Fujifilm Instax Mini is a small camera that takes and prints instant photos using the Fujifilm Instax Mini film. This camera creates photos which usually takes about 90 seconds to develop once ejected from the camera. These cameras differ from others because you have a physical photo ready to be displayed. But do all Instax Mini cameras use the same film?
All Fujifilm Instax Mini instant cameras use the same Instax Mini film. This includes the Instax Mini 90, Mini 70, Mini, 40, Mini 7s, Mini 8, Mini 9, Mini 11, and Mini Liplay as well as some instax portable printers. The size of Instax mini film is about the same size as a credit card at 3.39 inches tall x 2.13 inches wide (8.6cm tall x 5.4cm wide).
The most commonly bought Instax camera is the Instax Mini. People of all ages love using this camera for events, scrapbooks, and simply capturing photos of their life because it so easy to use and provides consistent results.
Instax Mini vs Other Instax Film
All Fujifilm instant films work and look the same, however they differ in size and cannot be used in the other cameras in the Instax series. As you can see in the graphic above, the Instax mini is the smallest of the three sizes available for their instax cameras and it is also the least expensive Instax film
with the most variety of colors and style available (read further on for a list of some of the styles available). Note that Instax Wide film is almost twice as large as the instax mini and the Instax square similar (but smaller) in size to the iconic Polaroid instant film that started it all.
Instax Film Mini Cameras
The Instax Mini is very popular camera style. The camera is easy to use, comes in a variety of colors and styles, and it’s also much cheaper than the other styles of Instax Instant cameras made my Fujifilm. The Instax Mini camera also uses the least expensive film of all of the instax cameras, especially when bought in bulk.
The two most popular Instax Mini cameras are the Instax Mini 9 and Mini 11.
Instax Mini 9
The Instax Mini 9 was created as an update to the Instax Mini 8 (also similar to the 8+) and comes in 14 different colors but some are difficult to find and cost you more than others. You can can find most, if not all, of the colors and styles on Amazon.com but only certain colors are available packaged with film. Some of the colors include: Cobalt Blue, Lime Green, Black, Light Gray, Yellow, Ice Blue, Smokey White, Flamingo Pink, Arcadia Green, Clear Pink, Purple/Pink, and Purple. There are also Disney themed models based around Toy Story 4, Frozen II, and Star Wars available but can be hard to find and expensive on Ebay, Etsy, or Amazon.com.
The camera weighs 10.8 ounces (without film and batteries), has a built-in flash, has a focal length of 60mm (roughly equivalent to 35mm on a full frame camera), shutter speed of 1/60th, a selfie mirror next to the lens to make selfies easier, and a close-up lens attachment to shoot up to 13.5 inches (35cm) away from your subject, and a flash range of about 2 – 8.5ft (0.6m – 2.7m). You can set the exposure using the brightness dial yourself or let the camera automatically adjust the exposure level for you using different aperture settings. It is powered by 2 AA batteries and you will get about 100 shots out of those. On Amazon, the Instax Mini 9 in Ice Blue sells for around $80 with batteries and 20 sheets of film.
Read this guide to find out more about the Instax Mini 9 like troubleshooting and other questions. Find more details about the Instax Mini 9 here.
Instax Mini 11
The Instax Mini 11 was Introduced as an update to the Instax Mini 9 and comes in 5 different colors but some are difficult to find and are different prices. You can can find most, if not all, of the colors and styles on Amazon.com but only certain colors are available packaged with film. Some of the colors include: Blush Pink, Ice White, Sky Blue, Lilac Purple, and Charcoal Grey.
The camera weighs 10.3 ounces (without film and batteries), is slightly slimmer than the Instax Mini 9, has a focal length of 60mm (roughly equivalent to 35mm on a full frame camera), shutter speeds of 1/2 to 1/250sec and slow synchronization for low light controlled by the camera, has a built-in flash, a selfie mirror next to the lens to make selfies easier, built in selfie-mode that allows you to focus between 11 inches – 19.5 inches (0.3m to 0.5m) from the camera, and a flash range of about 1 – 8.5ft (0.3 to 2.7m). The camera automatically calculates the exposure level for you along with the flash for brighter backgrounds than other Instax Mini cameras. It is powered by 2 AA batteries and you get about 100 shots out of those.
On Amazon, the Instax Mini 11 in Charcoal Gray sells for $88.95 and comes with 4 AA batteries and 60 sheets of film.
Read this guide to find out more about the Instax Mini 11 like troubleshooting and other questions. You can also read the Instax Mini 11 manual for more information about the camera.
Other styles of Instax Mini Cameras Available
Fufilm has released many Instax Mini instant cameras over the years, starting in 1998. Below I’ve created a list of some of the most popular Instax mini cameras. However, see this webpage for a more exhaustive list but many have been discontinued.
