A Quick Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Review

Today I thought I'd write a quick review of the Fujifilm Instax mini 8. I am no expert in cameras so I won't be getting very technical- but there are a few facts about this camera that I do know and will talk about, as well my own personal thoughts and experiences with it. Personally, I love this camera!

I wanted a camera like this for absolutely ages, and when I finally got this one for Christmas I was over the moon. It's not very big so it's really easy to just chuck in your bag and take anywhere, and it's super simple to use. However, it's not all perfect, and there are a few things that I wish were a bit better!

First of all- I should mention that this camera is NOT a Polaroid: people often confuse these types of cameras with Polaroids, but Polaroid is a brand name. However, the stereotypical thing that comes to mind when someone says "Polaroid" is a camera that instantly prints out a photograph you have just taken, and that is exactly what the Fujifilm Instax does.

As I've said, this camera is very practical and easy to use, all you have to do is put some film in it and you're good to go. When you switch it on you can choose what setting you want to use depending on the weather or lighting conditions- you can choose from indoors, cloudy, sunny, extra sunny or 'high key', which basically adds extra exposure to your pictures.
It took me ages to realise this, but the orange light you see in the picture below automatically changes to the best setting depending on the lighting detected by the camera's built-in sensor, and then it's your decision whether you want to take the picture with the suggested setting.

The photographs below are a couple of shots taken on the wrong setting. I think the one of the right was taken on 'cloudy' instead of 'sunny' and, as you can see, it turned out way too bright- the right setting would have corrected this and taken some of the brightness away. 

The photographs are credit card sized, so they are relatively small, which may put some people off buying this camera. 

Another downside is the price of the film. It costs £15/£20 for a pack of 20 shots, depending on where you buy them. However, buying bigger packs works out a lot cheaper, especially now that prices seem to have gone down a lot. For example, a pack of 40 shots is currently £25.99 on Ebay.
Even though the film is a bit expensive, I like to only use my camera on special occasions. I like to capture special moments with it, that way I know that I'm not wasting my money and that every picture will have a story behind it.

You can buy photo albums that are specially designed for Fujifilm Instax pictures. I got the one on the left from Ebay for only £3.60, and the one on the right came in a pack with a camera case and a mirror that you attach to the camera to take selfies!
You can get all sorts of other accessories and special film for your camera. I've only ever tried the rainbow film, which I totally recommend.

It takes a while to get to know how each setting is going to make your pictures look, and you might waste a few shots before you start using it properly, but once you get the hang of it, I think it's a great little gadget to have :)

Are you thinking of buying a Fujifilm Instax?
Ana xo