One of my gifts I received from my husband for my birthday this year was an Instax Mini 90 camera and a few packs of film. I used to love using Polaroid cameras but now that film is pretty much impossible to get ahold of these days, Instax is the way to go for instant film photos! So, I’ve only had this little camera for about a day, and although I’m no expert, I do have a few thoughts to share about the Instax Mini 90.
First of all, the film is tiny. Like, almost the size of a business card, tiny. Originally I was interested in the Instax Wide 300 since the film is twice as big, but after watching a few review videos I decided the camera itself was ultimately too bulky for practical use. Now that I’ve gotten to use to my Instax Mini 90 a bit, I don’t feel that the film is too small for detailed photos. In fact, I’m inclined to believe that the small photo size might actually make bad photos look a little bit better.
Another aspect of the Instax Mini 90 that I wasn’t prepared for was the learning curve. I’ve heard so many people talk about how easy it is to use these instant cameras, but in all honesty I went through a whole pack of film before I found the right settings for me. Speaking of settings, this camera has so many settings that it’s actually quite daunting to know which to choose at first. I’ve found success so far with the Landscape mode and macro mode for close-up (like really close up) shots, and I’ve had mixed results when shooting with the default setting. The Instax Mini 90 is definitely a camera to experiment with, so I’m glad I’ve got enough film to allow me to play around with it!
Speaking of shooting, one thing that I find really tricky about this camera is the viewfinder. Now, obviously since it’s a point-and-shoot camera the viewfinder will never be totally accurate, however the placement of the viewfinder almost makes it harder to take accurate photos. For instance, I’ve tried lining photos up in the center of the viewfinder and almost always they lean more heavily to the left. It would be so much better if the viewfinder of the Instax Mini 90 was closer to where the actual lens sits, because then there’s at least a chance that your photo might turn out how you envisioned it.
In conclusion, there are a couple of bothersome aspects to this camera, however one thing to keep in mind is that the Instax Mini 90 and other instant cameras are meant to be fun to use! Try not to worry too much about it and just play around with the settings until something works. I’m really enjoying experimenting with my photos and learning how to use a new type of camera at the same time! And really, what more could I ask for?
