Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The Instax revolution continues unabated, apparently. Fujifilm already had a retro-styled Instax Mini camera on the market, the Mini 90 Neo Classic, but they saw fit to release a somewhat cheaper model, with fewer features. I say somewhat cheaper because, while the original price for the Mini 90 was around $180, you can buy it new right now for around $120, practically the same price as this Mini 40. While both are essentially the same price right now, the Mini 90 has been out forever, and I expect the price of this new model to drop significantly with time. Why the comparison? Well, because they're nearly the same camera. The Mini 90 has a few extra features, such as a double exposure and bulb mode, as well as a faster maximum shutter and a sort-of "macro" focus mode in addition to the close and far focus. These were accomplished by means of a small LCD readout on the back of the camera, which the Mini 40 lacks. While the Mini 40 may seem like a big step down, it isn't necessarily, and that's mainly due to how inflexible Instax Mini film is, along with the generally not-very-sharp nature of the acrylic lens Fuji is working with on both cameras. The Mini 40 is purely automatic, with no flash override, and the "selfie mode" close focusing distance is selected by pulling the lens out a bit further than normal distance, where it clicks into place with a sticker now visible that says "Selfie On." Perhaps the lack of bulb mode is a bummer, along with no flash override, but that's only if you actually worked out how to manually expose the Instax film, mounted the camera on a tripod (except it doesn't have a tripod mount), and held down the button without introducing camera shake to expose how you wanted. In other words, no one used it. I suppose the double exposure mode could have been fun, but I suspect not many people used that either. In reality, the Mini 90 couldn't adequately make use of any of its extra features (did I forget to mention the "macro" mode never produced anything but fuzzy pictures?). My wife has owned it since 2014 and long ago figured out that the fully automatic mode is the best way to use it. The Mini 40, therefore, takes away the decisions that the Mini 90 tricked you into thinking you had when you actually didn't. In that sense, it's a brilliant way to make a cheaper camera and sell it for the same price as the previous model's current street price. It does have a selfie mirror - surprisingly that's useful if you aren't good at aiming the models that don't have one. Instax film is expensive to waste on a badly framed shot. Also the simplified AA batteries instead of the small rechargeable one makes plenty of sense. These cameras never felt like they needed dedicated batteries and chargers anyway. In terms of build, the Mini 40 feels a tad cheaper than the Mini 90. They're both wholly plastic, but the Mini 90 feels a bit more solid, the Mini 40 a bit more rattly. In reality, both probably provide identical durability in most areas. I feel like the motorized lens barrel of the Mini 90 is a bit more solid and would hold up to a spill on the ground better than the cheaper manually extended (by means of a button) and retracted Mini 40's lens barrel. But then, the powered lens motor is another possible failure point which the Mini 40 lacks, so it may be a wash. In fact, the Mini 40 says "just stop worrying and shoot." Given the limited resolution and exposure range of Instax Mini film, that's probably a good idea. The Mini 40 gives you the stylish looks and lets you enjoy the pleasing results of the film with a minimum of fuss. I will always want two things that these cameras don't give me: bigger film size (like Instax Square/Wide), and good glass optics (can be found in other brands but either prohibitively expensive or reserved for the Mini film format). But that's speaking as a photographer. For those who just want to enjoy the fun of instant film, this is a good choice.