Fujifilm instax mini 8 instant camera. Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 review. Camera with instant printing of pictures. Menus, tests and controls

In the initial segment of photographic equipment, traditional compact digital cameras have firmly established themselves. Users appreciate such devices for mobility, ease of use and good image quality. The class representing the Polaroids is not so popular. Fujifilm is supporting him by perfecting his Instax family instant print camera. The next modification of this line is represented by the Instax mini 8 apparatus, which received modest sizes and decent functionality for its class.

Construction and design

In developing the device, the creators adhered to the previous concept of a light and easy-to-use camera. The modification even surpassed the previous version in compactness. For example, a camera with instant printing in this design can be easily placed in a pocket or worn with a cord on your wrist.

The form factor itself has not changed. Only controls that have shifted to the front of the small structure have undergone revision. The device is also turned on by extending the lens, but there are some differences from the previous variation. Now, to start the instant printing camera, you need to press a special button. It is also worth noting the important technical feature of this modification - the lens rotates, allowing you to manually adjust the focus.

Specifications

The Polaroid segment is quite narrow, so deviations from the main line of development of such devices often lead to the appearance of original, even piece goods. In part, the Fujifilm instant print camera can be attributed to these, the characteristics of which are presented below:

Dimensions - 116 mm - width, 118.3 mm - height and 68.2 mm - thickness.
Weight - 307 g without accessories.
Photo parameters - 62 x 46 mm.
Battery life - enough for 10 cassettes.
The delivery set includes an apparatus, a wrist strap and two batteries.
Functionality - Hi-Key mode, designed to control contrast and increase brightness.

Functionality

The model received an active light meter, which greatly expanded the shooting capabilities. Exposure is adjusted automatically, but the operator also requires certain skills to use this option. In turn, the device also acts as an assistant to the process, selecting the optimal frames. The red indicator, which is equipped with a camera with instant printing mini 8, lights up when the target objects in the frame under optimal lighting. This means that the best settings for the picture are selected. Space is also provided for the full realization of the creative abilities of the operator. The new High-Key mode of operation eliminated the automatic adjuster and prompts. By activating it, the user can also use the original effects for portraiture.

Cartridges for Polaroid

For the operation of the device, it is necessary to purchase special cassettes with film material. One standard set is designed for 20 shots. Actually, thanks to this consumable, instant printing is also performed. Branded cartridges for instant cameras from Fujifilm are characterized by high definition and contrast playback. Also, with skillful use of the device’s settings, the picture will reflect natural color reproduction and brightness. The cartridges are made in a reliable case, and thanks to the new technology for creating an emulsion, the user can take photos under conditions of temperature conditions from -5 ° C to +40 ° C.

Positive feedback about the model

Users praise the model for its ease of management and a generally successful form factor. If the previous representatives of the series pleased the owners with their compact size and low weight, then in this device the same qualities were strengthened, which, of course, causes reviews with admiration. Many also emphasize the quality of the case. Reliability of assembly and durability of used plastic - these advantages are especially appreciated by lovers of travel and tourism. The functionality that a Japanese camera with instant printing has also earned high marks. Of course, there are more productive models with wide capabilities on the market, but this already applies to a higher class, where prices are higher and the design is more massive. According to users, the developers provided the model with successful tools with four shooting modes and a viewfinder.

Negative reviews

Not all owners share positive judgments regarding the viewfinder. Critical reviews addressed mainly to the location of the device. Especially inconvenience is felt after the transition from a conventional digital camera. The viewfinder is located in the upper left corner, so the first time it is possible to obtain images that do not correspond to the originally conceived frame. There are complaints about the very quality of the images that this instant camera makes. Reviews indicate that a good photo, in principle, can be obtained, but only with proper dexterity and the ability to use the functions of this device. In the hands of an inexperienced user, such pictures may be rare. The main problem in this regard is the selection of optimal lighting and focus adjustment.

