Two weeks have passed since the announcement of the new one instax mini 40, the latest instant camera from Fujifilm, now available for pre-order. If from the point of view of technical characteristics there are no particular novelties, the completely renewed design. Let's see it in this review.
The intent is to approach a new audience, expanding its audience thanks to a style that is clearly different from the other first-class mini series cameras. The instax mini 40 approach to photography also remains unchanged, simple and intuitive. In fact, with the instax line Fujifilm has as its first goal to bring the printed photograph to anyone's home. In fact, it is not necessary to be an expert photographer to be able to exploit their skills.
And it is precisely for this reason that over the years the instax brand has won the hearts of many people both in Italy and in the world. Fujifilm is the leader in the instant photography market and wants to further consolidate this role with this new camera.
instax mini 40 review: design and use
The inspiration is clearly retro, with silver finishes and details and leatherette upholstery with a high quality texture. Looking at this camera, the mind immediately goes to instax Mini 90, the high-end product of the house. The motif of such refined finishes underlines the company's intentions in wanting to capture a wider audience, perhaps held back in the past by the more youthful look of Mini 11.
The new instant camera from instax is very light and compact, in fact it can be used easily with one hand. The handle is vertical and well designed to offer a comfortable grip to the photographer. In particular, there is a dedicated thumb rest to also have a firm grip which I very much appreciated.
There is also a viewfinder on the back, which may be small for those used to those of modern digital cameras, but it only takes a few clicks and you get used to it easily. The rest of the back is occupied by the film compartment which also integrates the counter to always know how many photographs we can still take.
Technical specifications and image quality
Having overcome the more purely aesthetic aspects of instax mini 40, the review goes on with the more technical features. L'integrated lens is a retractable 60mm f / 12,7, which comes into operation when you press the gray button next to it, which also activates the camera. To turn off the camera just push the lens back and that's it.
The camera is fully automatic and adjusts shutter speed within a range of 1/2 sec to 1/250 sec. Similarly, the photographer cannot intervene on the focus either, which extends from 30 centimeters to infinity. Furthermore, the flash is always on with every shot.
The overall image quality is confirmed among the best of the instant cameras on the market in this range. In particular, the images are always balanced, even if in very bright conditions the addition of the flash shot may be superfluous.
The new instax mini 40 also offers a selfie mode dedicated, just like its sister mini 11. To activate it, you just need to further extend the lens, an operation that requires a little strength but at the same time delicacy. By activating this mode the sharpness will be slightly higher as well as the exposure will be more balanced for a portrait. In practice, an optimized mode is activated for shooting faces at close range.
To always be able to recover in selfie mode, there is a small mirror on the lens that helps us in the composition of the image. As you can see, Fjona was in fact very good!
If you're wondering how the instax mini 40 is powered, the answer is simple: two classic AA batteries that should allow us to take over 100 photographs. The shorter the autonomy, the longer the recharging time of the flash between one photograph and the next will be.
instax mini 40 review: conclusions
The latest addition to the instax family fully confirms how much good has been done on instant photography by Fujifilm. The ease of use and high-end style will attract even more audiences to this world. We are faced with a fun product, with which to share moments together with other people to whom you can physically give a memory, because you know, a printed photograph is worth much more.
instax mini 40 is the camera for those looking for something simple but at the same time potentially very creative, without the complications of more advanced tools. Sometimes simplicity pays off and how often we say less is more.
Right from today it is available in this single version at the suggested retail price of € 99,99.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 Instant Camera
- Credit card size instant photos
- Built-in selfie lens and mirror
- Easy to use thanks to automatic exposure
