Fujifilm’s new Instax Mini 40 is a $ 100 vintage toy

Fujifilm has announced the latest addition to the Instax Mini range of instant cameras, the Mini 40. Like the Instax Mini 11, launched last March, the Mini 40 is an entry-level instant film camera with only two settings and two buttons. But what sets this camera apart is its vintage film camera look, complete with a plastic leather case and metal plastic rails. It’s a $ 100 toy camera that instantly creates printed memories – and it’s obviously an explosion to play with.

Aside from the vintage camera look, the Mini 40 has the same mechanics as the $ 70 Mini 11. If you press the large silver button under the lens compartment, push the lens out and turn on the camera. Selfie mode is activated by pulling out the outer part of the lens about half an inch more. And when you’m ready to pack it away, push the lens back into the camera to turn it off. The camera’s plastic housing makes it very light and easy to take anywhere.

To turn on the Instax Mini 40, press the silver button under the lens.

The Instax Mini 40 has a plastic leather imitation leather and metallic plastic rails.

There are two shooting modes on the Instax Mini 40: normal and selfie. Selfie mode adjusts the focus distance of the camera so that subjects closer to the lens can be in focus. In addition, you have very little control. The flash burns at each shutter, and an Instax Mini film sheet rolls out to a mechanical hum. The results are unpredictable as knowing that the printed photo will be slightly soft with a high contrast and will be bound within the Polaroid frame icon. The magic comes when you put the pressure on a table, forget it and remind yourself of a wonderful memory no less than a minute and a half later.

When I use an Instax camera, I can not help but notice the amount of plastic used in each of the 10 film patterns. Although there is a recycling logo on the cartridge, it is in Japanese, and I can not say from what number plastic it was made. In the US, many municipalities have specific plastic numbers that they can and cannot recycle, and without this number being clearly marked on these photocassettes, I could not know if I could recycle them in Brooklyn, New York. I contacted Fujifilm for more information and will update this article when I get it.

Selfie mode is activated by pulling out the front element of the lens.

Play both informs my creative style and relieves me of tension – which, as someone who has the task of reviewing cameras, is difficult to always satisfy when using a camera. But the Mini 40, just like the Mini 11, has so few options, a very light feel, and sometimes such unpredictable results that I can sit back and just have fun when I use it. Any further thoughts on photography theory while using the Mini 40 are excessive and rarely yield better results on me.

The shutter button is located under the viewfinder on the front of the camera.

At $ 100, the Mini 40 is a little more expensive than the almost identical Mini 11. Aside from its new vintage look, there’s little reason to spend an extra $ 30. But if it’s important to look at the film photographer, the design of the Mini 40 will stand out. Once Fujifilm pays attention to the amount of plastic used in every 10-shot film package, I will really be able to have a carefree experience with this camera.

Photography by Becca Farsace / The Verge

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