Separately, the model is criticized for its high cost. A camera on the Russian market is available on average for 5-6 thousand rubles. If you add a little bit, you can get the opportunity to create better pictures through the device a level higher. Cassettes for Instax Polaroid are also expensive. In particular, a cartridge for 10 shots is estimated at 300-400 rubles.

Conclusion

In general, the model adequately coped with the task of continuing the concept of instant printing devices. Obviously, compared to previous devices of this family, the model took several steps towards increasing ergonomics and functionality. But at the same time, the Instax mini 8 instant print camera is an expensive accessory without practicality. To a large extent this is due to the high cost of the camera itself and consumables in the form of cassettes. Such costs can be forgiven on the condition of obtaining truly high-quality images. But even here the camera does not inspire confidence, since even experienced users do not always have successful shots. This is not to say that the format of pictures the size of a plastic card does not in itself seem so attractive. True, lovers of the Polaroids, and in this feature find their beauty, which deserves overpayments.

The Fuji Instax instant print camera is made in Japan, and cartridges of stunning quality are also made there. In Russia at the moment you can more than 11 models of this camera. In addition to great functionality and ease of management, the manufacturer pays great attention to style and design. For users, there are many shades of the case, from classic black to bright pink. Choose your color to emphasize personality and complement the look.

Each camera has its own specifications, a set of options and design features. For example, Instax mini 9 is equipped with a photosensitive sensor that automatically detects the desired shooting mode. Optics allows you to set the focus at a distance of three meters. And Instax Square SQ20 allows you to shoot short videos and choose your favorite frame for printing.

Instax will attract the attention of even the youngest users. Specially designed for them is the charming Instax Hello Kitty and Instax Minion. Choose an original gadget in our catalog for yourself and for your loved ones.

Instant Camera Range

In a convenient catalog you can buy inexpensive models of devices that differ not only in their technical features, but also in the size of the pictures. Instant print cameras are available for you, which are shot in the following formats:

MINI (This line includes Instax mini 9, mini 7, Hello Kitty, mini 90 models, etc. Image size is 62 mm x 46 mm);
SQUARE (Bright representatives are Instax SQ20, SQ6, SQ10. Photo format - 62 mm x 62 mm);
WIDE (The line is represented by an Instax Wide 300 instant print camera with a picture size of 62 mm x 99 mm).

The technical capabilities of gadgets are amazing. You can not only take pictures and immediately print pictures, but also apply various filters that will make your photos more atmospheric. Some models of instant printing cameras are equipped with the function of creating a collage or overlay one frame on another. Learn more about the features of the devices, their capabilities and price from the professionals of our online store.

In many countries, Polaroid cameras are now in fashion, which differ in that they print it immediately after the picture. The manifestation takes literally 1-2 minutes and does not depend on the amount of sunlight. In the article, we describe the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S camera.

Device advantages

Among the advantages, many attribute the fact that the camera immediately prints photos. Many people like to enjoy the process of developing a picture - a feeling of magic is created. First, the picture leaves the camera empty, and after a minute the moment already appears. Children and adults who lived in for sure will feel nostalgia and will remember their film cameras.

Camera flaws

Expensive cartridges and poor image quality are common complaints from Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S customers. Due to the small size of the photo, many people bypass this device, since people want oversized options.

General reviews

Many win this model in competitions. However, after the cartridge that comes with the kit ends (and it is designed for 10 frames), it is immediately put in the far box. As noted above, the device has a disadvantage in the cost of this part: the price goes off scale - from 400 rubles to 2 thousand. Of course, models are cheaper to create by Chinese manufacturers, more expensive - branded and officially. At the moment, you can, in principle, find options for 250 rubles, if you look well. The small size Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S is a bit larger than a regular business card. They can be put in a passport or any album, and after a while admire the memorable moments.

Amateurs who take pictures every day, but do not like it, or due to lack of time and other factors cannot constantly print them, note that such a camera is ideal. Many people write that for the sake of 1-2 photos I don’t want to go to show the photos, and a huge amount goes out for the money. Because of this, masterpieces have to be watched on computers, and stored on digital media: flash drives and so on.

