Fujifilm has added another model to its Instax family of digital/film hybrid instant cameras. The Mini Evo Hybrid comes with 10 built-in lens effects and 10 film effects for a hundred combined creative possibilities.
"This camera was designed to give the photographer the flexibility to choose which images to instantly print, which images to share, and which images to store for later access," said Fujifilm North America's Manny Almeida. "This unique variety of options, when paired with the classic analog style of traditional Instax cameras, creates a premium experience for the consumer that transcends standard instant photography."
The Mini Evo Hybrid has a similar kind of look to the company's Mini 90 camera, though leaning more to a classic rangefinder aesthetic with its silver housing wrapped in leatherette trim that sports a 28-mm, F2.0 lens out front.
Inside is a relatively small 1/5-inch CMOS sensor offering an image resolution of just 2,560 x 1,920 pixels (though if you choose to print, the pixel count goes down to 1,600 x 600). Light sensitivity is fairly poor by today's digital camera standards too – at ISO100 to 1,600 – but a built-in flash module could help in challenging situations.
As mentioned earlier, the new Instax comes with a bunch of creativity effects – 10 lens modes include vignette, fisheye, color shift, and double exposure, while the 10 film filters have vivid, canvas, monochrome and retro among their number. And the idea is to combine available options and go wild.
There's a 3-inch LCD display around back for framing up shots and image previews, as well as offering options like adding frames, adjusting settings or selecting shots for printing on instant film out of the side.
With the launch of this new Instax, Fujifilm has also introduced a new flavor of instant film. The Stone Gray option comes as a pack of 10 that, like other instant films from Fujifilm, loads into the body of the camera, with the company saying that "the stylish gray border provides eye-catching contrast against vividly printed images."
Elsewhere, the Mini Evo Hybrid comes with selfie mirror to frame up photos of yourself, a non-removable Li-ion battery that's good for up to 100 shots per charge, a microSD card slot to store images for later recall, and Bluetooth to pair with a smartphone running a new companion mobile app.
The app comes with some new tricks, including a Direct Print function that allows users to print out any image from their smartphone gallery (at 800 x 600 pixels), a remote mode for taking photos away from the camera, and the ability to transfer any Instax-framed photos from the camera to smartphone for sharing with friends and family.
The new camera goes up for sale in Japan next month but won't be available in the US until February 1, 2022, at a suggested retail price of US$199.95. The new Stone Gray instant film 10-pack has a similar release schedule and costs $14.99 a pop.
Source: Fujifilm