Instax Mini 7 and 7s
The instax Mini 7, 7+, and 7s were some of the first instant cameras sold by Fujifilm. The Instax Mini 7 was introduced in 2004 (it is very difficult to find) and Instax Mini 7s in 2008. The Instax Mini 7+ is the same as the Instax Mini 7 with upgrades and introduced later. The instax Mini 7s is the same camera rebranded as the Polaroid PIC 300 at the insistence of Lady Gaga for Polaroid to make true instant film again. This also makes the Polaroid PIC 300 camera the only Polaroid camera that can use Instax Mini film. The Instax 7 series of cameras all take 4 AA batteries, have a 60mm focal length (roughly equivalent to 35mm on a full frame camera), shutter speed of 1/60th, weighs 10.8 oz (without batteries and film), and takes Instax Mini film.
See this links more information about the Instax Mini 7s and the Instax Mini 7+. You can also find the manual for the Instax Mini 7s camera here.
Instax Mini 8
The Instax Mini 8 was Introduced in 2012 and was an update to the Instax Mini 7s. It featured a slimmer body than the Mini 7s, automatic exposure measurement that flashes the correct aperture setting for perfectly exposed images, a new high-key mode for portraits, and an improved viewfinder for visibility and clarity. It takes 2 AA batteries, has a 60mm focal length (roughly equivalent to 35mm on a full frame camera), shutter speed of 1/60th, weighs 10.8 oz (without batteries and film), and takes Instax Mini film. The Instax Mini 8+ added a selfie mirror and close up lens attachment that allows the cameras to focus on things closer to the camera.
The Instax Mini 8 camera also came in a Minion version and Hello Kitty version as well but they are rare and expensive.
Find more details about the Instax Mini 8 here. You can also find the manual for the Instax Mini 8 camera here.
Instax Mini 40
The Instax Mini 40 was Introduced in 2015. It came in black with silver trim and has a textured cover. It features a new self mode for perfectly lit and focused selfies, a selfie mirror, automatic exposure control with exposure compensation, electronic shutter 1/2 to 1/250 sec. and slow synchro for low light, selfie mode that focuses from 11.8 – 19.6 inches (0.3 to 0.5m), effective flash range from around 1 – 8.8 feet (0.3 to 2.7m). It takes 2 AA batteries, has a 60mm focal length (roughly equivalent to 35mm on a full frame camera), weighs 11.6 oz / 330g (without batteries and film), its dimensions are 4 x 4.7 x(104 mm × 121 mm × 2.5 mm), and takes Instax Mini film.
Find more details about the Instax Mini 8 here. You can also find the manual for the Instax Mini 40 camera here.
Instax Mini 70
The Instax Mini 70 was Introduced in 2015. It features a new self mode for perfectly lit and focused selfies, a selfie mirror, automatic exposure control with exposure compensation, a creative Hi-Key mode that brightens the overall exposure for cleaner-looking skin tones, tripod mount, focuses as close as 11.8 inches, and a 10-second self timer that can take one or two shots. It takes 2 CR2 batteries, has a 60mm focal length (roughly equivalent to 35mm on a full frame camera), shutter speed of 1/60th, weighs 15.2 oz / 430g (without batteries and film), its dimensions are 6.1 x 5.1 x 2.7 inches, and takes Instax Mini film.
You can also find the manual for the Instax Mini 70 camera here.
Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic
The Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic was Introduced in 2014. It is similar in body style to the Instax Mini 40 but larger and with more features. It does not have a selfie mirror but it does have an automatic exposure measurement that flashes the correct aperture setting for perfectly exposed images, and a LCD back with exposure counter (number of unexposed films), motor-driven 3-range focus switching of 11.8 – 1.9 feet (0.3m – 0.6m) for macro mode / 1.9 – 9.8 feet (0.6m – 3.0m) for normal mode / 9.8 feet (3.0m) – infinity for landscape mode, brightness control, 10 second self timer, flash ON/OFF, mode button (Party/Kids/Landscape/Double exposure/Bulb). It takes a rechargeable battery that last for 100 images , has a 60mm focal length (roughly equivalent to 35mm on a full frame camera), programmed electronic shutter release with 1.8 – 1/400 and 10 second shutter time open for long exposures, weighs 10.4 lbs. / 294g without batteries and film, is 4.46 x 3.62 x 2.25 inches (113.4 x 91.9 x 57.2 mm), and takes Instax Mini film.
Find more details about the Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic here. You can also find the manual for the Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic camera here.
Instax Liplay
The Instax Mini LiPlay was Introduced in 2019. It is a hybrid camera that shoots digital images with a rear digital display to use as a viewfinder when shooting images, when editing images, and when choosing which images to print – saving you money on film. It is the only Instax Mini camera to have a screen and save images to a memory card. It also functions as a printer by allowing you to print images from your phone via the App when connected through bluetooth. The Instax Mini LilPlay has built-in memory and slot for a micro SD / micro SDHC memory card to save images to or transfer images to your computer or phone. The internal memory will hold around 45 files and you can save around 850 files per 1gb (without sound). The rear display features a 2.7-inch color LCD monitor with around 230K pixels.
