Quick Product Review: Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera (Blue)

Very Quick

"The Instax Mini 8 is great if you're taking indoor photos of friends and parties but because my use was primarily landscape, the limited functions of this camera were hard to work with."

"Also obviously in low light its not that great and the flash ALWAYS fires (cant turn it off) so watch out for whitewashing your subject and having black behind them - cover the flash a bit or have a light source behind you."

"This camera can only hold 10 photos at a time, which is why most packs come in packs of 10, but some packs come so you buy 20 or more, usually at a higher price but may be worth it if you don't want to keep buying more film each time you finish 10."

"I did purchase several packs of film and accessories to go with the camera including a clear hard plastic case that snaps around the camera with a neck strap, a snap-on lense with a little mirror on for selfies, a pack of decorative stickers to put on the camera body, and a photo album to hold the photos."

Quick

"No, but it's a fun and cute way to relive days gone by, especially if you're someone who likes showing off the kind of pictures you can take and you don't need to snap 10 photos in a burst just to get one that looks good. Now that being said, this is why I don't understand the people buying this camera as a gift for their 6 year olds and then complain over the price of the film... Despite complaints that pictures come out dark, I will try to elaborate: the background of indoor shots are indeed dark, but the focal point is bright and in focus."

"I bought this used in new condition and when I first put in new batteries and film in it and turned it on, all the lights on the front and eyepiece kept blinking... The Instax Mini 8 is great if you're taking indoor photos of friends and parties but because my use was primarily landscape, the limited functions of this camera were hard to work with. I definitely debated whether or not to switch because this was so much fun to work with but if you're hoping to invest more in the photos then possibly this camera isn't for you or a DSLR is."

"I love the reaction from waiters who we ask to take a picture for us - they always get really excited and loop back after a few minutes just to see how the picture turned out... Also obviously in low light its not that great and the flash ALWAYS fires (cant turn it off) so watch out for whitewashing your subject and having black behind them - cover the flash a bit or have a light source behind you... I havent tried the macro (zoom) mode yet bc I didnt want to waste any shots on things like food, but Id imagine that would be the only way to manually change the aperture so you could get that nice blurry background behind the subject."

"Make sure you are wary of lighting, flash is automatic, and if it's really cloudy outside, the pictures may or may not look right, although the mood does adjust based on lighting. Be careful of what you take pictures of, because pictures print instantly and you don't want to waste film, which can be expensive (usually 11-30 dollar range). This camera can only hold 10 photos at a time, which is why most packs come in packs of 10, but some packs come so you buy 20 or more, usually at a higher price but may be worth it if you don't want to keep buying more film each time you finish 10."

"I'm still getting used to figuring out what constitutes as "cloudy", but I kind of like the over-exposed look, as it is more flattering on skin (blows out any imperfections), and gives you that old-school feel of a less-than-perfect camera. I'm still giving the camera five stars, because I would rather an image be over-exposed than under-exposed, and I have enough setting choices that I think I can figure it out eventually. Pro/Con: The camera, in my experience so far, seems to take the best photos indoors, which seems to be the opposite of most cameras (digital or film) out there."

"The pictures are about the size of a business card and the quality is very good... I did purchase several packs of film and accessories to go with the camera including a clear hard plastic case that snaps around the camera with a neck strap, a snap-on lense with a little mirror on for selfies, a pack of decorative stickers to put on the camera body, and a photo album to hold the photos... Both kids take photos on their tablets and tend to take random multiple pics of all sorts of inanimate objects but she's been using her film wisely so far."

"I bought this for my young daughter because she is always taking pictures with my digital camera and never gets to do anything with the results (I'm one of those people who's pictures pretty much sit on the computer)... Bottom line- the camera works like you would expect (if you've ever seen an instant film camera and the resulting picture) and everyone wants to use it or have their photo taken... Photos look exactly like they did on my old mini Polaroid I had 15 years ago, and on the full size Polaroid my parents had before that."

Less Quick

"First off, I didn't even know they still made Polaroid film cameras... No, but it's a fun and cute way to relive days gone by, especially if you're someone who likes showing off the kind of pictures you can take and you don't need to snap 10 photos in a burst just to get one that looks good. Now that being said, this is why I don't understand the people buying this camera as a gift for their 6 year olds and then complain over the price of the film. Of course it's going to be pricey when being used by someone who will go through an entire pack of film in roughly 90 seconds. Just because the technology is considered a relic by current standards doesn't mean it's best suited for the very young... Despite complaints that pictures come out dark, I will try to elaborate: the background of indoor shots are indeed dark, but the focal point is bright and in focus... For roughly $45, you get a case, mini photo album, selfie mirror and a few other little bits that make it a great deal."

