The Fujifilm instax mini 11 has to be one of the simplest instant cameras that I have spent some time with. Other instax cameras such as the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay or the instax SQ20 or the Square SQ6 Taylor Swift camera, which I have reviewed, come with filters and modes to capture some really cool prints but the only issue with these is you need to be comfortable playing around with the camera before you shoot. With the instax mini 11, all the features and modes are removed and you are left with a “point and shoot”. Let’s take a closer look.
The Design:
instax cameras are fun to shoot with and usually look the part. The instax mini 11 has a cartoon-like design, with lots of rounded edges. Compared to other instax cameras, the mini 11 really is mini! You may still need two hands to operate.
On the front of the mini 11, you get an AE light sensor, flash sensor, flash lampface, viewfinder, shutter button, lens barrel, selfie mirror, power button and a flash.
On the side, you get the strap eyelet and the battery compartment.
At the rear, you get the film confirmation window, back cover, film counter and the viewfinder.
The top has the film ejection slot.
You get two shutter buttons which allow you to customize the look and feel of the shutter button. There is a glow button and a jewel option.
The instax mini 11 comes in a range of five colours.
I received the Sky Blue model to review but all the colours are equally as nice in my opinion 🙂
Taking photos and printing:
As mentioned, the instax mini 11 is a point and shoot. To get started, you simply insert the instax mini instant film into the rear, much like any instax camera and then the two double AA batteries into the battery compartment. Once that is done you can turn on the camera using the power button located on the front. The lens will pop out but must be pulled out further.
With the lens extended, you can use the viewfinder on the rear to get your subject in the frame and then press the shutter button to capture an image. Images are not saved to the camera and are printed instantly.
The flash automatically measures the brightness and then adjusts the shutter speed accordingly to apply the right amount of flash.
You will notice that once the lens is pulled out, it can be extended further to show the word selfie.
This is to be used when taking selfies or even macro shots. With the lens extended to selfie mode, you can get closer shots. When taking selfies, you can use the mirror located next to the lens to see what is in frame. I did find that this is not a 100% representation of what will be printed as there is a shift between the viewfinder and the actual photo during close-ups. But this is stated on the instax website but I never read this until I started writing this review! So yeah, read that first!
When shooting scenery, I found the prints came out pretty well.
I was a bit annoyed with the selfie mode. The flash lit me up so well that anyone that was behind me was left in the dark. I have to say that I didn’t take any selfies with anyone near me (COVID-19 times). So if I had taken selfies in the dark with people next to me, it would have been fine. That being said, the flash did a great job at keeping the subject aka me lit up 🙂
While snapping away, you may forget how many prints you have left. But not to worry, you can use the film counter to easily see how many prints you have left!
It takes about 90 seconds for the film to develop. Just don’t shake the film, a colleague tried to do that!
Here is a great video from instax showing how to use the instax mini 11. I couldn’t have done this any better:
Battery Life:
The instax mini 11 is powered by Two AA-size alkaline batteries. This will give you roughly 100 prints.
What is in the box:
- instax mini 11 camera
- Camera strap
- Shutter buttons
- Guide
Pricing:
The recommended retail price is R1,199. A box of 10 instax mini film’s will cost you R159, which works out to R15.9 for a print. While the price per print may be a bit high for my liking, the instax mini 11 is the most affordable instax camera to date!
Verdict:
While there are other instant cameras from instax that have more features and modes, the instax mini 11 wins for its simplicity. It is simply a point, shoot and print. Perfect for anyone that doesn’t want to fiddle before each shot. It also comes in at a great price! I would have liked to be able to turn off the flash as some of my images were overexposed. I do think I didn’t get my distance correct, but with the COVID-19 situation, you can’t blame me for taking selfies far from people!
