Fujifilm’s latest addition to the Instax family instantly stands out with its stunning retro-modern aesthetic. The black textured body with its matte grey accents is certainly more functional/modern than fun/retro. However, the knurled knobs, lens ring and ‘film-crank’ style handle (more on that below) lend it an unmistakably analog look. Clearly, Fuji is moving towards a more serious look than other Instax cameras, almost venturing into X Series territory.
The Instax Wide Evo, like the Instax Mini Evo (curr. $199 on Amazon), is a hybrid instant camera, which means you can edit and preview your images on the 3.5 inch rear LCD before printing, or even print from your phone’s photo gallery. However, instead of the Instax Mini instant film (with a 46 x 62 mm image size), it uses the Instax Wide film (99 x 62 mm image size). This allows for much wider images, suitable for landscapes or group shots.
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The new camera takes its ‘Wide’ moniker a little more seriously than that, though. It also features a 15.67 mm ultra-wide lens – the widest ever seen in the lineup. The Wide-Angle Mode is enabled by a switch on the front, but a closer look at the specifications reveals that, rather than effecting a focal length change, it adds a digital crop factor when Wide-Angle Mode is switched off.
Fujifilm has gone all out with the filters and effects with this one. On the Instax Mini Evo, we’ve already seen the ten Film Effects (essentially colour filters) and ten Lens Effects (which add lens distortions/artefacts), but there’s a new degree control which lets you dial in how strongly the effect is applied. Also new are five new Fim Styles, which add elements like a date/time stamp, film-strip sprocket holes and more.
Adding to the camera’s quirky appeal is what Fuji is calling a Print-Crank. Basically, it looks like a folding film-rewind crank that you’d see on old film cameras, but you use it to start printing the selected photo. Is it a tad gimmicky? Sure, but at least it serves a function while looking pretty damn good. Definitely a better retro-styling gimmick than the Leica M10-D’s fake film-advance lever—er, thumb rest.
The rest of the features are fairly standard. A built-in flash and a tiny selfie mirror adorn the front. Images are stored on a microSD card, and a new Instax Wide Evo mobile app lets you transfer images, shoot remotely, adjust settings and print photos taken on your phone. We only wish Fujifilm would use just one app for all Instax cameras and printers, instead of the half-dozen dedicated ones out there.
Alongside the new camera, Fujifilm has launched an old-school faux leather case for the Instax Wide Evo, the top portion of which can be removed while using the camera.
The Instax Wide Evo will be available in the U.S. and Canada in February this year, and will cost $349 USD or $480 CAD. A carrying strap and a lens cap will be included. If you like the idea of using wide format film but aren’t willing to wait (or spend extra for the hybrid functionality), the Instax Wide 400 (curr. $149 on Amazon) offers a simpler, analog shooting experience.