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The newest Instax Mini camera is small, colorful, and a whole lot of funhttps://www.businessinsider.in/the-newest-instax-mini-camera-is-small-colorful-and-a-whole-lot-of-fun/user-error-issues-aside-the-instax-mini-9-takes-some-great-little-photos-using-this-camera-for-a-few-weeks-was-the-most-fun-ive-had-with-a-gadget-in-ages-its-low-tech-for-sure-but-perhaps-we-could-all-benefit-from-going-back-to-basics-/slidelist/58753929.cms2017-05-19T20:41:16+05:30

The newest Instax Mini camera is small, colorful, and a whole lot of fun

May 19, 2017, 20:41 IST

User-error issues aside, the Instax Mini 9 takes some great little photos. Using this camera for a few weeks was the most fun I've had with a gadget in ages. It's low-tech, for sure, but perhaps we could all benefit from going back to basics.

The Mini 9 has a small lens attachment meant for taking close-up photos that conveniently snaps on the front of the camera. But my experience with it wasn't great. My photo of a bowl of grapes was completely out of focus, and another photo of some clever refrigerator magnets was basically one giant blur. In my time testing it out, I didn't shoot one close-up photo I liked.

The same thing happened to this poor heart-eyes emoji pillow. Lesson learned: Use high-key mode wisely, and probably not in bright, sunny rooms.

This one was...not so great. Here I was testing Instax Mini's high-key mode, but it was far too bright in the room for it to work properly. I think this photo may have had potential, but a missing nose just isn't something I can work with.

I obviously had to try out Instax Mini 9's selfie capabilities, and the reliability of its tiny, built-in mirror. The verdict: Very impressive. Even though the mirror is little and has something of a fish-eye effect, it actually really helped in lining up the photo correctly. It was a small —but thoughtful — addition to the camera.

These are just tiny instant pictures, not high-quality film prints. But the natural vignette in the afternoon sky, the graininess of the Flatiron Building, and the bluish hue to the image automatically makes it more beautiful than a standard smartphone shot.

You can adjust the brightness yourself by twisting a dial around the lens — your options are indoors, cloudy, sunny/slightly cloudy, and sunny and bright, plus the high-key mode. But the camera also has light sensors and will suggest a setting based on the amount of light present.

I've shot with film, pinhole cameras, DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, smartphone cameras — you name it. While I'm mainly taking photos with my phone these days, I got a kick out of using the Instax because I remembered how beautiful film photos are, even if they're tiny, instant ones.

Here's my very first photo, taken of my colleague Kif Leswing. One thing to know about the Mini 9 is that is will flash every time it takes a photo, regardless of the lighting conditions (if you're trying to be subtle, this is not the camera for you). But it's helpful in low light: the Business Insider newsroom can be pretty dim on cloudy days, but Kif is lit perfectly.

What sets the Instax Mini 9 apart from previous iterations of Fuijifilm's Instax line of cameras is three key features: A tiny mirror next to the lens for selfies, a lens attachment (not pictured) for macro close-ups, and high-key mode, which adds a bright, faded look to your photos.

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