instax with lcd screen made in china

Many years ago Sony launched an ad campaign for their PlayStation 3 that utilized the slogan, “It Only Does Everything.” And that’s a shame. Because had Sony not coined that catchy phrase in 2008 it might’ve been used just as well by Fujifilm today to market their newest Instax camera. The Instax Mini Evo is a hybrid digital instant film camera that truly does everything.

It takes digital photos, allows us to apply filters and lens effects to these photos, and then gives us the freedom to decide whether or not we want to instantly print those photos. It’s got Bluetooth, built-in storage, a big LCD screen, a nice CMOS sensor, and a selfie mirror (admit it, you care about this). It even works as an Instax photo printer to print any picture or image from a smartphone via its own dedicated app (which works surprisingly well).

I’ve spent the past couple of months shooting the Mini Evo, and though there are two or three problems with the camera, it really is a wonderful thing. It’s easily the best Instax Mini camera that Fuji’s currently producing. And though it costs about twice what the average Instax camera costs at $199, the plentiful features of the Evo perfectly justify this higher price.

The major points, to briefly reiterate, are these- digital camera, makes instant photos on Fuji Instax Mini film, pairs to smartphones via Bluetooth and an app, can print photos from phones. Looks good doing it.

On the surface, this camera is doing nothing that other Fuji Instax cameras haven’t done before. However, the beauty of the Evo is that it combines all of these core design features with a slew (a veritable slew, I tell ya) of secondary features. At the core of these primary and secondary features is user control.

Fundamentally, the camera allows the user to make the photos they want to make and print the photos they want to print – two things that aren’t necessarily the status quo in instant film photography. We can decide how a photo should look and then decide which of these become instant prints. Polaroid cameras and the more rudimentary or truly analog Fuji Instax cameras don’t typically allow this (with those cameras, you get what you get, and you get a print of every shot – good or bad). With the Evo, we shoot and shoot and shoot until the photo looks right, and then decide at any time whether or not a photo is worthy of becoming an instant photo (which is nice, considering that every Instax Mini photo costs close to $1.00).

Compared to other Fuji Instax film cameras, the Evo offers a degree of easy creative control that’s simply unrivaled. The Mini Evo isn’t a Fuji X Pro, but it’s as close as an Instax camera can get.

The camera is designed intuitively and everything works the way that it should. Instant film photographers who have used a Fuji Instax or Polaroid camera in the past will instantly understand what to do to make a picture, and anyone who’s used a digital camera with an LCD and menu buttons will understand, too. That effectively covers everyone who would ever be interested in this thing.

We turn on the camera and, if satisfied to only go that far, we simply point and shoot. The camera does all of the hard work of focusing, calculating exposure, and making a picture. A photo is made and displayed on the LCD screen. If we want to print it, we crank the delightfully tactile print lever (the style of which will be recognizable to many film photographers for its callback to the film advance levers of many of the most popular 35mm film cameras), and an instant photo ejects from the camera’s film slot.

There are two shutter release buttons, one on top and one on the front. This makes shooting the camera in both landscape orientation and portrait orientation feel natural. It also give us an easy method for shooting selfies, which is nice. I like taking selfies with my kids. It proves that I was there.

Additional buttons on the top and back of the camera control the advanced user controls, such as exposure compensation, flash control, white balance, and more. A dial on top controls the special effect filters. Just scroll through and the camera displays the selected filter name and its impact on the photo shown in live view on the camera’s LCD. The same functionality applies to a rotatable ring around the lens, except this one changes the lens effects.

Similar control on a boutique instant camera will cost a lot (I’m thinking MiNT’s machines), or if I tried it on an older Polaroid with exposure control the photos simply won’t be as vivid (Polaroid film just isn’t as good as Fuji’s Instax these days), or the camera will be heavy (something like the Nons instant cameras could do it, but they’re bigger and heavier than the Mini Evo).

No, the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced. I couldn’t have made this shot the way that I did with another instant camera. And that idea has only further solidified as I’ve continued to use the Fuji Instax Mini Evo.

A few days ago I set up a photo shoot with a pear. The fruit. Nothing special. I wanted to illustrate all of the different looks that a photographer can get from the Mini Evo simply by doing nothing more than rotating the ring around the lens or the dial on the top.

I would never have attempted this pear photo shoot with a Polaroid camera, or with my Fuji SQ1, a camera which I love, simply because it’s so expensive to waste film. I’d be fumbling around with actual glass filters, holding them in place over the lens, or I’d be changing colored gels in a soft box to get the desired effect, or I’d have to buy a prism to bend the light, and every time I took a photo I’d be spending up to a couple bucks, depending on the film and camera I chose.