The camera has a single-focus autofocusing system with a light to help the camera focus in dark environments, it has a self mirror, focus range of 3.9 inches (10 cm) to infinity, shutter speed range of 1/4 sec. to 1/8000, light sensitivity of ISO 100 to 1600 (auto), 256 segmented TTL metering / Multi-Metering, auto white balance, 2 – 10 second self timer, built-in flash with 3 flash modes (Auto, Forced, Suppressed) with a effective flash range of around 1.6 – 5 feet (50 cm to 1.5 m). It has an internal rechargeable battery that charges by Micro-B cable that lasts for around 100 prints and takes 2 – 3 hours to charge. The camera has a F/2 aperture, a 28mm focal length (35mm full frame equivalent), weighs 7.9 oz / 225 g without batteries and film, is 3.24 x 4.8 x 1.4 inches (82.5 mm x 122.9 mm x 36.7 mm), and takes Instax Mini film. Printing takes about about 12 seconds to eject from the printer and around 90 seconds to fully develop. The camera’s printing resolution is 318 dpi with the images being 800 x 600 dots. The Instax LiPlay also has a reprint function where it holds up to the last 50 images printed in it’s memory. It also comes with over built in filters and templates for your images and has a remote image capture feature that uses your smartphone to take an image.
Find more details about the Instax LiPlay here. You can also find the manual for the Instax Mini LiPlay camera here.
Instax Mini 25
The Instax Mini 25 was Introduced in 2009. It is similar in body style to It has a button to change the orientation of the image printed on the film (vertical vs horizontal), a selfie mirror, an LCD on the back of the camera that tells you how many images you have left, close up lens attachment that allows you to focus up to 1 foot (35cm) from the subject, automatic exposure control with manual compensation, a built-in flash with an effective flash range of about 1.6 – 8 feet (0.5 – 2.5m) with three modes – Auto mode, fill-flash / intelligent flash mode, landscape mode (no flash). The camera takes 2 CR2 type batteries that last through about 300 images, has shutter speed range of 1/3 – 1/400 with 2 shutter buttons for each orientation, weighs 9.7 lbs. / 275g without batteries and film, is 3.9 x 4.2 x 1.78 inches (112.0 x 121.0 x 50.5 mm), and takes Instax Mini film.
Find more details about the Instax Mini 25 here. You can also find the manual for the Instax Mini 25 camera here.
Instax Mini 50S
The Instax Mini 50S was released in 2010. It is similar in body style to the Instax Mini 25 but is larger and with more features. It does not have a self mirror like the Mini 25 but it does have an automatic exposure system that calculate how much fill flash to use, and a LCD back with exposure counter (number of unexposed films), motor-driven 2-range focus with a focus range of 2 feet (0.6m) – infinity for portraits and 9.8 feet (3m) – infinity for landscape mode, close up lens attachment to focus up to between 11.8 – 15.75 inches (30 – 40 cm) from the subject, print brightness control, and 10 second self timer.
The Instax Mini 50S uses 2 CR2 type batteries and lasts for around 300 images, it has a 60mm focal length (roughly equivalent to 35mm on a full frame camera), it has four shooting modes: Auto, Landscape, Fill-In-Flash. and Macro, a electronic shutter range of 1/3 – 1/400, built -in flash with an effective range of 2 – 9.8 feet (0.6 – 3m), weighs 9.8 oz / 279 g without batteries and film, is around 3.9 x 3.7 x 2 inches (112.0 x 96.5 x 49.5mm), and takes Instax Mini film.
Find more details about the Instax Mini 50S. You can also find the manual for the Instax Mini 50S camera here.
Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO Instant Camera
Fujifilm recently released the silver and black Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO, which costs around $199. Although it may be hard to find since it’s release, this camera is great due to its smaller size, a retro look, built-in effects, long battery life, and the fact that it is an instant hybrid camera (digital camera and instax printer in one). This instant camera uses the 2×3 inch Instax Mini film, the cheapest instant film available, like other Instax cameras and it can also save images to the camera so you are able to choose the images you want to print to save your film. It can also transfer saved images to your smartphone or print images from your phone when connected via bluetooth.
The Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO camera weights 10 oz. (285 g) and measures 3.4 x 4.8 x 1.4 inches (87 mm x 122.9 mm x 36 mm). It has a 1/5-inch CMOS sensor with an f2.0 aperture, a focal length of 28mm (35mm film equivalent), and a focusing distance of 4 inches (10 cm). It has a single point autofocus (with AF illuminator for dark environments) and a shutter speed of 1/4 second to 1/8000 second (using automatic switching) and ISO range of 100 to 1600 (automatic switching). The exposure setting type is program AE with exposure compensation of -2 to +2 and the exposure meter uses TTL 256 split metering / multi-metering. The camera fully charges an internal battery in 2 – 3 hours by an included Micro-B USB cable, which is for charging only.
