Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 12 Is an Easy Way To Get Into Instant Photography

It feels like yesterday when the Instax Mini 11 came out, but apparently, that was in 2020! Three years later, Fujifilm has just announced the Instax Mini 12 instant camera.

Coming out in mid-March for $79.95, the Instax Mini 12 doesn’t deviate too far from the Instax Mini 11 or its predecessors. It’s still colorful (available in five colors including Clay White, Lilac Purple, Pastel Blue, Blossom Pink, and Mint Green), bubble-shaped instant camera that shoots the same Instax Mini film that everyone loves.

Tweaked ergonomics

The Instax Mini 12’s toy-ish design should clue you into where this model sits within Fujifilm’s instant camera lineup. It’s no $200 Instax Mini Evo that’s for sure.

Compared to the Instax Mini 11, the Instax Mini 12 comes with a less curvy body and straighter front grip. How that translates in everyday use is something I’ll need to test out. On that redesigned grip is a new gently recessed shutter button that should allow for a better press, something many people complained about with the Instax Mini 11’s flush shutter button.

New Instax Up! app

The Instax Mini 12 also works with Fujifilm’s latest Instax Up! app for iOS and Android. The app lets you scan Instax pictures (frames and all) as digital versions for sharing online. Additionally, the app lets you import photos from other Instax apps such as the Instax Mini Link and Instax Link Wide apps to add photos to your digital collection. It sounds exactly like the kind of cute, fun thing that Fujifilm instant cameras are known for.

Same everything else

That’s not a bad thing. If it ain’t broke... don’t fix it? The Instax Mini 12 is powered by two AA batteries (included in the box) and has a regular and close-up mode accessible by rotating the ring of around the lens. There’s a honking flash on the front, an auto exposure light sensor and flashlight sensor next to it. A selfie mirror sits on the front of the lens just like on the Instax Mini 11.

If you’ve used an Instax Mini camera before, you know what to expect. The quality of the prints should be about the same as past models and the Instax Mini 12 still prints photos in about five seconds.