The novelty of instant cameras has always been the ability to immediately print a photo after you capture it, allowing folks to immortalize the moment in a colorful sticker. Problem is, the darn thing is still pretty big for a novelty camera, making it quite the hassle to carry around. The Fujifilm Instax Pal offers a more compact alternative, albeit without the instant printing part.
The smallest camera on the Instax line, the device measures around the size of a ping pong ball, allowing you to drop it in a pocket or hang it on a lanyard for conveniently bringing around. How did they manage to make an instant camera that size? Well… they didn’t. Instead, they actually separated the printer from the camera, so the compact unit only houses the camera hardware and nothing more.
The Fujifilm Instax Pal is a compact camera that measures roughly 1.7 inches on all sides, with a curvy, playful shape that makes it feel as much a toy as it is a camera. It’s fitted with a 4.9-megapixel 1/5-inch CMOS sensor, which should be on par with most digital instant cameras, along with an F2.2 wide angle lens and an LED flash that can illuminate up to five feet across the frame. Basic features include auto shutter speeds between ¼ to 1/8000 seconds, ISO 100 to 1,600 light sensitivity, and self-timer of approximately 10 seconds, so you have enough time to set the camera down and get in the frame.
It comes with a keyring lanyard that you can mount on top of the camera to serve as a crude viewfinder for properly framing shots, while a shutter button located in the back makes it easy enough to press without the rest of your hands getting in the way. Since it’s designed to be fun to use, they actually allow users to set their own shutter sounds, including recorded voices, so you can make each shot just a little more entertaining.
The Fujifilm Instax Pal saves all photos to the onboard storage, which can handle up to 50 images at a time, although you can also add a microSD card if you want to keep more images locally. If you have it paired to the smartphone app, it can automatically sync images to it, too, all while allowing you to take burst shots (up to 21 shots at three second intervals) and even operate the shutter remotely. The app comes with other features, too, including applying any of 18 different filters to dress up your images, add decorative elements, and create flipbook-like animations.
It’s designed to work with the outfit’s different instant printers, of course. According to Instax, you can print from the camera directly to the mini Link, mini Link 2, SQUARE Link, and Link WIDE, while the app can print to those four, as well as the mini Evo and the mini LIplay. No word on how many shots you can take before the battery drains out, but it can fully recharge in around two to three hours.
The Fujifilm Instax Pal is available in a bundle with the mini Link 2 printer. Price is $199.95.