With the printing function of the camera you can expect to print around 100 images with a full charge. The camera can produce images with a resolution of 1600 x 600 dpi using the camera and 800 x 600 dpi using the camera phone app. It takes around 16 seconds to print the image or 23 seconds when using the rich mode setting. You can print images taken with the camera, transferred from the camera using bluetooth, or images on the microSD card. Reprint of images is also possible for images stored in print history, which holds up to 50 images.
Here are some of the best features of the Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO Instax Camera:
- Self-Timer: The camera has a built-in self timer with 2 modes – either approx. 2 seconds / approx. 10 seconds
- Dual Shutter Buttons: The camera has two shutter buttons located for landscape and portrait locations.
- Rear LCD screen: The camera has a rear 3.0-inch TFT color LCD screen that gives rich colors, detailed images, and bright images.
- On-Camera Flash: The on-camera flash can be set to automatic flash, forced flash, or suppressed and the range of the flash is 19 inches to 5 ft (50 cm to 1.5 m).
- Selfie Mirror: Built-in selfie mirror so you’re perfectly framed for a selfie
- Print lever: The retro look of the camera includes a print lever that will print images on instant film when pulled.
- Film and Lens Dials to Access Effects: By rotating the Film Dial you can access 10 film effects / filters like Normal, Vivid, Monochrome, Retro, Pale, Canvas, etc. Also, by rotating Lens Dial you can access 10 lens effects / filters like Normal, Double Exposure, Half Frames, Fisheye, Vignette, Soft Focus, Light Leak, etc. All in all, there are 100 effects / filters available by rotating the two dials. You can also save the effects for quick access to your favorite combinations.
- Instax Rich Mode: This mode prints images with more vibrant colors than the Normal mode. Making the images appear subtly more rich without overdoing it.
- Automatic exposure: The automatic exposure settings on the Instax Mini EVO make it easier to control than instant cameras which feature a zoom dial since the exposure is controlled by the camera sensors rather than manually controlled. This allows novice photographers to just “point and shoot” rather than fiddling with different exposures.
- Film Cost: This camera uses Fujifilm Instax Mini instant film. When purchased in bulk, the price of the instax color film is $64 for 100 images (5 boxes of 2 packs with 10 images each). This makes the cost $0.64 per exposure, which is one of the less expensive options on the list.
- Digital Camera and Printer in One: This camera can save 45 images on it’s built-in memory or on a microSD card (which can also be transferred to your smartphone with a white border) so you can choose your images before you print them to save film. The camera also acts like printer so you can print images directly from your smartphone using bluetooth.
The smaller size of the camera compared to other instant cameras, the fact that is a hybrid instant camera that is a digital camera where you can save your images before you print them and a printer that connects to your smartphone, the affordable price of the Instax Mini film it uses, the 100 filters / effects, self mirror, Rich Mode, retro looks, on-camera flash, self-timer, and dual shutter buttons will make it a great choice for anyone interesting in getting into instant analog photography.
Other Types of Instax Cameras
Here is a list of the other types of Instax cameras and film compared to Instax Mini cameras and film.
Instax Square Cameras
The Instax Square series of cameras are the only Instax cameras that can take square film that is similar to Polaroid film. Unfortunately, Instax Square film is slightly smaller than old and new Polaroid film with Polaroid SX-70, 600 and i-Type film measuring 4.233 x 3.483 inches and Instax Square measuring 2.83 x 3.39 inches so you can’t use Instax Square in Polaroid cameras or Polaroid film in Instax Square cameras. In fact, the new polaroid film is actually thicker than the original so you can only get 8 sheets in a pack vs Instax 10-sheet pack.
There are several versions of the Instax Square camera including the Instax SQ6, instax SQ10, Instax SQ20, and Instax SQ1. See this website for a more exhaustive list of the Instax Wide cameras. The Instax SQ10, and Instax SQ20 are hybrid instant cameras that have a digital display on the back to let you choose and edit the images to print using Square Instax film. They also have internal memory and a micro SD card slot to save your images or transfer them to a laptop. However, these hybrid Instax cameras are becoming increasing hard to find, more expensive, and have effectively been replaced by the non-hybrid versions of instant cameras in the Instax Square series which are the instax SQ1 and Instax SQ6, with the Instax SQ1 being the most current.
The Instax SQ1 camera comes in three colors: Glacier Blue, Chalk White, and Terracotta Orange and costs $119 for the just camera by itself or $139.99 for the camera and of 20 sheets of film. The SQ1 Instax camera does not have a tripod mount but it does have a f/12.6 aperture, a programmed electronic shutter 1/2 to 1/400 sec with a slow synchro for low light, and a focal length of 65mm. The camera can focus from 11.8 inches (0.3m) to infinity and has a selfie mode that allows the camera ,when activated, to focus from 11.8 – 19.6 inches (0.3m to 0.5m). The camera has built-in flash that has an effective flash range of about 1 – 7.2 feet (0.3 to 2.2m) and charges quickly. It is powered by 2 CR2 batteries and has an auto off function after 5 mins of not using it. The camera is 5.3 x 4.6 x 2;2 inches (130.7 mm × 118.6 mm × 57.5 mm) and weighs 13.7 oz (390g) without the batteries and film pack.
