Instax camera fuses a vintage analog vibe with pocket-sized digital power

Fujifilm got really whimsical when building its latest camera in the Instax line. This digital camera for casual photography looks like the analog point-and-shoot models of the 1960s, but it’s half the size and includes plenty of modern, convenient features that will make it a pleasure to use.

The Instax Pal 2 combines retro styling with chunky touch controls for a unique look that suits its purpose as a fun way to capture memories.

Like the rest of the Instax line, this one is not designed for high fidelity photography. The tiny 1/3.06-inch image sensor offers 10.7 megapixel images in high quality and 1.2 megapixel images in low quality. At the highest quality setting, you can store around 400 images per GB.

You get an f/2.2 lens with automatic shutter speed ranging from 1/4 to 1/80,000 second and automatic white balance. To frame your shots, there’s a true optical viewfinder on the front, accompanied by a small 1-inch LCD screen on top for reviewing photos and navigating settings.

You’re probably wondering what the physical controls on either side of the headset are for. The right toggle switches between mini, square and wide formats for still images, and also activates a neat animation mode.

The latter lets you take 10 frames to create a flipbook-like animation that you can share via your phone.

Meanwhile, the dial on the left cycles through various filters and effects you can apply to your photos in-camera.

Speaking of which, the companion mobile app connects to the camera to not only download images but also trigger the shutter remotely. This is useful for selfies and group photos. This app can also stream your images to an Instax printer, including individual frames from your animation sequences. Conveniently, there is an option to connect to these printers directly, no phone required.

The Pal 2 also comes with a small accessory to prop it up at an angle, so you can take group photos by placing it on a table, for example. It even fits on a tripod with a traditional mount, if you have one. A hand strap is also included.

If you’ve had your eye on these cute little keychain-sized cameras from Kodak and Yashica, but wanted a little more capable hardware, they’re worth a look. I’d say it’ll offer a somewhat similar experience to the larger Yashica Tank, although that one skips the viewfinder and features a 3-inch flip-up LCD preview screen.

The Pal 2 is priced at $169.95 and will be available later this month. Fujifilm also has a new Instax Link WIDE 2 printer ($180) that quickly produces small photos in a novel format with filters, frames and QR codes, and is designed to work well with the Pal 2.

Check out the Instax Pal 2 on the Fujifilm site. Oh, and if you want to shoot a retro-style video, check out
which captures 15 second clips.

Source: Fujifilm