With the Mini Evo I’m free to shoot whatever I want, take a look at the results, and decide if they’re worth the money of a print. If not, I fiddle some dials and keep inching my way closer to a photo that looks good enough to force that chemical reaction.

Of course I could do the same with my phone and then print the shots with Polaroid’s analog printer. But, honestly, Polaroid film just isn’t that good. I think I’d rather do this.

When I first received the Fuji Instax Mini Evo from my friends at B&H Photo, I was reluctant to try the accompanying smartphone app. I read about it and thought, “Oh, good. Another sluggish, poorly made afterthought of an app. Do I really need to download this?”

My preconceived notions were wrong. The app works brilliantly. It’s fast and responsive. Its user interface is highly legible and easily discernible at a glance. It connected my phone and camera within seconds, and worked flawlessly every time that I opened the two.

From the app it’s possible to remotely trigger the Evo to make a picture, change flash settings, and activate the camera’s self timer. The app is also able to transfer and save printed images from the camera onto the smartphone. Lastly, and most interestingly, the app allows users to direct print images from their smartphone onto the Instax film in the Mini Evo.

What’s also enticing about the direct print feature is that the app also allows us to edit our print within the app before sending it to the camera for printing. It gives the ability to crop, zoom, rotate, add filters and to even correct brightness, contrast, and saturation. This is critical to tweaking an image to get the best possible Instax print.

Though it’s true that the Instax Mini Evo is (probably) the best modern, mainstream instant film camera that I’ve used, it does let me down in a few ways. These small issues are just that, small. But they exist, and here they are.

To start, Instax Mini film is, as the name suggests, quite mini. The physical photos with their now iconic white border are about the size of a business card at 2.1 x 3.4″ (54x 86mm), and the actual image area is naturally even smaller at 1.8 x 2.4″ (46 x 62mm). And that’s always been a problem for me. The pictures are just so small.

This can be seen as a good thing, in the right light. Instax Mini film is cute and fun, and they fit all snuggly wuggly into those similarly cute Instax Mini photo albums we see on the shelves in Target. The tiny film fits the aesthetic of the target demographic of the Instax film shooter. They’re good for kids and young people. But while my seven-years-old daughter adores the cute, tiny Instax Mini film prints, I inevitably find myself wishing they were bigger. This is why I have always been so taken by Instax Square cameras. But there’s no Instax Square camera as good as the Mini Evo. There just isn’t.

The flap that covers the ports on the bottom of the camera is made of flimsy rubber and it’s held in place with a truly ephemeral strand of fiber that I’m sure will break before the camera’s blown the candle out on it’s first birthday cupcake. I can easily imagine I’ll see a lot of Mini Evos come into my shop with missing flaps in the future.

Lastly, there’s no way to edit images that have already been shot in the Mini Evo before printing. This seems like such an oversight in the design that I was, in fact, sure that I’d made a mistake. I spent about two days researching how to edit pictures within the Mini Evo before printing. But I don’t think it’s possible. So any filter effects or lens effects that you’d like to apply to your images need to be made at the moment the image is made, or you’re out of luck. There’s no in-camera editing.

The takeaway on this one is simple. This is the best Fuji Instax Mini camera that you can buy right now. It’s more expensive than the average instant camera, but it’s worth the money, and in fact it will save money in the long run, since we’ll only be printing the photos we definitely want to print.

The creative control that it offers is second-to-none in the mainstream instant film camera market. It’s super compact, and easy to use. The photos it makes are lovely, and if they’re not, you can adjust your settings and try again. And, let’s not forget, it looks great! The Fuji Instax Mini Evo really is the only instant camera that Only Does Everything.

If you are thinking about buying your first Instax camera but have little experience in the world of instant photography, you may have a number of questions before you take the leap.

In this article, we’ve covered all the most frequently asked questions about Instax cameras, so hopefully you’ll find the information you need. And if you don’t? Then do let us know in the comment section below and we’ll do our best to add your question to the list!

Ethics statement: We own all the Instax cameras mentioned in this article. We were not asked to write anything about these products, nor were we provided with any sort of compensation. Within the article, there are affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking the link, we will receive a small commission. To know more about our ethics, you can visit our full disclosure page. Thank you!

Yes, Instax film does expire and on each pack you can find an expiration date. Fujifilm advises that you do not use Instax film beyond the expiration date because the photographic properties of the film can change over time, causing adverse changes to colour balance. Some users have also complained that very out-of-date film can leak, spreading chemicals across the rollers of the camera. Having said that, many photographers do shoot with expired film – just be prepared for the risks.