Compared to the Instax Mini cameras and film, the Instax Square cameras are larger and heavier, cost more money, take a different type of battery (2 CR2s vs 2 AAs), lacks a self timer, similar aperture size, slightly narrower focal length (65mm vs 60mm), the film is more expensive, and doesn’t come in as many colors and styles as the Instax Mini cameras. However, it does have a better shutter speed range and close focusing ability than the Instax Mini cameras.
Instax Wide Camera
There is currently only one version of the instax Wide camera that Fujilm sells, the Instax Wide 300 in black for $88.22 and a white version for $108.99 on Amazon. See this website for a more exhaustive list of the Instax Wide cameras.
The Instax Wide 300 camera has a tripod socket for attaching a tripod, a focal zoom dial, rear-mounted LCD and brightness control buttons on the back of the camera for easy access. It has an f/14 aperture, electronic shutter release between 1/64 sec – 1/200, and a focal length of 95mm. The focal zoom dial has two modes – one that can zoom from 0.9m – 3m (normal mode / portraits) and for 3m – infinity (landscape mode). Using the close up lens, you can focus up to 15 inches (40cm) from your subject. The camera has built-in flash with a red flash indicator that charges between 0.2 – 6 seconds, fill-in flash mode for back-lit scenes, and has an effective flash range of 0.9 – 3 meters. It is powered by 4 AA-type batteries and is on the larger / heavier side compared to the other Instax models at 6.6 x 3.7 x 4.7 inches (167.8mm x 94.7mm x 120.9mm) and weighs 1.3 pounds (612g) without the batteries and film pack.
Compared to the Instax Mini cameras and film, the Instax Wide cameras are much larger and heavier, cost more money, take double the amount of batteries (4 AA vs 2 AA), has a smaller aperture (f14 vs f12.7), narrower focal length (95mm vs 60mm). the film is more expensive, and doesn’t come in as many colors and styles as the Instax Mini cameras. However, it does have way more creative controls in regards to exposure compensation and flash than the Instax Mini do and the resulting image is twice the size of Instax Mini film.
How Does Instax Mini Film Work?
Instax Mini instant film works the same as the other instax instant films (including polaroid instant film). It is a totally unique process that holds a film developing lab in each sheet of film. Instax and Polaroid film are the only instant film available on the market that work similarly. There are other “instant” film, like Zink paper, but it is really just prints out the image rather than actually developing in front of your eyes in light like instant film.
Tom Harris has this great article on how instant film works which explains how an instant image is created using the special film.
Instax film is made of light sensitive layers and other chemicals on the film sheet. The color dyes are stored in layers and the chemicals used to develop the photo are kept in the white border at the bottom. Once the photo is taken and the film is ejected from the camera. When the film is ejected from the camera, the film is sent between two rollers which breaks the chemical packets and spreads the developing chemicals over the image to develop the film. These developing chemicals can be toxic so don’t put them in your mouth. In just a few minutes the film goes through its development process. There is no need to shake the film, put it under your arm, or remove the negative image to speed up the process or for development to occur. The picture will fully develop on its own after a 2 – 3 minutes and read this guide to know how to tell when your instax camera is empty.
Fuji’s instant film products were also designed to be superior to the Polaroid cameras and film sold in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The major was Fuji’s instant cameras and film are different because of the reversal of the dye layers’ order so that development in the blue layer is visible first. As a result, the image does not need to be reverse and therefore eliminates a reflex mirror as most cameras, including Polaroid integral and SLR 35mm film cameras, have built in. Fujifilm was also able to improve color balance and tonal range over Polaroid instant film through chemistry and lenses used in their products. Fujifilm also decided to add pressure plate springs and batteries into the camera bodies rather than the disposable film pack itself also helps to make Instax film cost less per exposure than Polaroid instant film.
Related Article: All About Instax Film
How Much Does instax Mini film cost?
Although Instax Mini film comes in a color and monochrome (black & white) and a variety of styles and colors, the best price of the Instax Mini film is for the color film with a white border for $16.19 for 20 sheets of film. This works out to be around $.80 a sheet.
However, for a much better deal, purchase instant film in larger, bulk sizes to save the most money. For example, you can get Instax mini film in color and white borders for $40 for 60 sheets on Amazon.com, which works out to be around $.66 a sheet. You can also get a even better deal by paying $239.80 for 400 sheets of film on Amazon.com, which works out to be around $.59 a sheet.
See this guide about Instax Mini Film prices for more information.
Other Popular Styles of Instax Mini Film
Fujifilm Instax Mini film comes in many more styles than just color film with a white border. See the list below for some example of popular styles of instax mini film that is available:
Rainbow Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Rainbow film comes in packs of 10 sheets, the film is in color, and borders of the film have the colors of the rainbow. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant color, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini rainbow film pack with 10 sheets for $11.95 ($1.19 a sheet), 30 sheets for $24.60 ($.82 a sheet), or get a better deal of 50 sheets for $38.80 ($0.77 a sheet).