"However, I tried taking a picture of a downtown skyline at night and the photo didn't turn out well at all. The flash was set on the lowest setting but the entire picture still turned out black... I bought this used in new condition and when I first put in new batteries and film in it and turned it on, all the lights on the front and eyepiece kept blinking. I was afraid that I had bought a bad camera but luckily it worked fine with the switch to different batteries... **Edit: I ended up upgrading this camera to the Neo Classic Instax 90 which is more than double the price unfortunately but I'm hoping it'll be a better investment. The Instax Mini 8 is great if you're taking indoor photos of friends and parties but because my use was primarily landscape, the limited functions of this camera were hard to work with. I definitely debated whether or not to switch because this was so much fun to work with but if you're hoping to invest more in the photos then possibly this camera isn't for you or a DSLR is."

"Its a bulbously looking camera, kinda playful, but everywhere you go with it people look. I love the reaction from waiters who we ask to take a picture for us - they always get really excited and loop back after a few minutes just to see how the picture turned out. Obviously it is a basic camera - you can only pick the ISO and the camera gives you a suggested number depending on light levels it detects, and you select the level by rotating the ring around the lens... The viewfinder is slightly off target but we have gotten used it it after a few shots. The flash is super bright so we put white cloth medical tape on it to diffuse the light, which works well. Also obviously in low light its not that great and the flash ALWAYS fires (cant turn it off) so watch out for whitewashing your subject and having black behind them - cover the flash a bit or have a light source behind you... I havent tried the macro (zoom) mode yet bc I didnt want to waste any shots on things like food, but Id imagine that would be the only way to manually change the aperture so you could get that nice blurry background behind the subject."

"I bought this camera on April 3rd, and received it two days later on April 5th around evening using Amazon Prime, FedEx shipping... Now, I wish that there was a timer on it, or that flash was optional, but otherwise it's fine... The pictures literally are the size of a credit card, I compared it myself! Make sure you are wary of lighting, flash is automatic, and if it's really cloudy outside, the pictures may or may not look right, although the mood does adjust based on lighting. Be careful of what you take pictures of, because pictures print instantly and you don't want to waste film, which can be expensive (usually 11-30 dollar range). This camera can only hold 10 photos at a time, which is why most packs come in packs of 10, but some packs come so you buy 20 or more, usually at a higher price but may be worth it if you don't want to keep buying more film each time you finish 10... The camera isn't really small so it's not something you can stash in a pocket and go, but it will fit nice in a decent sized purse, or in a backpack."

"I'm a professional photographer, but I wanted to have this as just a fun thing to use at my Lolita meetups... Because it is a new camera, the film is also much easier to find (and much cheaper) than traditional instant cameras (such as Polaroid). There are also a few different settings available, so you can theoretically use it in brighter or darker settings... For example, on a pretty overcast day, I chose the "cloudy" setting, and the photo came out way over-exposed (as though it were much darker out and needed more flash). I'm still getting used to figuring out what constitutes as "cloudy", but I kind of like the over-exposed look, as it is more flattering on skin (blows out any imperfections), and gives you that old-school feel of a less-than-perfect camera. I'm still giving the camera five stars, because I would rather an image be over-exposed than under-exposed, and I have enough setting choices that I think I can figure it out eventually. Pro/Con: The camera, in my experience so far, seems to take the best photos indoors, which seems to be the opposite of most cameras (digital or film) out there."

"I purchased this camera for my daughter's 11th birthday and she absolutely loves it... The pictures are about the size of a business card and the quality is very good. It's funny, but I think people look better in these photos ..... I did purchase several packs of film and accessories to go with the camera including a clear hard plastic case that snaps around the camera with a neck strap, a snap-on lense with a little mirror on for selfies, a pack of decorative stickers to put on the camera body, and a photo album to hold the photos. It was such a hit that my son has asked for the same setup for his 9th birthday coming up in December... Both kids take photos on their tablets and tend to take random multiple pics of all sorts of inanimate objects but she's been using her film wisely so far... 75/photo and I didn't see the Polaroid film on Amazon cheaper than $1/photo even when bundled."

"I bought this for my young daughter because she is always taking pictures with my digital camera and never gets to do anything with the results (I'm one of those people who's pictures pretty much sit on the computer). I also thought it would help her take more clear pictures because she would see the results right away... She has her own little journal that is enhanced with photos (of Christmas, vacations, etc)... Bottom line- the camera works like you would expect (if you've ever seen an instant film camera and the resulting picture) and everyone wants to use it or have their photo taken. I spent way too long comparing the different cameras, now I see it just doesn't matter! Photos look exactly like they did on my old mini Polaroid I had 15 years ago, and on the full size Polaroid my parents had before that. I chose the Fuji brand because I liked the color and shape (thought my daughter would), the price, size and price of film, but I don't think the various models really make a difference."