Fujifilm makes both cameras and printers under their Instax brand. If you had to chose one should you get an Instax printer or Instax camera? The answer will surprise you.
The biggest problem with Instax cameras
There is no doubt that Instax cameras are worth it, and while the price of the film is quite adequate, there is one reason why the price adds up: You are forced to print.
When you shoot an Instax camera, the picture gets taken and exposed to the film directly and out it comes. It does not matter if your shot is great or if you missed for the umpteenth time, you will lose a print. Take 10 shots, out comes 10 prints with a dollar amount attached to it.
While the colors of the prints are special, it is a tough pill to swallow that every time you push the button, you spend money. Depending on how trigger happy you are, a film pack can last a few hours or a few days.
Plus each of these prints are unique, they will never be the same because it takes a picture in order to print. So if you want a picture of a friend, you need two shots and they will be slightly different. This is not like film photography where you had a negative that you could make copies of.
Moreover Fujifilm has pretty much always refused to make a a high end Instax with stellar optics so the Instax photos you get will never be of high quality.
The case for Instax printers
This is where Instax printers shine. Instead of wasting your print on misses you can print only the shots you want. Moreover your phone is of a much higher quality of camera so everything is generally going to look better.
That is not all, you can edit your images on your phone with the exact look you want, something not possible with the cameras.
Plus you shoot hundreds of images on your phone and an Instax printer is a great way to get these out and make them see the light in a physical world.
Unlike the cameras, there’s no need to waste any film, only print what you want. You can shoot dozens of images to get your shot just right and then only use one print, making it extremely economical. Check out the best Instax printers here.
Advanced printer features
There are a few Instax films available with different border decoration and the possibility to shoot in black and white. For better or worse you are stuck with said film too, if you want to shoot color while you have black and white film loaded, you need to finish it first.
With a printer you only need regular Instax film, you can turn you photo into black and white on your phone and then print it. While the printer will not print on the border, you can add a lot of decorations and borders from your phone in order to make each image more lively.
While it seems like the Instax printer or Instax camera choice might sound settled, here’s the issue with printers.
The biggest problem with Instax printers
Instax cameras have one thing going for them: They are FUN. And while printers can give you the same look, the issue here is that it is just not the same thing. Nothing beats pressing a button and out comes a print.
Compare the simplicity and fun of turning on, pressing a button and having an instant image to having to turn on both printer and phone, make sure Bluetooth is on, open the app, fiddle around to find your image and then printing.
Printing from a shot is so fun and it never gets old. But on the other hand the issues still remain, you burn trough film as soon as you press the shutter release and each image is unique. Well, that is until now, because there is ONE Instax camera that is both a camera and printer.
The best of both worlds
Why chose between and Instax printer or Instax camera when you can have both? The Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay is a digital camera that can print Instax mini images. Connect it to your phone with Bluetooth and it also doubles as a standalone printer.
As a standalone camera it can shoot both color and black and white images so no need to edit on your phone. But it becomes a better device when you pair it with your phone. Of course you can print your phone images but also add custom borders to your images. You can even use your phone as a remote viewfinder for that perfect selfie.
This is the only Instax camera available that is 3 in 1: It is a digital camera, an Instax camera and an Instax printer. You can find more about it here in our review.
It is absolutely worth it as you can have fun with it as a normal Instax but for when you want to print something specific simply fire up the app and you can do it. The versatility is pretty high with this camera, that is why it is the first recommendation as an Instax on this site.
So, Instax printer or Instax camera? Conclusion
So should you get an Instax printer or Instax camera? Because of the controls you get and the ability to chose exactly what you want to print, printers are a good choice but they have none of the Instax fun. So the best choice is both: Get the Instax Mini Liplay and get an Instax camera and printer all in one. Happy shooting.