Summary

Many are completely satisfied with their purchase. The device is as convenient and easy to use as possible. You just need to insert the cassette, release the shutter. After that, you should pick up the photo that comes out of the tray, shake a little - and that’s all. Such a camera can give a person pictures with real emotions, because you can no longer edit or replace a picture.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S camera, the characteristics of which are described in the article, has the function of day and night shooting. In a special window on the case, you can monitor how many pictures are left. The size of cards is called by many a drawback, but still it’s a matter of taste - someone likes it, someone wants more. Due to the small size, they can glue the mirror or make a collage.

It should be recalled that cartridges are expensive. Most often they are sold in 2 cassettes per pack. Each has 10 cards, so you have to limit yourself. This thing is great for capturing pleasant moments.

After inserting the cartridge, you need to press the shutter to release the protective coating of the cards. It protects the item from sunlight. Due to this, they do not deteriorate.

Surely among the readers of our reviews there are many who know about the Polaroid camera with instant printing, for some time this topic has ceased to be popular and has disappeared from sight. Last year, we were reminded of it at the Wargaming festival, when Fujifilm instax mini 8 got at the disposal of our editorial staff, the very same idea with snapshots. The camera is interesting, but it immediately had a number of shortcomings, which eventually turned into sending the camera to gather dust on the editorial shelves. In the summer of 2017, a new generation has already come into our attention - Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10, the most advanced instant printing camera to date.

We took her to a detailed study, and now we are pleased to present her first detailed review in Russian. Now it is already available in our stores with a recommended cost of 17,990 rubles.

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 review

Equipment

We have a limited set available, including one cartridge for the camera and a set of documentation. An important point that should be noted right away, for the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 you will need to purchase cartridges during operation. 1 cassette will cost 620 rubles, 10 shots, 1 shot excluding camera costs will cost 62 rubles.

Appearance

The design of the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 resembles the icon of the social network Instagram, which has become the most popular network in which the emphasis is on photography. By the way, even the format of the photos themselves from the camera and in this network is similar (62 to 62 mm).

The dimensions of the camera are 119 x 47 x 127 mm with a weight of 450 grams with a cassette installed. In the tests, the black version, most likely, other colors will come out.

Appearance of Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10

Outwardly, it has become stricter and more harmonious. Revised the location of key controls. Feeling and personal experience, the interaction with the camera has been simplified.

The Fujifilm instax mini 8 had two main problems: zero information content and an inconvenient viewfinder. The second problem also migrated in SQ10, the peephole is very small, visibility is weak and it is also blocked by fingers due to the proximity of the button.

But here the problem became not so critical due to the appearance of a 3-inch TFT-display. If earlier, after releasing the shutter, printing went right away, now you can pre-edit and view the frame. Given the high cost of one photo, this is relevant.

In the center of the front side of the lens with chrome trim. At the edges of it, one mechanical button. In the center is an LED flash.

On the right and left at the ends there are ears, for which you can hook the strap for easy carrying the camera on the neck.

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 camera has acquired a slot for a memory card, which can be useful for storing captured images or downloading files.

On the user side, a control unit with several buttons, a four-position joystick and a central menu output button is displayed under the display. It’s easy to understand, they are all marked.

On top of the lid lock, as you might guess, under it is a compartment for installing a cartridge. Replacement is quick, intuitive.

Menus, tests and controls

The appearance of the display in the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 made it possible to customize the camera. Russian is not available at the time of the review. Before shooting, you can adjust the exposure, shutter speed, select a color profile. After shooting, you can process the photo by adding frames, filters, and adjust additional brightness and contrast. There is the possibility of cropping.

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 Menu

An interesting option is to combine several shots, allowing you to make a collage of captured photos. There is a semblance of a macro from a distance of 10 cm. Of the creative modes, we note the combination of two frames, when the first acts as a background for the second.

The internal memory is enough for about 50 pictures, you can expand using a memory card up to 32 GB.

F / 2.4 aperture, fixed focal length, equivalent to 35mm lens. ISO is adjustable from 100 to 1600.

