Pros & Cons
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- Improved one-button operation
- Selfie mirror and close-focus support
- Works with black-and-white or color Instax Mini film
- AA battery power
- Affordable
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- Omits tripod socket
- No double exposure or other artsy features
Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Specs
| Battery Type | AA |
| Dimensions | 4.8 by 4.2 by 2.7 inches |
| Type | Analog |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical |
| Weight | 10.3 |
The Instax Mini 12 ($79.95) is the latest in Fujifilm's lineup of affordable, entry-level instant cameras. The new version largely functions like its predecessor, the Mini 11, with carryovers such as a versatile selfie mirror and a close-up focus mode, but we find it more intuitive to use overall thanks to its twisting lens collar. It also works with the widely available Instax Mini film format and runs on easily replaceable AA batteries, so you shouldn't have trouble keeping it in working condition. And although the camera comes with a $10 price increase, it still remains affordable. There's simply no better way to get into instant photography for the price, making the Mini 12 our Editors' Choice winner.
Entry-Level Instax
As you might expect, this latest iteration of Fuji's affordable instant camera doesn't offer pro-grade features or build quality. Instead, it's an all-plastic affair, down to its lens. The camera does have easy-to-grasp rounded edges and a handy mirror for framing selfies, however, which should appeal to tweens and teens.
The Mini 12 comes in at 4.8 by 4.1 by 2.6 inches (HWD) and weighs about 10.3 ounces. We received it in Pastel Blue, but you can also get it in a proverbial rainbow of colors: Blossom Pink, Clay White, Lilac Purple, and Mint Green. The box includes a matching nylon wrist strap, along with two AA batteries that provide power.
As for operations, there's not much to the Mini 12. A collar around the lens acts as the power switch, as well as swaps between standard and close-up focus modes. Twist it to the middle position to turn the camera on and lock the lens in place for most snapshots or twist it further to extend the lens for 11.8-inch (0.3m) close-ups, an improvement on the 19.7-inch/0.5m to infinity range the lens sees in its standard mode. It's a better design than the push-button system from the Mini 11.
An onboard optical viewfinder helps frame up shots from behind the lens. It offers an accurate view for distant shots, but you have to contend with less-than-precise framing when you work up close, a result of parallax. The viewfinder shifts to adjust for the effect, but framing close-ups still involves some trial and error. It's helpful to keep your subject centered in the viewfinder at close distances, but even then you might not end up with the exact photo you envisioned. One thing to note if you're moving up from a Mini 11, is that the center markings in the viewfinder are darker and thicker on the Mini 12, so the center of the frame is a bit more visible.
The Mini 12's ergonomics are ideal for portrait-orientation photos. The grip and shutter release feel more natural when you hold the camera upright, and a sharpie-friendly border appears on any photos you take. Of course, that's not to say you can't make landscapes; I found it most comfortable to hold the camera with the shutter button facing up for that scenario.
The available features are very basic. You can't turn the flash off, though you almost always need it for indoor snaps. Artsy options like double and long exposures are missing, though, and the Mini 12 doesn't have a tripod socket. It stands upright on a flat surface with its lens set to the standard focus distance but tilts forward in its close-up focus mode.
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Instax Mini Format: Convenient and Contrasty
You don't get a pack of Instax Mini film in the package, so you need to pick one up separately. Color film packs cost about $7.50 and black-and-white rolls come in at $8.25. Each pack holds 10 exposures.
Instax Mini is a photochemical film, which means it develops in front of your eyes like classic Polaroid materials. It's one of the most popular instant formats and is available at big box stores, not just online. The pictures are wallet-sized, with an image area of about 1.8 by 2.4 inches. The color film shows strong, accurate colors with punchy contrast, while black-and-white shots are appropriately monochrome, albeit with a bit less contrast.
As for alternatives, Fuji also sells Instax Square (2.4 by 2.4 inches) and Wide (3.6 by 2.4 inches) cameras and film. The picture quality is the same, but the larger size is more impactful. Square has picked up speed as a consumer format in a way that Wide never did. The SQ1 is the current starter model for that format.
Polaroid also sells a pair of square format films. Its I-Type has the classic 3.1-by-3.0-inch scope, but it's not as affordable as the Fujifilm equivalent, nor does it deliver as consistent or color-accurate results. Artsy photogs might still prefer it because of its larger size and greater impact, however. Polaroid's other format is the tiny Go film, but we didn't like it much when we reviewed the Go camera a couple of years ago.
Other cameras available use Zink thermal paper instead. This ink-free printing process delivered so-so picture quality when we tried it in the past, but we plan to look at some recent models soon to see if things have gotten better.
Instax Mini at Its Best
Fujifilm's Instax Mini 12 doesn't differ much from the Instax Mini 11 it replaces: It keeps the simple, one-button operation and has all of the same features, down to the lens and selfie mirror. The only significant change is the switch to a twisting lens collar for power control, which we feel is an improvement on the Mini 11's push-button approach. As such, the Mini 12 takes its predecessor's place as our Editors' Choice winner in the entry-level instant camera segment, even despite its $10 price increase.
If you want something with more control, the Lomo'Instant Glass ($189) takes the same film, has a wider angle lens, and supports multiple exposures. You should also think about the Fuji Instax Evo ($199.95), a digital camera with loads of digital filters and a built-in Instax Mini printer. But the Mini 12 is still the one to buy if you just want to experiment with the format for a reasonable amount of money.