Fujifilm’s Instax line of cameras has taken the world by storm over the past decade, and the Instax Mini Evo looks like the culmination of several of the company’s best ideas in a compact device.
It’s a lot of fun to use and is one of the only cameras I’ve taken out with my friends that they’ve asked questions about and used. It has some drawbacks, as it only includes a small smartphone-sized sensor, but if you’re looking for the best Instax, this is it.
What makes the Mini Evo so special?
This camera is beautiful and fresh at the same time. It combines the classic vintage style of Fuji with the small size and large lens (if it’s kind of fake) of an Instax.
Beyond that, this is one of the Instax models that also includes a screen on the back and a MicroSD card slot so that it can be used as a standard digital camera. The low-resolution screen is nothing special, and photos taken with the Mini Evo look best when downloaded to a phone or computer. They’re not as good as my iPhone 13 Pro or any other modern smartphone, but it’s close in some respects.
Of course, you can also load a standard Instax Mini film cartridge and print small images on the go. This is a lot of fun, and unlike a standard Instax, the digital nature of the Mini Evo means you can take multiple photos and just print the best ones. Anyone who has ever printed a blurry photo and wasted an impression (which costs around $ 1) knows how useful it is.
My printer started making a pretty annoying mechanical moan every time it prints, which is sad to see from such an expensive Instax, but it still hasn’t stopped working. I’ll also mention that the first few times I uploaded the movie, I had to place it, close the case, and then squeeze the camera to get it to snap into place. Nothing was broken during this process, but it is disappointing.
Still, regardless of all this, the Mini Evo is a marvel to use and feels more comfortable in the hand than you would expect. The software could use a bit of work, and a larger sensor and a faster processor will go a long way in improving the inevitable second-generation version of this camera in a few years.
The Instax Evo app
There’s also a connected app for this Instax, which means you can send photos from your phone for printing and vice versa. However, there is a strange capture that only allows you to send images from the camera to your phone if you have printed them. It costs about $ 1 to bring pictures from the camera to the phone, which is ridiculous. If you use a MicroSD card, you can take it out and transfer pictures the old-fashioned way, but it’s pretty annoying that Fujifilm has the technology to make it easy, but it essentially pays for it.
I admit that this was not a feature I used often. But the only time I wanted to edit a photo on my phone, having to print it before I could edit it seemed like they were taking advantage of me, mostly because I had to reprint it after edition.
You can also use the remote shooting app, which is fun and works well enough to align shots.
A camera worth your time?
If you’re a fan of Instax or someone who wants to take a snapshot, this is a great device. However, its price reflects that.
The Mini Evo is priced at $ 250, which costs a bit more than buying a standard Instax Mini and a standalone Instax printer to connect to my phone, which makes it hard to sell in any sense.
I would still recommend to most people to opt for the Mini Evo on two separate devices for convenience, but it would have been nice to see that Fuji price this a little more compatible with its other products. For example, I think it would be a must-buy at $ 200.
I still think I’ll take my point and shoot 35mm film cameras with me more than the Instax Mini Evo, as I like the look of real film more than instant prints, but it doesn’t you can deny that this is the best Instax yet.
You can buy Fujifilm Mini Evo for $ 250.
MobileSyrup uses affiliate collaborations. These partnerships do not affect our editorial content, although we may earn a commission for purchases made through these links to help fund the journalism offered free of charge on our website.