The NP-50 battery is responsible for the autonomous operation of the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10, in theory it is enough for 160 shots, we could not discharge it during the tests.

When sent to print, an additional visualization of the movement of photo paper inside the housing is displayed. The frame leaves the cutout at the top of the case. It takes about 2-3 minutes to fully develop.

Tests Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10

The photos themselves look unusual, and for most of those who were nearby during the tests and shooting, the camera aroused curiosity. In part, this is also due to the fact that the spread of tablets and smartphones, social networks, has reduced the activity of printing, captured photos. Now this is a curiosity.

We have only one complaint about the quality of photo paper and photographs, it feels like there is not enough brightness and color, the picture looks a little faded. For those who are afraid of fading, we can say that we have already had about one year of our first Instax shots visually, no changes have appeared. Small dimensions allow you to capture such pictures in the workplace or refrigerator.

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 Pictures

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 Summary

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 camera has become an order of magnitude more functional and thoughtful in operation, but the cost has risen as expected. Here the competition is with smartphones and digital cameras, which are better in terms of capabilities and quality of images in the same price segment. Here, the SQ10 acts more like an image camera that you can take with you to a party with friends, presentations or creative meetings. Instant printing and pictures that can be seen on live photo paper always cause a WoW effect. Creativity and activity of exploitation will limit only the cost of one cartridge and, as a result, one printed photograph. Of the minuses of the camera itself, we note an inconvenient viewfinder.

Probably everyone who was born even before the mid-nineties remembers this miracle - the first thing that appeared after film cameras was a healthy unit called the Polaroid. Burnt, and the white rectangle in front of your eyes darkens, showing the outlines of a merry company imprinted (usually at the festive table). Then the first “figure” appeared, but that was already not the case. Clean technology. But instant photo printing seemed like real magic of the second level. The second - because, of course, the first was the same process of drawing the outline of the frame on paper, but in the "red room".

The Polaroid in the house was incredibly cool. And shots from it - even blurry and "soapy" - were valued more than film ones. Of course, after all, there can be as many as 36 frames on a film, and it cost a penny in comparison with cassettes for 10 photos. Then, in the era of digital cameras, this magic was forgotten a bit, but instant printing cameras gained a second wind relatively recently, when Fujifilm took up the technology along with the creator of this technology.

A bit of history:

Thanks for the appearance of the photograph, we must one American girl named Jennifer. She was three years old, in 1944 she was walking with her dad in the town of Santa Fe and suddenly asked him why you can’t immediately see what you are photographing. How many questions do their little parents ask their parents and what do these questions usually lead to? As a maximum to the explanation of this or that phenomenon, at least to the irritated "Leave me alone!" But Jenny's father was a certain Edwin Land, already then a successful inventor and founder of Polaroid. What he answered then to his daughter is unknown, but three years later the first instant printing camera was born. Thanks Jennifer!

Edwin Land, by the way, who was the idol of another technological genius - Steve Jobs, believed that patents would save, if not the world, then its exclusivity. 535 patents are written after him, more - only by the "inventor of the bulb" Thomas Edison. And it was thanks to the patents that Land first won the proceeding with Kodak, which decided to produce its own such cameras (at least it took 10 years to sue), and went to a mutually beneficial deal with the company FujiFilm after the lawsuit. Thanks to Fuji, Land’s company had the opportunity to release video tapes and floppy disks, and a new era began in the history of FujiFilm - the era of instant photos from the Instax line.

Now in the lineup there are eight different models of Instax cameras that allow you to take snapshots in two formats: mini the size of an ordinary business card and wide, a couple of centimeters larger. This winter I got one of the most popular of the "instant" Fuji models - Instax Mini 8.