Once you’ve loaded a pack of film into your Instax camera, it is best to leave it in there until you’ve used up your ten shots. Any exposure to light will instantly overexpose the remaining film, causing it to turn white.

Absolutely not! Despite OutKast’s advice in his popular song Hey Ya!, you really shouldn’t shake your Instax prints as doing so could destroy the chemicals that form the picture. All you have to do is lay it face-down on a flat surface out of the sun, or inside a flat coat pocket, and let it work its magic.

The only kind of Polaroid film that works with Instax is the Polaroid 300 film. It has been specifically designed for use with Polaroid 300 and Fujifilm Instax Mini cameras. Other types of Polaroid film are not compatible.

Personally I only ever use Instax film with Instax cameras, not least because it is usually less expensive. For Mini models (Mini 8, Mini 9, Mini 70, Mini 90, Mini LiPlay), you need the Mini film whereas for Square models (SQ10, SQ20, SQ6) you need the Square film.

Yes, Instax photos can fade if they aren’t stored properly. I tend to keep mine inside an album or a box. Putting them on display or leaving them out in the sun can cause the colours to fade over time. It is also best to keep the prints away from heat and humidity.

My advice would be to avoid cutting Instax film even after it has been developed. That said, some people have successfully experimented with peeling off the plastic that covers the image to create a grungy border. You can see a full video tutorial here.

The time it takes for an Instax print to develop varies depending on the ambient temperature but the Instax manual suggests that the average time is around 90 seconds. In our experience, we’ve found that it develops more slowly in cooler temperatures.

No, Instax cameras don’t need ink because the prints already contain the chemicals needed for developing and fixing the photograph. These chemicals are stored inside the white border of the film and cause the developing process to begin when they come into contact with the layers of emulsion and developing dye within the sheet.

Yes, Instax cameras can go through airport security but the Instax film should always be hand-checked for visual inspection – or in other words, it cannot be put through any kind of X-Ray machine, including the one used to scan your carry-on luggage. Exposing it to X-Rays will cause streaking in your final images. My personal advice is to a) use up any film in your camera before flying, and b) buy the Instax film at your destination or once you’ve gone through security. There are usually shops that sell gadgets and camera equipment in the departure lounge.

No, none of the cameras in the Instax range are waterproof, and that includes the popular Mini 8 and 9. If you take them out on a rainy day, it is best to keep them stored inside a case or bag until you are indoors or the weather clears.

Some Instax cameras have a timer and others do not. The most basic models like the Mini 8 and 9 tend not to have a timer whereas the more advanced models like the Mini 70 and 90 do.

It depends. Some digital Instax cameras such as the Instax Square SQ20 and Instax Mini LiPlay have an internal memory and a slot for a Micro SD memory card where you can save the pictures you take and print them at a later date. The analogue models (including the Mini 8 and 9, Mini 70 and Mini 90) do not allow you to save your images.

Yes, all Instax cameras need batteries to run, although the type of battery will depend on the model you choose. The Mini 8 and 9 for example accept your standard AA batteries whereas the Mini LiPlay has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can only be charged via USB. You can find out which battery you need by reading the user manual for your specific model. Note that all Instax cameras come with a battery starter pack.

At the time of writing (November 2019), the latest Instax camera is the Instax Mini LiPlay. It is a compact digital model with a rear LCD screen, a memory card slot, and new features such as sound recording, frames and filters.

This is a difficult question to answer as Instax cameras are like marmite: you either love them or hate them. On one hand, the film is very expensive and with the analogue models, it is impossible to know how your exposure will turn out until it develops. On the other, there is something exciting about watching your image develop before your very eyes.

If you still aren’t sure, I would suggest going for a model with an LCD screen on the rear so that you can have the instant film experience without the risk of wasting lots of shots while experimenting with the camera.

The free instax companion app comes with multiple features to help you capture the moment. Use the app as a remote control, printer interface, shortcut, or as a sound recorder.App and camera integration.

The free instax companion app comes with multiple features to help you capture the moment. Use the app as a remote control, printer interface, shortcut, or as a sound recorder.

TOKYO, November 17, 2021 – FUJIFILM Corporation (President and CEO, Representative Director: Teiichi Goto) is pleased to announce the launch of the hybrid instant camera “instax mini Evo” (mini Evo), which supports card-size films. The new “mini Evo” is a flagship model of the “instax” series of instant cameras, which allow users to enjoy photo prints on the spot. The new “mini Evo” will be in stores in Japan on December 3, 2021 and in the other countries and regions from December or later.