Contact Sheet Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Contact Sheet film comes in packs of 10 sheets. The film is in color and the borders are black with information about the film along with the number of the film, like an old school contact sheet. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant color, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini contact sheet film 10 sheet pack for $12.18 ($1.21 a sheet), or 30 sheets for $89.89 ($3 a sheet). However, there are cheaper options from international sellers on ebay.com.
Black Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Black film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color but the borders are black. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant color, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini black film 10 sheet pack for $9.99 ($0.99 a sheet), or 30 sheets for $26.99 ($0.89 a sheet).
Blue Marble instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Blue Marble film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color but the borders have a marble design with blue and gold colors. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant color, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Blue Marble film 10 sheets pack for $7.98 ($0.78 a sheet). However, you can find the film in bulk to save money on other sites like Ebay.com.
Monochrome (black & white) Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Monochrome film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in black and white and the borders are white. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality and smooth tonal range. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Monochrome film 10 sheet pack for $7.98 ($0.78 a sheet) or you can get a 40 sheet pack for $36.99 ($0.92 a sheet).
Pink Lemonade Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Pink Lemonade film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and borders are pink. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Pink Lemonade film 10 sheet pack for $10 ($1 a sheet) or you can get a 20 sheet pack for around $20.99.
Sky Blue Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Sky Blue film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and borders are a sky / light blue. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Sky Blue film 10 sheet pack for $9.69 ($0.96 a sheet).
Mermaid Tail Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Mermaid tail film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders are shiny pastel colors. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Mermaid Tail film 10 sheet pack for $7.98 ($0.79 a sheet).
Mickey & Friends Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Mickey & Friends film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders have graphics related to Mickey Mouse and Friends. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Mickey & Friends film 10 sheet pack for $15.98 ($1.60 a sheet).
Hello Kitty Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Hello Kitty film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders are pink and white with graphics related to Hello Kitty. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Hello Kitty film 10 sheet pack for $9.60 ($0.96 a sheet).
There is also two versions of a Hello Kitty Instax Mini camera available for your Hello Kitty Instax Mini film.
Winnie The Pooh Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Winnie The Pooh film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders are white with black graphics / red text related to Winnie the Pooh. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Winnie The Pooh film 10 sheet pack for $16.84 ($1.68 a sheet) or a 30 sheet pack for $25.99 ($0.86)
Striped Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Striped film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders have stripes of different colors. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Striped film 10 sheet pack for $8.21 ($0.82 a sheet) or a 20 sheet pack for $19.99 ($0.99)
Chroma Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Chroma film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders have different black and white patterns. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Chroma film 10 sheet pack for $12.99 ($1.29 a sheet). There are also other options on Ebay.com and other sites.
Comic Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Comic film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders have different patterns or black, white, yellow, and red related to speech bubbles from comics. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Comic film 10 sheet pack for $12.99 ($1.29 a sheet) or 20 sheet pack for $19.99 ($0.99 a sheet).
Confetti Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Confetti film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders are mostly white, pink, red, and purple with some blue confetti. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Confetti film 20 sheet pack for $19.99 ($0.99 a sheet) or 40 sheet pack for $59.99 ($1.49 a sheet).
Macaron Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Macaron film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders are a variety of light pastel colors. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Macaron film 10 sheet pack for $7.89 ($0.78 a sheet) or 30 sheet pack for $24.99 ($0.83 a sheet).
Alice in Wonderland Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Alice In Wonderland film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders have different patterns relating to Alice in Wonderland animated film. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Alice in Wonderland film 10 sheet pack for $15.76 ($1.57 a sheet).
Frozen 2 Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Froze II film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders have different patterns relating to the animated film, Frozen II. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones. The prices are always changing of Instax film but at the time of writing this article, you can get the Instax Mini Frozen II film 10 sheet pack for $9.99 ($0.99 a sheet).
Air Mail Instax Mini Film
The Instax Mini Airmail film comes in packs of 10 film sheets. The film is in color and the borders are white with a texture and with blue and red accents. The film speed is 800 ISO with great grain quality, vibrant colors, and natural skin tones.
Instax Mini Variety Packs
With all of these styles, it can be overwhelming. The best way to try out Instax Mini film styles for yourself are the variety packs like the following:
This Instax Mini Film 2 Styles Variety Pack from Fujifilm offers 2 of the most popular styles of Fujifilm Instax film. It includes a 20 pack of Instax Mini Color with white borders and 2 packs of Monochrome b&w) with 10 sheets each. (40 sheets in all) for $35.99 ($0.89 a sheet).
This Instax Mini Film 4 Styles Variety Pack from Fujifilm offers 4 styles of Fujifilm Instax film. It includes a pack with 10 sheets each of Mini Instant Film Rainbow, Stained Glass, Candy Pop, and Shiny Star Film (40 sheets in all) for $31.49 ($0.78 a sheet).
