My main present for this Christmas just gone was the amazing Instax Mini 8. I had been eyeing this baby up for quite a while, having seen it on tumblr a lot and a few popular blogs. I've always loved polaroid style cameras, since I had one of the Polaroid i-Zones when I was younger that printed a photo sticker, and the fact that you can have a tangible photo within seconds is amazing to me so as soon as I saw these new cameras I knew I had to have one!!
My mum bought the camera from Amazon for me as I believe they are cheaper online than to buy them from somewhere like Urban Outfitters and you have the option to buy bundles that come with extra packs of film. I asked for the Baby Blue coloured camera (was torn between this and the pink) and my mum chose a bundle for me that came with 4 packs of film, ten prints each, and also a set of rechargeable batteries with a charger. I think altogether this pack was around £60-£70 which is really good value considering some places sell the camera alone for above £90!
First of all the camera is really easy to set up, the AA batteries fit in a panel on the back and the camera comes with a hand-strap that loops into the top corner. The film comes in silver packaging which you simply peel open to reveal the black box which you then place into a panel in the back with the two rectangular shapes facing towards you. To open the lens on the camera you press a button located to the right bottom corner and then according to what kind of light/brightness setting you are in, the light at the top of the dial on the lens will light up and you switch it to whatever mode the light is shown over. All you do then is point at your object, looking through the little viewfinder on the back, and press the circular button to the left of the lens and see the photo printed out of the top. Altogether the camera is very simple to set up and you don't really need the instructions, which are mostly Chinese, as it is really self explanatory.
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| Baby Blue Instax Mini 8 |
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| Selection of my prints with sharpie dates! |
The first time you put new film into the camera, the first shot you take will be the plastic backing of the film coming out so you don't need to worry about the first time you press the "take" button as this will be dispensed before you take your first photo. A window at the back of the camera also shows you how many photos you have left to take. When the film is finished you simply open the back panel of the camera again and take the plastic container out before putting in a new one.
The photo prints come out of the camera about credit card size and they are really cute and dinky, also with really high quality which I was very impressed with upon taking my first photo on Christmas morning!! You can get all sorts of exciting film for the camera at around £10-£15 a pack depending on what you choose and I have seen various designs on sites like Ebay including Disney Princesses which of course I am going to buy for my very own Princess' 21st birthday next month for some bday snaps (hi Jade heheh).
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| Closer Photo of a Print about Credit Card Size |
I would say the Instax Mini is definitely a must have camera if you're into the polaroid revival and it's just a really nice thing to make memories with I think. You can keep the photos forever and never have the worry of having to save something that is digital. They're a cute thought to give to friends and with them growing quite popular now there are more accessories about such as bags and cases and also photo albums that you can use with your Instax & the prints. Can't wait to take it to Berlin on my Uni trip next week for some more little snaps that I can keep til I'm old!!
