Take out your phones and look at how many photos you have in your library. Now go back a couple of months. Can you remember some of the photos you are seeing? If you can’t don’t feel bad cause I feel the same. The problem with today’s photography is everything is digital. Photos get taken and uploaded on multiple social media sites, get a couple or 100 likes and then are forgotten about. If only there was a way to bring your photos to life as you take them. Thanks to the FujiFilm instax Square SQ6 Taylor Swift camera, there is.
In 1977 instant cameras were really popular. The market was dominated by a few brands, one of them being Fujifilm. In fact, Fujifilm was the first instant camera manufacturers to add different shooting modes to their instant cameras. In 1998 Fujifilm launched their Instax range of cameras and today, they are some of the most popular cameras for their ease of use and design. This is exactly how I would describe the instax Square SQ6 Taylor Swift camera.
Design:
While older instant cameras were bulky, the SQ6 is pretty compact for what it is. At the back you have a viewfinder, buttons to select different modes, a mode indicator, and the slot to insert the film. At the front, you have the shutter button, flash, lens and selfie mirror. The batteries are inserted into the side of the camera.
The body, which is made of strong plastic, has been really well built and feels sturdy in the hand. Weighing in at 393 grams without the battery and film inserted, the camera is not heavy to carry around. Even with all essentials included, the camera is light.
The Taylor Swift edition has been given some special branding which fans are sure to enjoy. At the front of the camera, there is a gold newspaper pattern which is inspired by Swifts latest album, Reputation. The lens has a gold ring around it to add to the stylish look. At the back, you get Taylor Swift’s autograph, making this an “official” camera which Taylor uses herself. You also get a Taylor Swift branded shoulder strap and a film case which is the perfect place to keep your prints.
This is what Taylor had to say about working with instax to create her own camera:
Getting Started and taking photos:
The SQ6 uses Fujifilm instax Square Instant film which is 62 by 62 mm in size. Since the film is a perfect square, you don’t need to worry about vertical or horizontal photos. Just pick up and shoot! The camera is powered by two CR2/DL CR2 lithium batteries, which are good for about 300 prints. Simply insert the batteries, pop in a pack of film and you are good to go.
Taking a photo is really straight forward, which is why the Instax range has become so popular. Older instant cameras were complicated while the Instax is easy for anyone to use. Simply slide the power switch to the on position to turn on the camera and the lens sleekly slides out. Choose the mode, look through the camera shutter and then press the shutter button to take and print your instant photo. Once the print is out of the camera, it is not necessary to shake the print, which I nearly did. Your print should take about 5 minutes or so for the image to develop. It is important to never remove the rest of the film once you have taken your first photo. If you do so, your film will become overexposed and go white, making it useless. To work out how many prints you have left, there is a dial on the camera which shows the number of prints left.
Camera modes:
I mentioned that there are different shooting modes. These modes are really useful to adapt to different shooting conditions or for different effects. With these modes, the instant camera has been brought up to the type of photography most smartphone users are used to.
- Automatic Exposure Control: This function brightens both the subject and background for capturing photos within dark rooms and night scenes.
- Selfie Mode & Selfie Mirror: You can check the capture area of your selfie in a mirror next to the lens.
- Selfie Mode automatically adjusts brightness and focal length to the ideal level for capturing selfies.
- Macro Mode: This function allows you to capture subjects close-up within a range of 30cm – 50cm
- Landscape Mode: Ideal for capturing subjects in the distance (2m – ∞).
Double Exposure Mode: In this function, you can press the shutter twice to capture an artistic shot with two images in the same print. - Lighten & Darken Modes: Control the brightness of your photo and add a low-key or high-key effect.
I enjoyed using the modes to enhance my prints. The coolest mode has to be double exposure!
Flash Filters:
If you are used to playing around with filters on Instagram, you will love the included flash filters. These 3 flash filters allow you to tweak the colours of your images. Simply place the filter over the flash and you can choose from orange, purple or green effect.
What is the cost:
The instax Square SQ6 Taylor Swift edition sells for R 2,389 while the non-Taylor Swift edition sells for R 1,989. With the only difference between the two being the T Swift branding, which should you go for? To answer that question, think how much you love Taylor Swift. If you are a big fan, then go for the Swift version. It is funky and has a nice look to it. If you are not the biggest fan, then simply go for the normal SQ6 and save a few hundred Rand which you can use for film. You can buy a pack of 10 instant films for R189 or you can go for the Taylor Swift version which is black with Taylor’s signature for R205. So you are looking at around R18.90 or R20.50 per print.
Overall Experience:
I am so used to taking photos, sharing them on Social Media and after a couple of days forgetting about them. When capturing moments, your photos should be physical so you can remember them. With the instax SQ6 I like that I am able to carry around a camera that is not obtrusive or heavy and that can take and develop instant photos with ease. This is what the instax Square SQ6 does perfectly. If you are looking to capture and remember those special moments, then you should consider the instax Square SQ6 Taylor Swift edition camera.
Specifications:
| Film | FUJIFILM Instant Film “instax SQUARE” (Purchased separately) |
| Picture Size | 62mm x 62mm / 2.4in. × 2.4in. |
| Lens | Retractable lens, 2components, 2elements, f = 65.75mm, 1:12.6 |
| Viewfinder | Inverted Galilean finder, 0.4x, with target spot |
| Focusing | Motor-driven 3-range switching (0.3m – 0.5m / 1ft. – 1.6ft., 0.5m – 2m / 1.6ft – 6.6ft., 2m / 6.6ft. and beyond), Macro Mode (0.3m – 0.5m / 1ft. – 1.6ft.) Normal Mode (0.5m – 2m / 1.6ft – 6.6ft.) Landscape Mode (2m / 6.6ft and beyond) |
| Shutter Release | Programmed electronic shutter release, 1.6sec – 1 / 400sec. |
| Exposure Control | Automatic, Interlocking range (ISO800) : LV5 – LV15.5, Exposure compensation: ±2/3EV |
| Film Feeding Out | Automatic |
| Film Developing Time | Approximately 90 seconds (Varies depending on the ambient temperature) |
| Flash | In Macro mode: Built-in, automatic electronic flash In a mode other than Macro mode: Always flashing Charging time: 0.2sec – 7sec (using a new battery), Flash charging indicator, Effective flash lamp range: 0.3m – 2.7m / 1ft. – 8.9ft. |
| Self-Timer | Electronically controlled, approx. 10second delay, Can be stopped mid-run |
| LED Display | Shooting mode (Auto, Selfie, Macro, Landscape, Double exposure), Brightness adjustment, Flash suppressing, Self timer Mode |
| Power Supply | Two CR2/DL CR2 lithium batteries Capacity: Approximately 30 instax SQUARE 10-pack film packs with new CR2/DL CR2 lithium batteries |
| Others | Film pack confirmation window, tripod socket (tripod sold separately) |
| Dimensions & Weight | 118.7mm x 128.1mm x 58.1mm / 4.7in. × 5.0in. × 2.3in. (not including protrusions)/ 393g / 13.9oz. (without battery, strap, and film pack) |
| Accessories | Two CR2/DL CR2 lithium batteries, Shoulder strap, Three flash filters |
Get more info here: https://www.instaxsa.co.za/sq6-taylor-swift/
