I'm a photographer and the Fujifilm Instax mini 41 totally won me over — it also just fell to its lowest ever price
I'm a big fan of instant photography so I'm really lucky that I get to test the best instant cameras at Tom's Guide. These nifty devices come in all shapes and sizes, and the vast amount of choice can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Should you buy an analog instant camera? Digital? A combination of both?! Fret not, I'm here to help.
If you want a no-frills instant camera that takes great photos and looks just as good, then the Fujifilm Instax mini 41 should be right up your street — and it's currently down to its lowest ever price in the U.S. Right now, the Instax mini 41 is discounted by 23% at Amazon U.S., bringing it down to $99 from its retail price of $129.
The Fujifilm Instax mini 41 is a delightful camera. It's extremely easy to use thanks to the straightforward control scheme, and in most conditions, it takes stunning photos on mini film. Its sleek and premium design and long battery life are the cherries on top of the cake.
There's a lot to love about the Instax mini 41. Firstly, its compact design makes it travel-friendly. The camera weighs next to nothing at 12.16oz, so it's extremely easy to hold for long periods of time — or even slide into your pocket.
It looks stunning too, sporting a mix of black and dark gray accents that give it a premium edge. With a straightforward control scheme, it's extremely easy to use, so anyone can use it — no prior knowledge of instant camera operation necessary!
It's fitted with a retractable 60mm lens, which means it's neither too wide nor too telephoto, giving you a standard field of view, and it has two focus ranges: 0.3m-∞ for most shots, and 0.3-0.5m for close-up shots.
Now that the technical stuff is out of the way, let's talk about the photos it takes. Fuji's color science is at full display here so color reproduction is faithful and accurate.
You can see the sample gallery above. I love how much detail there is in every shot, especially in the second slide where I can clearly read most of the text in the photos.
As its name suggests, the Instax mini 41 prints photos on mini format film, so they can be carried around in your wallet (very old school, I dig it) or pinned up on a corkboard.
The Instax mini 41 lasts a long time too. It utilizes two AA batteries — and a pair of batteries yields 10 mini packs of 10 exposures each, so a total of 100 shots. This is fantastic as you don't need to worry about running out of charge unexpectedly while out and about.
If you don't want to spend too much money but still want an instant camera that rarely disappoints, I'd highly recommend grabbing the 23% discount at Amazon U.S. I love the Instax mini 41 and was, in fact, very sad when I had to return the review unit.
Don't forget to read my full Fujifilm Instax mini 41 review for all the details — I'm sure it will help you make the right decision. Happy snapping!
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