Hey, folks! I did it. I finally got into instant photography. And I love it.
Admittedly, I've had some experience with instant photography before now. I got my first instant camera at a thrift store in 2022. It was a Polaroid OneStep from the 90s, and while film was still readily available for it, it was far too expensive to justify using it regularly. As cool as instant photography was, I accepted that it wasn't economically viable for me and moved on.
...Until about a month ago! On one of my first dates with my girlfriend, she introduced me to her Fujifilm Instax Mini 11. It was a much more compact and modern instant camera than my Polaroid. It also used smaller film slides. This was a big deal, as she informed me that the smaller film came at a smaller price. I was intrigued.
A couple weeks later, I ventured to Walmart and splurged. I picked up the cheapest Instax they sold: The Mini SE. It only cost about $57, and it came bundled with 10 slides of film. I also picked up an extra 20 slides for only $13, working out to $0.65 per picture. Compared to my Polaroid, this was incredibly affordable. I was ecstatic.
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| I'm a sucker for blue. |
As you could guess, I almost immediately started taking loads of photos with my shiny new Instax... And I didn't stop. As of now, I've probably gone through about 50 slides. My wallet may hate me, but I love instant photography too much to care. In fact, I love it so much that I'm going to review the Instax Mini SE right here, right now. So, let's begin with...
The Mini SE comes in a number of different colors, and I opted for the blue model. It's a fairly large camera, and it's not even remotely pocketable. That said, it's reasonably comfortable to hold. The camera is constructed entirely out of plastic, but it doesn't feel offensively cheap. I imagine that it will hold up fine over time. It's definitely a bit bulbous, yet I think the Mini SE is a very cute little camera. It's exactly what I think of when I hear the phrase "cheap and cheerful." It's not a premium device, but it doesn't need to be. It's just plain fun.
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| The design is fairly ergonomic. |
The Shooting Experience
Taking photos on the Instax is about as straightforward as it gets. You just look through the viewfinder, set the exposure mode, and hit the shutter button! A few seconds later, that magical little slide of film gets spit out and starts developing.
Everything is pretty intuitive, but I do have a few complaints about the shooting experience. They are as follows:
- The viewfinder isn't a mirror image of the lens, so you never truly know what will be in frame. Instead, the viewfinder is just a little window in the top right corner of the camera, giving only a vague idea of what will appear in the photo. You have to do some guesswork and hope for the best.
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It can be hard to frame pictures with the misaligned viewfinder, as is the case in this shot.
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- Being the cheapest Instax model, there is no close-up or selfie mode. This is a fixed-focus camera, so your only option is to move a couple feet away from your subject.
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| There's no macro mode on the Mini SE, so this flower was out of focus. |
- The exposure knob is a mixed bag. On more premium Instax models, the exposure length is automatically determined by a sensor, but you have to set it manually on the Mini SE. This requires a lot of guesswork, as the lighting conditions for each setting on the knob don't really hold up. I've found that more often than not, I choose the wrong setting and the photo turns out too bright or too dark.
On the bright side, having manual control of how long the slide is exposed to light allows for some more creative control. If you purposefully want to underexpose a photo for artistic reasons, you can! Still, I'd take automatic exposure any day.
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| This one came out a little too dark. |
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| This one was too bright, but in a cool way! |
Despite these frustrations, the Mini SE is still loads of fun to shoot with. Just be prepared for some frustration and wasted shots.
The Film
As mentioned before, 20 slides of film will run you about $13 USD. Considering the manufacturing process that goes into making instant film, that's impressively low. It's way cheaper than Polaroid's offerings, and it still offers that same nostalgic experience many crave.
The slides are about the size of a credit card, which makes them great as wall decor. The actual image quality is pretty bad, but that's part of the charm. Instant film offers an aesthetic that you won't find anywhere else, and its numerous limitations can be fun to take advantage of.
Something you'll quickly realize is how precious each photo is. You have to be very intentional about what photos you take because each picture costs you money. It requires you to really think each shot through before you take it. In a world of instant gratification and unlimited storage space, this is weirdly refreshing.
So, no, the photos you take aren't going to win any awards, but they make some pretty awesome souvenirs. The ritual of instant photography remains enticing to this day, which is a testament to the value of intentional photography.
My Photos
With all of that in mind, I think it's time to show off some of my favorite pictures I've taken with the Mini SE. I've captured many different things, ranging from my girlfriend to a giant inflatable bear. Don't question it too much. Here are my pics:
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| I liked the lines and shadows in this one. |
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| The exposure is a little off in this photo, but it's a vibe. |
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| A little underexposed, but I like the railroad sign. |
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| For an Instax pic, this one is surprisingly centered! Plus, I'm a sucker for that natural vignette. |
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I loved the colors of the leaves in this.
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| Thrifting adventures with Porter, brilliantly captured by the Instax. |
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| I told you I took some weird pictures with this thing. |
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| Low light performance is typically pretty bad with instant cameras, so I was impressed by this photo. |
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| If you hold the camera far enough away from you, selfies ARE possible. |
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| It's a Vivaldi reference. |
Final Thoughts
The Instax Mini SE is a fundamentally flawed camera. It's often hard to get the exposure right. Its fixed-focus lens essentially makes macro shots and close-up selfies out of the question. And the viewfinder can be difficult to work with. And believe me, I had a lot of duds when I was taking photos for this review. I probably took at least six unusable photos.
But you know what? None of that really matters. The fact is: For $57, you're getting a really fun instant camera with a pack of film to boot. Make no mistake, a more premium model (like the new Instax Mini 12) is undeniably superior, bringing features like a selfie mode and automatic exposure to the table. However, I'm still totally content with my Mini SE. It's already successfully captured countless precious moments for me, and I'm extremely thankful for that.
My verdict? If you want a cheap instant camera, I cannot recommend the Instax Mini SE enough. It's pretty rad. Higher-tier models are definitely worth considering, but any Instax is sure to bring you a good time. Give it a shot; I don't think you'll regret it.
As always, thanks for reading.