This Instax Mini Film 4 Styles Variety Pack from Fujifilm offers 4 styles of Fujifilm Instax film. It includes a pack with 10 sheets each of Mini Instant Film Standard (color with white border), Rainbow, Pink Lemonade, and Monochrome (b&w) for 40 sheets in all at $29.98 ($0.74 a sheet).
This Instax Mini Film 5 Styles Variety Pack from Fujifilm offers 5 styles of Fujifilm Instax film. It includes a pack with 10 sheets each of Stained Glass, Comic, Stripe, Shiny Star, and Airmail (50 sheets in all) for $39.99 ($0.79 a sheet).
This Instax Mini Film 8 Styles Variety Pack from Fujifilm offers 8 styles of Fujifilm Instax film. It includes a pack with 10 sheets each of Monochrome, Black, Sky Blue, Single, Candy Pop, Stained Glass, Stripe, and Rainbow (80 sheets in all) for $75 ($0.93 a sheet).
Can Instax Film Be Used in Polaroid Cameras?
The only Polaroid camera that can use Instax mini film is the Polaroid 300 instant camera, which looks and functions almost identical to an Instax Mini line of cameras. This means that the Instax Mini cameras can also use the Polaroid 300 instant film but I don’t recommend buying it since the Polaroid film is more expensive and harder to come by than the instax mini film. If you have a Polaroid 300 instant camera just buy the Instax Mini film to save money and have more consistent images.
What Kind of Batteries Do Instax Mini’s Use?
Almost all of the Fujifilm Instax Mini cameras use AA batteries to power the camera and the flash. This includes:
- Instax Mini 7 and 7s (Uses 4 AA batteries)
- Instax Mini 8 (Uses 2 AA batteries)
- Mini Mini 9 (Uses 2 AA batteries)
- Instax Mini 11 (Uses 2 AA batteries)
- Instax Mini 40 (Uses 2 AA batteries)
- Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic (Uses 2 AA batteries)
However, the Instax Mini 25, Instax Mini 50S, and Instax Mini 70 all use CR2 batteries. The Instax Mini Evo and the Instax Mini LiPlay has an internal rechargeable battery that can’t be removed.
You will be able to take around 100 shots (around 10 Instax Mini film packs of 10 shots each) before needing to be replace or recharge the batteries. Although Fujifilm highly recommends using alkaline batteries in their Instax cameras, I have used rechargeable batteries (like these from Amazon.com) to save money overtime and they work just fine.
How To Put Batteries Into an Instax Camera?
Almost all Instax cameras take AA batteries to power the camera. However, the Instax Mini 25, Instax Mini 50S, and Instax Mini 70 all use CR2 batteries and the Instax Mini LiPlay has an internal rechargeable battery that cannot be replaced.
In general, to how to put batteries into an instax camera follow these directions.
1. Remove the Battery Compartment Cover
Look for the battery cover on the side or back of the camera (also push up the battery lid lock on some instax mini cameras) and slide it away from the camera to remove it
2. Put Batteries Into The Camera
Put the batteries into the camera. Be sure to see the little battery graphic inside the battery department for the correct orientation for the batteries to be inserted into the camera.
3. Replace the Battery Compartment Cover
Align the battery compartment cover and slide it back into place
How Do You Put Film in An Instax Camera?
Adding Instax film to an Instax camera is easy. This company makes their cameras very user-friendly and it is simple to add film into your camera. Some instax cameras are slightly different but in general the follow steps will show you how to put film in an instax camera.
1. Recharge or Replace the battery, if necessary.
If your camera is dead, you will need to recharge the camera or insert new batteries. Almost all Instax Mini cameras use AA batteries (except the Mini 25, Mini 50s, and Mini 70 which all use CR2 batteries and Instax Mini LiPlay which has a internal rechargeable battery).
2. Open the Film pack
Next, you need to open your new pack of film. Instax film comes in a box with a foil pouch inside. You will need to open the foil pouch to be able to insert the film into the camera. You can also find the expiration date printed on the foil pouch. Instax films expire one year after the expiration date.
3. Put Film Inside Camera
After you take the film out of the foil bag, you need to open the film compartment and take out the plastic holder left from the previous film and place the new film into the camera (some people like to keep the plastic film holder to store film). Follow the directions above to place the film into the camera the correct way, then close the compartment.
4. Eject the Black Slide
Now you need to turn on your camera and watch for the lens to pop out and for the flash charging levels to light up. This means your camera is on. Then, when you think the other steps are completed correctly, press the shutter button to eject the film cover.
5. The Camera Is Ready
When the black film cover has been ejected out the camera, it will stop making a sound and the film counter on the back should change from “S” to “10”. Take hold of the edge of the film cover and pull it out. The film cover can be thrown away at this point and the camera is ready to take a photo!
