Small, pastel colors and wonderful, here are the 5 best Instax mini cameras you can get if you want to shoot the mini format. This list has been updated with sample images for each camera when available.
What you need to know about Instax mini
The Instax mini format is one of the best instant film that Fujifilm makes. First there is the size, the mini is a credit card sized film that is easy to transport and shot for shot is the cheapest Instax film format at about 60 cents per shot. You can also check out the best Instax wide cameras and the best Instax square cameras for the other formats.
There is also the availability. If you go to a general store or a mall you will most likely find the Instax mini film for sale, but not the square or the wide. This is a great format for travelling too as you can find them while traveling in bigger cities around the world.
Moreover since Instax minis is one of the first Instax films (The first was the obscure Pivi) Fujifilm has been around a while making and refining cameras. So this list shares a few of the best Instax cameras in general. Here’s the selection below.
Best Instax mini cameras
You can find the list of the best Instax mini cameras below, more on each after
| Name | Lens (35mm equivalent) | Features | Get it here: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Instax Mini Liplay | 28mm f2 | Digital, Analog print, Printer | Check Price |
| 2. Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic | 35mm f12.7 | Double exposure, Timer, etc | Check Price |
| 3. Instax Mini 40 | 35mm f5.6 | Selfie mirror, Faster lens | Check Price |
| 4. Instax Mini 70 | 35mm f12.7 | Selfie mirror, timer, macro | Check Price |
| 5. Instax Mini 11 | 34mm f7.5 | Customizable shutter release | Check Price |
Now that we’ve seen the overall list of the best Instax mini cameras, let’s look at what makes each special with sample images when available.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Instax camera, Digital camera, Printer ✔️ Economical: Print what you need ✔️ No need for special film ✔️ Print from your phone ✔️ Smallest Instax | ❌ Average digital camera |
The Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay is one of the best Instax mini cameras ever made. It is pretty much one of the dew Instax cameras that circumvent the biggest drawback to Instax: The fact that you HAVE to print.
You messed up your settings? Bad timing? Someone blinked? Doesn’t matter, a print will come out whether you have the shot or not. The Mini Liplay on the other hand is an Instax that can save to a memory card and you chose what to print. One pack can last a long time because you can be selective, plus it gives you the possibility to print copies of the same images.
Granted the image quality is average from the camera, but it never ceases to be awesome when you print. The magic of Instax is in the colors you get in the print after all. Because this shoots digital first, you do not need to get special film packs to shoot things like Sepia and Black and white.
You can connect this camera to your phone and print your images via Bluetooth, making this a digital camera, an Instax camera and an Instax printer, a 3-in-1 device. With a phone connected you can upload custom image borders and use your phone as a viewfinder. There is a selfie mirror in the front and it also has one of the fastest lenses on an Instax so it’s pretty capable with low light.
Within the menus you can do special effects like add borders, change the Exposure value +2 to -2 (Most others is only +1 and +2) , etc. Overall because this allows you to print Instax and yet not be forced to print every picture, this is one of the best Instax mini cameras you can buy. Plus if you care about size, this is one of the most compact ones too.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Pure analog goodness ✔️ Stylish camera ✔️ Lots of controls ✔️ Double exposure ✔️ Two ways to shoot | ❌ No selfie mirror |
If you want a pure analog camera, this is one of the best Instax mini cameras since release. Arguably this is one of the better looking Instaxes out there with that rangefinder inspired silver with black stripe. It is also one of the most advanced mini models out there too. Of course you can shoot completely automatic but you can also control the macro model, light and dark, self timer, bulb, double exposure.
This is the most feature rich Instax mini camera and that is why it is on top of the list of the best Instax mini cameras. There are certain preset scenes that you can use to have creative control over the image like “Kids mode” that makes the shutter speed faster so that you can freeze the action.
One of the best and underrated features of this camera is probably the double shutter release button. Most cameras have this in the front (to make selfies easier) but this also has one on the top. This model only lacks one feature that a lot of Instaxes have: A selfie mirror. But you can always use your own reflection on the lens to frame, it just needs a little getting used to. The amount of creative features this camera has more than makes up for it.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Classical look ✔️ Selfie mirror ✔️ Cheaper than 90 Neo ✔️ Simple operation | ❌ Feature poor compared to 90 Neo |
The Instax 40 is one of the latest Instax models out there. And it is very hard not to compare it to the 90, so you can think of it as a simplified version. It has it’s own distinctive look with the leather look and has that selfie mirror that the 90 lacks.
It looks good and looks serious, unlike the following of the best Instax mini cameras that has a kid aesthetic to them. All you have in the back is a counter of how many films you have left.
One of the more “invisible” differences is the lens, this lens is much faster than the 90, so it requires less light to make a shot. So this is particularly well suited for low light situations as you can see below in one of the Sample images. There is nothing else to say about the 40 besides that.
So if you want an Instax mini that you can simply point and shoot, this is the best choice. If you want more controls, the 90 Neo.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Simple and fun ✔️ Some controls ✔️ Selfie mirror ✔️ Easy to carry | ❌ Love it or hate it design ❌ Discontinued |
If you want some control over your images, then the Instax 70 might fit you very well. There is the usual here with selfie mirror and something unique, easy attachments to carry this in front of you.
There is no light and dark override but a high key mode that pushes the exposure up. It cannot do bulb or double exposure but can do the macro and has countdown timer.
In short this is between the 40 and the 90 in terms of features but the design is something that you either like or not. There are lots of colors to chose from.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Fun and cheap ✔️ Seldfie mirror ✔️ Custom shutter release | ❌ Odd design |
This will be the last choice as one of the best Instax mini cameras you can get. This one if reserved for those on a budget because it is the cheapest on the list and the design is definitely on the kid/fun side of the spectrum.
There’s no features so to speak, point, shoot, print. There’s the selfie mirror in front and that is about it. The shutter release button has a little slot-like area made so that you can attach a plastic jewel on it or a glow in the dark Instax logo button.
That is probably the biggesty indication that this is aimed at a younger demographic so it makes for the perfect starter Instax to give as a gift.
Conclusion
There you have it, I hope you enjoyed this article about the best Instax mini cameras. There’s a broad range of them so that makes it easy to pick the one that is just right for you. Without a doubt, the best one is the Instax Mini Liplay. You can save to memory card and print only what you want and you can use it as a smartphone printer. The best pure analog Instax mini is the 90 Neo classic as it is feature rich. The Mini 40 is for those who want style but just want simplicity.
The Mini 70 has some features but lacks Bulb and multiple exposure while if you are on a budget, the Mini 11. Happy shooting!