with the camera (I have an instax 100) - that said my reference is a polaroid spectra pro and there isn't an equivalent camera made by fuji so it isn't really a fair comparison...

 

My same feeling as David. The film is fine - I hate the camera.

 

The camera is crap. It's too bad they don't make it in 600 size. Fear not though, there is a plan to make more polaroid like packfilm again as you've probably heard.

 

Yes, but at what cost?

 

The film has better color rendering (IMHO), is sharper, scans better, lasts longer on the shelf (after expiration). The downside is that the only camera is pretty crappy compared with an SX-70.

 

While I haven't used either the Instax or the Instax Mini formats, I did happen to see an Instax 200 camera in a local store a few months ago. The camera itself was much larger than I expected - not what I had in mind as a suitable portable instant camera, personally, so just something to be aware of. I'm guessing the Instax Mini cameras would be much more compact.

(I believe Zoey Deschanel's character in the recent movie "Yes Man" was using an Instax 200, if you want to see one in action and don't mind Jim Carrey.)

 

Luckily it still seems to be available in Japan. I've seen Polaroid films of all types and sizes at the big stores like Yodobashi camera, and 600 is still available at smaller camera shops.

I have no idea if it will be discontinued in Japan anytime in the near future, but I hope not.

 

The plants that made Polaroid films worldwide have been closed and dismantled for some time now. All polaroid film you find is remaining stock. It is all discontinued.

 

The Impossible Project is by no means a done deal. They've got some technical challenges ahead of them. See a recent discussion by Photo Engineer and others in the photo chemistry forum.

 

I hope you're right, but they have a difficult task to perform.