Portable Printers that Use Instax Mini Film
Besides cameras that use Instax Mini film there are portable printers that use Instax film. See the list below for more information about these printers.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Smartphone Printer
This printer by portable Fujifilm uses a bluetooth connection to connect to your phone, allows you to edit using the app and choose your images, and prints them onto Instax mini film. It comes in four colors: Dark Denim, Ash White, Dusky Pink, and special edition of Ash White with Red and Blue accents. The printer is 3.5 x 1.3 x 4.9 inches (90.3 mm x 34.6 mm x 124.5 mm) and weighs 7.3 oz (209g). It prints in 318 dpi at 800 x 600 dots using 3-Color OLED laser, it prints images in about 12 secs, and is compatible with JPEGs, PNGs, and HEICs images. It comes with a USB cable for charging a non-removable rechargeable battery that has enough power for 100 prints and fully charges in 80 – 120 minutes. The camera runs around $165 in the basic colors with some other colors (like Beige Gold) costing almost $100 more. For around $99 you can get the printer and 40 sheets of instax Mini film. The good news is Instax Mini is the cheapest Instax film so you can get a lot of it for much cheaper than the other sizes, especially when bought in bulk.
While not the full Instax Mini experience of shooting film, your results are far more consistent since it allows you to choose your images before printing. The printer has many different modes beyond just printing from your smartphone. For example, you can print from an image or choose a frame of a video to print, ways to interact with the printer to reprint the last image when holding it upside down and pressing the print button on the printer, frame printer with 27 different designs, college print with 14 styles on one instax mini print, a new sketch and print feature, and party mode where up to 5 people can connect to the printer and create unique prints from images. All Fujifilm X-series cameras are compatible with the printer which allows you to print directly from your camera or from the app.
See my guide for more information about this Instax printer. You can find the manual for the Instax Mini Link printer here.
Another option by Fujifilm in the Fujfilm Instax Mini SP-2 wireless printer. Although the printer was recently discontinued by the manufacturer because of the Instax Mini SP-3 (uses Instax Square film), the Instax Mini Link, and the recently released Instax Link Wide printer (uses wide film), the Instax Mini SP-2 printer can still be found on many lists of recommended portable wireless printers. The Instax Mini Share SP-2 uses a wifi connection to connect to your phone, allows you to edit and choose your images using the app, and prints them onto Instax mini film. The printer comes in silver and gold colors.
The printer is 3.5 x 5.1 x 1.5 inches (89.5mm x 131.8mm x 40mm) and weighs 8.8 oz / 250g (without battery and film pack). It prints in 320 dpi at 800 x 600 dots using 3-Color OLED laser, prints images in about 10 secs, and can is compatible with JPEGs and PNGs. It comes with a micro-USB cable for charging the removable rechargeable battery that has enough power for 100 prints and fully charges in 90 minutes. The printer app also includes exposure compensation with several template and filters for editing your images before printing. The printer will also easily connect to Fujifilm X-series cameras so you can print directly from your camera. The printer runs around $199 without film but the good news is Instax Mini is the cheapest Instax film so you can get a lot of it for much cheaper than the other sizes of Instax film, especially when bought in bulk.
See my guide for more information about this Instax printer. You can find the manual for the Instax Mini SP-2 wireless printer here.
Kiipix Portable Smartphone Picture Printer
The Kiipix portable Instax Mini smartphone printer is a scanner / printer that transfers images directly from your camera screen to Instax Mini film. The printer is manual and doesn’t have batteries, doesn’t use wifi or bluetooth, and requires no cables. You lay your smartphone on top of the device, you press a button to take pictures of your images, and then transfers them to the pack of Instax Mini film loaded into the camera. The image is ejected when you turn the knob on the device. The printer is compatible with any sized smartphone and comes in three colors: Cherry Blossom Pink, Blue, and Jet Black. It folds flat for travel, is 5.5 x 2.25 x 6.25 inches (139mm x 63mm x 158.75mm) and weighs 13 oz (368.5g). The printer costs between $33 and $74 dollars depending on the color and
For best results when using the printer is to set your phone screen brightness to maximum, change Auto-Lock (if using an iPhone) or Sleep (if using an Android-based phone) to 5 minutes, turn off Auto-Brightness (if using an iPhone) or Automatic brightness (if using an Android-based phone), and use screen lock to keep pictures from rotating. Another tip is if you keep getting black film or the film is not exposed, do not roll the print out unless you hear the sound of the shutter opening all of the way. You can keep pressing the shutter button until you hear the correct sound of the shutter opening.
Conclusion
Fujifilm took over the mantel from Polaroid with their Instax Instant Film series of cameras. Fuji produces three cameras that use their instax instant film – the Instax Mini, Instax Square, and Instax Wide. Each Instax camera type use their own sized film and the film cannot be swapped between the different sizes. However, all instax Mini cameras use the same film, all instax square film use the same instax square film, and the same is true for the Instax Wide film. There are also a wide variety of Instax Mini cameras that use the same film as well as some Instax Mini printers. With all of this new information, hopefully you will now know what cameras use what Instax film and how to load it into your camera to make new and exciting images!
