When taking shots, you'll also need to be aware of where your hands are holding the camera because you really don't want to obstruct either the built-in flash or crucially the auto exposure (AE) light and Flash Light sensors, both of which are found above the lens. Coming soon, INSTAX users will be able to use the INSTAX UP! App to stay informed about the latest INSTAX updates, tips, and other creative content.

The off-center viewfinder can also make light flares an issue when shooting towards the sun. What might seem well-composed can actually have direct sunlight hitting the lens. There are a couple of design tweaks that make perfect sense. You now turn the camera on by rotating the lens, and the lens has two settings: on and close-up. It's more intuitive, and a far less clunky process than on the Instax Mini 11, where pressing a stiff button pops the lens out and turns the camera on, and pulling the lens out then engages close-up mode.

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The Instax Mini 12 is primarily designed to be used in portrait format with the built-in flash at the top.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 improves on the previous generation Instax Mini in meaningful ways, making instant photography more accessible than ever with a largely accurate auto exposure system and an adjustable lens that works for close-ups and selfies as well as portraits and landscapes. Designed to offer a purely point-and-shoot experience that just delivers great results, the Mini12 introduces three new features to help achieve that aim - automatic flash control, close-up mode and a parallax correction feature. Solutions like our INSTAX UP! App keep our consumers connected, engaged, and informed,” said Ashley Reeder Morgan, vice president, Consumer Marketing, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “INSTAX UP! will enable our users to organize, archive, and share their INSTAX photos with ease, helping preserve their special memories and inspiring them to create more.” Colors, Pricing, and Availability Otherwise, most of the features of the Instax Mini 11 are carried over to the Instax Mini 12. There’s the same 60mm f/12.7 lens, with a close-up / selfie mode that reduces the minimum focus distance from 0.5m to 0.3m.Of course that enjoyment factor is tarnished if the camera is churning out pictures that appear too bright or too dark, too blown out by the flash or with off-kilter framing that cuts out half of your subject. You don't really want photos that have to go straight in the bin. Those can appear far more dream-like, while Instax appears more natural. Darker scenes and shadows appear much more dramatic than real life, though. When it comes to battery life, the Mini 12 takes two AA batteries (included) so there’s no need to recharge every night. You’ll just need to swap the batteries out when they do die. Fujifilm states you’ll get around 100 shots per set of batteries, and this matches up with experiences I have had with previous cameras of this ilk. App The camera now has auto flash exposure, but I should stress that the flash still fires for every single picture. The theory is that the power of the flash is adjusted depending on what the camera sees, within the 0.3m to 2.7m range.