Fujifilm Instax Mini 70: A Little Camera That Makes Photography Fun

I spend a lot of time around cameras, and it’s easy to get caught up in specifications. Megapixels, lenses, focusing systems — there’s always something to compare. Then you pick up an instant camera and remember that sometimes you just want a photograph of someone having a good time.

That’s what appeals to me about the Fujifilm Instax Mini 70. Take a picture, wait for it to develop and you’ve got something you can actually hand to someone. No asking them to send it over later, then reminding them three times.

I like the design, too. It’s neat, fairly compact and has a slightly more grown-up look than some of the chunkier Instax models. Still fun, just a little less like something you might find in a toy cupboard.

There’s more to it than looks, though. The Mini 70 has automatic exposure, a built-in flash and a few useful shooting modes. Macro mode helps with closer subjects, landscape mode handles more distant scenes, and there’s a selfie mode with a small mirror beside the lens. You also get a self-timer, which gives the person taking all the photographs a chance to actually appear in one.

For me, the real attraction is the print. It uses Fujifilm Instax Mini film, producing those little credit-card-sized photographs with the familiar border. They’re a good size for keeping in a wallet, sticking on the fridge or tucking into a card.

We take so many photographs now that it’s easy for them to disappear into a phone, somewhere between a screenshot of a delivery confirmation and a picture of a parking space. A physical photograph has a better chance of being seen.

Of course, instant photography comes with a catch: every time you press the shutter, you’re using film. There’s no preview screen and no deleting an unfortunate expression before it reaches the outside world. Someone blinking is now a permanent part of the occasion.

That cost does make you think a little more before taking a picture. Check the framing, make sure your finger isn’t over the lens, and give everyone a chance to look in roughly the right direction. You don’t need to make a production of it, but a little care helps.

A practical detail worth mentioning is that the Mini 70 needs two CR2 lithium batteries. It doesn’t use AA batteries, so check you have the right ones before planning to take it out. You’ll also need Instax Mini film — the Square and Wide formats won’t fit.

Buying and selling cameras has made me appreciate equipment that still has plenty of enjoyment left to offer. An older Instax can make a lovely little camera for days out, get-togethers or simply photographing the people around you.

The Mini 70 appeals to me because the end result is so straightforward: a photograph you can keep, give away or write a date on.

And occasionally, a photograph of someone with their eyes shut. You can always call that one candid.

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