Specifications Fujifilm Instax Mini 8:

Film Used: FUJIFILM Instax Mini
Size of received photos: 6.2 × 4.6 cm
Lens: fixed, two-element and two-component, f \u003d 60 mm, 1: 12.7
Viewfinder: Optical
Recording Distance: 60 cm - ∞
Shutter Speed: 1/60
Flash: constantly firing, recharges within 0.2-6 seconds, effective at a distance of up to 2.7 meters

Instax Mini 8 comes in seven colors, including classic black and white, as well as candy - pink, raspberry, purple, lemon and mint blue. To be honest, I would prefer such a hipster toy camera to one of these juicy shades, they fit perfectly, but I still got a little black.

My “starter photo hipster set” included the camera itself and two cassettes with instant print film. A small box fits the gadget itself, a pair of batteries to it, a cord on the hand and instructions. If you want something extra, you can purchase separately. Fortunately, the company has enough accessories: from cute handbags-covers and special photo albums to fit instax-shots to lens attachments and color filters.

I don’t raise the question of necessity here, they quickly created their ecosystem with a certain philosophy: "If you have a mimimi camera, then why not take a photo album and a stylish handbag to it for a complete set?" From the point of view of marketing, the ideal way to reach your target audience and the right decision is to create an entire community around the product. On the website of the Instax line you can find news about entire art projects based on instant photos (I remember the dress from the cards;)) - but I was distracted by something.

The camera itself cannot be called miniature, about 12 centimeters in height and length, almost 7 wide, it seems so somewhat "puffy", puffy, thanks to its streamlined design. But light - about 300 grams in total, if weighed without batteries and cassettes. The case of the Instax Mini 8 is made of matte plastic, very pleasant to the touch, but alas - easily soiled.

We are used to the fact that cameras look like rectangles “on their side” in shape, the same one is more extended upwards, and the viewfinder looks “set on the butt” - this decision is due to the fact that the camera is mainly used in portrait mode. When shooting in landscape orientation, you need to rotate - how to do it correctly is even demonstrated on the user's instructions.

The shutter button on the camera is located on the front panel - also unusual for everyone who usually looks for it from above. In addition to it, there is a viewfinder window, a flash, two round windows - sensors for measuring the level of illumination, as well as a lens with a power button: it activates the power and extends the lens. It simply retracts by hand, the camera turns off. If you leave the camera alone without retracting the lens, after five minutes it will turn off automatically.

The photograph on the back of the camera shows very clearly what I talked about a couple of paragraphs above - the soiled matte plastic. I don’t know how on color models (I think it’s less noticeable there), but on a black camera you can literally fingerprint without special tools in just a few minutes of use - fingerprints remain very clear.
Here is the lid of the cassette compartment with a window, which shows the presence of the cassette inside, the viewfinder and the frame counter.

On the left edge there is only a fastener for the strap, on the right - the same compartment for the batteries. Above is the feed slot for finished photographs. Below there is nothing interesting, not even a tripod mount (well, rightly, why is this camera necessary?).

The strap of each model has its own color. Well, here again, everything is trite :)

The camera uses ordinary finger-type batteries; according to company information, they last for 100 shots, on average. For all the time of testing, those that included the initial delivery kit worked just like that.

We approach the most interesting: use. As a child, I somehow didn’t have a chance to “fill up the polaroids”, for us my parents did it all the time, so here I opened the cassette compartment with great curiosity. Everything turned out to be rather boring, except that I looked at the lens from the back.

Only Instax Mini branded cassettes work with this camera, and in this (or rather, their cost :)) the main ambush. Only 10 pictures in a cassette, and until recently, the cost was about seven hundred rubles for a package with one cassette and about one thousand three hundred for a double. The other day, the company has reduced prices and promise that now packing with one cassette will cost 500 rubles, and with two - 800. Of course, 40 rubles per photo is not 70, but also noticeable.

Cassettes are stored sealed in a vacuum, before using it is important not to forget to remove the foil bag, as well as not to press on the moving parts of the case.

I place the cartridge in the compartment so that the yellow risk on it coincides with the risk on the case. It is recommended to close the compartment immediately - otherwise there is a risk of illuminating the film inside.

Fans of changing the shutter speed with the aperture here nervously smoke aside, the concept of ISO generally does not need Instax users. Here, as a maximum, you can set the shooting mode, depending on the light around. There are four options - a house, cloudy, sunny or kapets-like-sunny.