With a hybrid instant camera, users can review photos captured on the device via the LCD monitor on the rear panel of the camera and choose images they want to print. This convenience has led to global popularity of Fujifilm’s hybrid instant cameras including “instax mini LiPlay.” The new “mini Evo” is a hybrid instant camera that features more advanced functions, operability, print quality and apps than ever before. Versatile shooting effects, available on the “mini Evo” can be freely combined to deliver 100 combinations of effects for users to express and convey their emotions through instax prints. The new model, designed with a premium and classical touch, is the first instax camera equipped with a print lever, lens dial and film dial. These allow users to choose shooting effects with the dials and print by pulling the lever, offering the joy of creating photographic arts with analog operations.

To be released on the same day is the mini-format film “Stone Gray,” which has a gray frame accentuated with metallic silver to give off a sense of luxury, adding an exquisite touch to photos taken with the “mini Evo.”

The “instax” series of instant cameras, launched in 1998, is affectionately called “Cheki” in Japan, where it has enjoyed wide popularity for over 20 years. Today, it is sold in over 100 countries and regions around the world, including Europe, the United States, China and Southeast Asia. It has been globally embraced as a communication tool or a tool of self expression for its ability to capture those precious moments in life in the form of photo prints, and convey emotions that go with them.

The “mini Evo” comes with ten lens effects including “Soft Focus” and “Light Leak” as well as ten film effects including “Monochrome” and “Retro.” These two types of effects can be combined freely to create 100 different shooting effects so that users can express their emotions through instax prints. Furthermore, resolution of exposure*1 has been doubled compared to the previous models to achieve greater print quality. The “instax-Rich” mode for rich colors and the “instax-Natural” mode for softer touch can be also chosen according to personal preference.

The camera’s main body sports a classic design with a sense of luxury. The use of silver coating on its body results in sophisticated presence. The print lever, lens dial and film dial are designed with attention to the finest details including operation sound to create an operational feel similar to analog cameras.

Using the smartphone app “instax mini Evo*2” will significantly broaden the enjoyment of photography with instax. The “DIRECT PRINT” function allows the use of the “mini Evo” as a smartphone printer, printing pictures taken with a smartphone. The app also has the “SAVE PRINTED IMAGES” function for the first time, allowing users to save a photo, printed with the “mini Evo,” in a smartphone as an image decorated with an instax frame, making it possible to share pictures with popular instax frames on social media with ease.

Different people perceive the world in front of them differently. Depending on how they feel, they may see the same landscape in a different light. The “mini Evo” will be promoted online, on social media and in stores with a tagline, “Show how you see the world,” urging potential users to combine the lens effects and film effects to express a precious moment in a way that reflects their emotions to the maximum extent.

The launch of the “mini Evo” is accompanied with the release of its accessories, including a black camera case in a luxurious design, and an acrylic frame for presenting instax prints like a piece of artwork.

*2 A free app compatible with Android devices and the iPhone. It can be downloaded from Google Play for Android devices and from the App Store for the iPhone. Android and Google Play are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Google Inc. iPhone and App Store are the trademarks of Apple Inc. The iPhone trademark is used under the licensing with Aiphone Co., Ltd.

The “mini Evo” comes with ten lens effects including “Soft Focus” and “Light Leak” as well as ten film effects including “Monochrome” and “Retro.” These two types of effects can be combined freely to create 100 different shooting effects so that users can express their emotions through instax prints.

The “mini Evo” has a 3.0-inch LCD monitor on its rear panel so that users can shoot while checking the live view and choose which pictures to print. The lens dial, film dial and print lever are designed with attention to the finest detail including shape and operation sound to provide photographic pleasure of creating visual arts with an analog-like operation.

The camera’s main body sports a classic design with a sense of luxury, apealing to a broad range of generations. The use of silver coating on its body as well as the buttons and the dials results in sophisticated and luxurious presence. The design is suiitable for holding the camera both horizontally and vertically during shooting.

Resolution of exposure has been doubled compared to the previous models to achieve greater print quality. The “mini Evo” offers the “instax-Rich” mode for rich colors in addition to the “instax-Natural” mode for softer touch characteristic of instax prints.

The app features the “DIRECT PRINT” function for using the “mini Evo” as a smartphone printer, “Remote” function for remotely shooting pictures away from the camera, and the “Transffered Images” function for saving a photo, printed with the “mini Evo,” in a smartphone as an image decorated with an instax frame. With the “TRANSFERRED IMAGES” function, users can easily share pictures decorated with popular instax frames.

