Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Review: Looks like a toy, functions like a toy

We live in an instant age. Instant noodles, instant coffee, instant dates, and of course, the instant sharing of everything on social media. Gone are the days when taking a picture was a moment to capture a memory. Being a 90s kid I can safely quote "hamare zamane me" photos were emotions. They were keepsakes, unlike the digital somethings that we capture nowadays and then forget about them. The appeal of a camera like Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is this promise to give users a slice of the old times: the times of keepsakes and that feeling of posing, clicking, and having the memory etched onto a Polaroid.

On that count, the camera succeeds. Up to an extent. But at the same time, as I reviewed the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12, I also found that its promise of old polaroid and instant - that's why the name Instax - falls short on wholesome experience. It is a camera limited in its functionality, which is a given considering its nature. So, the limited functionality is not an issue. Instead, the reason why my experience with the Instax Mini 12 was never wholesome was because even the limited functionality and features are implemented in a way that feels too little.

Let's take a closer look at the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 and let's talk in detail.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is priced at an MRP of Rs. 9,499, but you might be able to find it for as low as Rs. 5,999. Now, these Instax cameras from Fujifilm aren't new. So, the Instax Mini 12 comes with some upgrades over its predecessor, including five new pastel shades, better auto exposure, and a selfie mode with simple operations.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 design and build

Like most other Instax cameras, the Instax Mini 12 is compact. Although, the word compact here needs to be seen in a context. As an instant camera, the Mini 12 is compact. But it is not pocketable.

The Mini 12 is a single lens camera. It supports two focal lengths - one regular, and one close up. Near the lens there is a small mirror, which helps you pose while you are shooting selfies. One peculiar bit about the Instax Mini 12 is that it is supposed to be held in a vertical grip, unlike regular cameras that are supposed to have horizontal default grip. This would cause a user some trouble in the beginning like it did to me. This is because the shutter release button is placed for a vertical grip, and when you use the camera with horizontal grip the button simply feels out of place.

The grip is such that you also have to be careful so that you don't cover the flash while holding the camera. In fact some of my first photos with the Mini 12 were too dark and it was a while before I figured out that I was inadvertently covering the flash while clicking the photo. Talking of flashâ€æ well, we will come back to this in a while.

On one side of the camera, there is a hole to attach the nylon wrist strap. Near that is the lid you can slide out to access and replace batteries. Unlike most other gadgets nowadays, which use rechargeable batteries, the Mini 12 uses two regular AA cells. On the other side is the vent from where the Polaroid prints come out within a few seconds after the photo has been clicked. Once out, the photo develops on its own in around 90 seconds.

On the back, there is the viewfinder - Fujifilm calls it Instax finder - to peek and adjust the photo while clicking. There is also an indicator for film count and the lid that you can pop out to replace the polaroid film.

The Instax Mini 12 is made entirely of plastic. And with its rounded, and I must say bulbous and cartoonish body, feels like a toy rather than a camera. In fact, with its design the Mini 12 gives the impression that it is appealing to children or may the kid that resides within us all. It looks like a gadget that is non-serious, and fun. And that is probably its appeal. But I also feel that these design ethos, and the colours - I reviewed the one coloured lilac purple which would not feel out of place in a gear carried by BTS army or Barbie fans - make the camera a niche product.

Overall, design is something that is a subjective element. I like pink. Or maybe not. I like my gadgets to look like they are part of the Barbie movie set. Or like they have been created for a film shot by Wes Anderson. Or maybe not. But what matters more is the performance and feature set. And that brings me toâ€æ

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 performance

Before I start talking about the performance, I would like to give a special mention to how easy it is to use the Instax Mini 12. All you have to do is load the Polaroid sheets, twist the lens to turn on the camera, and click the shutter button. It's literally a one-click photography.

Now, coming to the performance. It does its job. And then you are left wanting more.

Let's first talk about what it does. The Instax Mini 12 clicks instant photos that are around 80mm x 50mm. In other words, tiny photos by all accounts. These photos take around 90 seconds to develop after you have clicked them, and they have this retro vibe going on in them, complete with smooth skin tones and rather uneven exposure and colours. The appeal here, if you can call it that, is the fact that photos come out instantly, that they look kinda cute, and that - if you have lived with film cameras - get to massage your nostalgia.

And each polaroid photo costs Rs 50, that is without taking into account the price of the camera. The polaroid sheets are sold by Fujifilm separately and they can be bought in a bunch of 10 or 20.

If this is indeed what you are looking for from your instant camera, the Instax Mini 12 does it job well enough.

Although, here too I feel it could have been better. You see, when you are clicking a photo with the Instax Mini 12, you don't have control on almost anything. The camera has auto exposure and auto flash, which is good enough. But in my use I found that sometimes they don't sync well. On many occasions, the photos I clicked with the Instax Mini 12 were out of focus and they were either too bright or too dark. The auto flash in particular was a problem. When I clicked indoors it almost always fired, even when I was clicking photos under direct light.

In this one too, the photo was taken in selfie mode, but in a not-too-dark environment. However, the flash was too strong and everyone in the background looked spooky.

While using the Mini 12 again and again I found that I was at the mercy of the camera. In other words, it felt limited like a toy would. It always works with all its settings in auto mode. So, you will have to adjust according to the camera, and the camera will not adjust according to you.

After a while I figured out a way to make the most of it. To get a nearly perfect shot, I figured out that I need to be neither too far nor too close to the camera. However, the purpose of an instant camera is that you see, you frame, you click. Anyway, the photos that were taken keeping in mind the balance of light and distance were fairly good. These photos had all those retro vibes with all the grey and golden tones that we used to see in old photographs from the albums of our parents or grandparents.

In a way the beauty of Mini 12 is that it captures and develops a photo that truly feels like a piece of memory. Like you are in a moment. And then the next second you freeze it on a piece of polaroid film and pin it over your desk. And that I suppose is its main purpose.

It succeeds at that. It's just that I wish it had offered some more. For example, I would have liked for the camera to also store a digital copy of the photo it has clicked, something that I could print in a bigger size. Or probably a functionality that would have allowed me to move a digital copy from the camera to my phone so I could share it on social media and with friends. Or I would have loved to get some more control on the exposure, colours and focus while clicking photos.

Feelings are good but you know which are the items that evoke the best feelings: toys. Fluffy and cute toys. Gadgets, and particularly gadgets like cameras, are supposed to offer more. But the usefulness of the Instax Mini 12, in a way, is somewhat like the usefulness of the teddy bear, which I am sure, can also evoke feelings.

Now, this doesn't make the Instax Mini 12 - or a teddy bear - useless. It is just that when you are buying one, you must understand that these items are limited in their functionality.

Should you buy it?

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is not a very expensive camera. It costs around Rs 6,000 in market, although its MRP is Rs 9,499. And that means for hobbyists, or for someone looking to gift a "camera" to a 10-year-old kid, it is a good enough purchase. It may not offer a lot, but it offers some functionality that is unique and looks cute and cuddly while it does so.

But for anyone else, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is not something that they should consider. I mean don't get swayed by the name Fujifilm or the word camera. If you want a camera, you buy a camera and Fujifilm sells some fine ones. The Instax Mini 12 is not one of them.