Thanks to the sensors, the camera itself will tell you by blinking the diode which mode is more suitable at a given moment, but it is not necessary to listen to it - on the contrary, experienced instax users prefer to lower the exposure by one step ... oh, sorry, choose the “darker” mode, so the photos get richer.

For lovers of saturation, the fifth mode is also intended - Hi-Key, which allows you to take more vivid and contrasting photos. But in any case, the best possible result is achieved by trial and error, which, unlike a mirror (see the paragraph about the cost of the frame :)) is somehow annoying. However, in advance I allowed myself to completely "screw up" the first tape, training and I advise all new instax owners to do the same.

Instax Mini has a number of limitations: what can not be done with the camera and film the pictures from the instructions clearly show. From the obvious “do not chew photos” and “do not drag the picture out of the camera forcibly” to a common mistake with fingers closing the light sensors and waving a card - so that it manifests itself more quickly.

I want to note two important features in using this camera:

1. What you see in the viewfinder and what will result in the photo are, as they say in Odessa, two big differences. Well, not very big, but it’s important to know. The viewfinder here shows the scene a little to the right and higher than the lens “sees” it, so you need to train exactly to build the frame too. As a result, it is done something like this: we looked, literally moved a few centimeters to the left ourselves with the camera, or moved the camera a centimeter or two and shoot.

2. Still, remember that Instax is called a "camera for hipsters"? And what are hipsters afraid of in their sneakers and short tight pants? Great a-avilo, Russian winter. So Fuji Instax does not react very well to frost, at negative temperatures the photo simply does not appear and you add the “White Rectangle” to the “Black Square” masterpiece in the world piggy bank. If you want to completely cosplay Malevich, you need to shoot in the heat above 40 degrees - high temperatures can, on the contrary, make a dark spot instead of a frame. For this reason, in the winter, either take the camera out in the cold immediately before shooting, and then quickly clean it in the heat, together with the resulting print, or remove it from the window or from a warm car :)

In general, of course, when photographing with this camera, I got a lot of pleasure even when testing on cats or trying to shoot New Year's illumination (naive, in low light conditions we return again to Malevich. In general, the ideal option for using the camera is to take portraits or landscapes with good A fairly narrow field for application, of course, but there are several situations in which Instax will be indispensable.

First, a minute of magic - a video of the manifestation of photography, and then I will talk about them.

So, the first options that came to my mind were the cool use of an Instax camera:

1. You are photographed in an embrace with a flying friend at the airport. Immediately write good wishes to him in the photo and give the picture as a keepsake. Or vice versa - a selfie with a star and immediately an autograph across your happy physiognomy :)

2. A child of the 21st century, incredibly far from lighting the red lamp in the bathroom, with the help of such a camera, learns to appreciate the frames, build the composition and try to shoot - immediately getting the result (for children this is important, you know yourself). Maybe there is a chance that then he won’t take 503 selfies in one trip to the restaurant, m? :)

3. Grandma is tired of asking you to print pictures from her next family gathering. You give her a similar camera and duplicate a photo from a digital camera with a shot on it. Cassettes last for a year, I think.

4. The most favorite and interesting option is when instant photos are woven into some kind of art project, starting from the dress I mentioned above from pictures and embroidery in photographs and ending with the use of instant photographs for further shooting.

So, one of the photographs that have achieved this much more success is, by the way, also a rabbleman - Max. His delivery even received its name and the author's hashtag # timеthroughfo, which then began to be used by many others, showing the similar pictures.

Summing up, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 is undoubtedly a niche toy, but the toy is fascinating. You should not expect super-quality from these pictures (although looking at the photos of the same Maxim you can argue about this), but these photos are valuable different.

And you know, even though after testing I immediately presented the camera to my friend, I already ... no, I do not regret the gift, I like to make them, but I catch myself thinking that I want it again. Or similar from the same line. And maybe I’ll get it, but I want to shoot the “shot in shot” in the summer as well.

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