If you purchase an instax mini LiPlay outside Mainland China, please note the "Sound function" will not operate in Mainland China.You can operate "Sound function" in other areas including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

If you would like to use the "Sound function" of instax mini LiPlay in Mainland China, please ensure you purchase an instax mini LiPlay in Mainland China and use the App available only in Mainland China．

On November 25, 2022, INSTAX held a new product launch conference – themed SQUARE² – at Fosun Art Center in Shanghai, and launched a new Square Link photo printer, adding an artistic sense to the picture via square formatting. The three square-themed photo albums launched at the same time encourage consumers to use INSTAX products to record memorable moments, hold onto happy memories in the form of paper photos, and give life a more sense of ritual.

Fuji INSTAX has been deeply involved in the Chinese market for many years. At the press conference, Mr. Kenichi Tanaka, President of Fujifilm (China) Investment Co., Ltd., unveiled the mystery of the new INSTAX Square Link. In his speech, he said that the INSTAX Square Link, a brand-new square format printer with both artistic and stylish sense, was launched, and it is believed that it will become another popular product popular among young people following the release of the square camera INSTAX SQ1. In the future, Fujifilm (China) will continue to spread video culture and add color to users" lives.

The foremost function of the newly-released Square Link demonstrates that the ‘thinking behind the shot’ be not limited to the photo frame itself, endowing square photos with more creative expression. At the press conference, Mr. Masada Zhou, Director of Imaging Products Division of Fujifilm (China) Investment Co., Ltd., introduced this new product in detail. Square Link launched two new functions, namely the "INSTAX Exclusive Connection" function that combines photos and chats, and the "AR Printing" function that can add interesting AR effects to the screen.

Using INSTAX"s exclusive connection function, users can add text messages to photos in the exclusive app, and the party who receives the message can also reply by adding information to the photo. These information interactions will be received instantly through the Square Link app, and finally a photo paper with the conversation will be printed. The brand-new printing solution of INSTAX has created a novel communication method for family and friends who are separated by distance, and it provides them with a creative way to establish emotional connection.

The AR printing function brings more interesting experiences to users. With the support of specific mobile devices, users can create AR effects and print out INSTAX photos with QR codes on the exclusive app. Friends and family who receive the photos can experience the colorful AR effects just by scanning the QR code.*

At the same time, Square Link also continues the popular basic functions of the Link series printers. Through the simple printing function, one can easily print the preferred screen of the mobile phone image or video. There are also template printing, collage printing, and stamp editing and printing functions, providing more imaginative options for printing. Regarding the print quality, users can choose the INSTAX vivid mode, with higher color reproduction, or the INSTAX traditional mode full of retro film texture.

To allow users to better experience the artistic charm of the square format, INSTAX also launched three China-limited themed peripheral albums. Among them is a set of two square photo albums "Landscape Poetry - Times Inscription,” which contain the masterpieces of square composition taken by photographers especially invited by INSTAX. Users can store their own works in the album while also admiring the masterpieces.

During the product release press conference, four life scenes – an indoor homescape, an outdoor camping scene, a coffee shop, and an evening party – were staged, allowing guests to experience the charm of INSTAX square series products immersively. In the well-designed scenes, the Next Crew street dance team cleverly combined their energetic hip-hop performance with INSTAX square products.

Fang Mingrui, a professional space designer and the founder of Yoozo Younest Space Design, was invited to partake in the press release conference to professionally interpret the application of square art in design scenarios. Fang provided on-site guidance on how to use INSTAX products and square elements to decorate one’s home, enhance the warmth of the home environment, and reflect one’s personal taste.

Over the years, Fujifilm has always taken the promotion of image culture to contribute to society as its brand corporate mission. Fujifilm INSTAX will continue to enrich the cultural life of users by making full use of product characteristics and continuously launching new products with high added value.

Live life and play with the instax mini LiPlay, the smallest instax instant camera ever, which is both an instant camera and printer, allowing you to print straight from your smartphone, too!

The instax mini LiPlay may be small, but it packs a whole load of features, including 30 creative frames and filters that can be added to shots, such as cute bunny ears or cool light leaks.

With an LCD screen on the back of the LiPlay, you can frame up your shots perfectly and even add effects to shots you’ve already taken, allowing you to check them before you print.

The instax mini LiPlay is also the first instax camera to record sound. Select the sound recording mode from the button on the front of the camera and you can record a short sound clip withyour shot. A QR code will then be printed onto your picture and, when scanned, it will play back the sound – it’s the perfect way to relive your memories!

You can even control the camera from your smartphone with the new dedicated app, so you can shoot remotely via Bluetooth, allowing you to see what the camera sees on your phone.

Create perfect pictures by adjusting the brightness or darkness of your image or use flash, plus see exactly what you’ll capture using the large LCD screen on the back of the LiPlay