I think that in some ways, Fujifilm Instax has ruined much of instant film for me. This statement comes from one that I stand by: comparison is the theft of joy. Every time I use a NONS instax back for another camera, I fall in love with the fact I can give my older camera new life and I can make instant photos with my older Hasselblad. Today, Fujifilm is announcing the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay+. When the original LiPlay was announced in 2019, I adored it. When the LiPlay 2 was announced, I was warned that it was basically the same camera as the previous one. And now there’s the LiPlay+. When I say that comparison is the theft of joy, what I’m really saying is that I’m sick of seeing and playing with the same cameras over and over again. And that’s what I’m getting from the new Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay+.
Fujifilm Instax cameras are currently at the point where there are new features, too many features, and ones that I don’t think that I’d ever use. Sure, it’s small. But it’s also more or less a redux of all the company’s other Instax cameras.
And now here’s the point where I really, truly, have to think at 8:20AM when I’m writing this review. Why would I buy the new Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay+? But this feels so confusing. And if I’m really this confused as to why I’d even bother to upgrade, then it’s probably not worth buying. So ultimately, I think of the new Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay+ as the incremental smartphone upgrade. Sure, I used to know lots of journalists that would upgrade their phones every single year. I, and many others, don’t see the point. But many of those other journalists work in tech and feel like they need to do it for their job.
In this case, no one is going to get anything major as an upgrade. You can do a lot of cool things: use QR codes, make collages, add new filters, etc. But in the end, the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay+ is basically a retro digicam’s internals with a printer attached to it.
Something I really need to discuss is the design of the camera. The biggest upgrade I’ve seen is the back camera that can help with shooting selfies.
Something about this camera just fundamentally feels off. Maybe it’s the feeling of how boxy it is now or maybe it’s really just that the camera feels like it’s essentially the same thing.
In the end, the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay+ shoots nice photos that remind me of the iPhones of the early 2010s. And it can print the images. That’s it.
At this point in my review, you’re probably wondering what I’d want instead. Truly, I think that that’s up to Fujifilm to figure out. But here’s a list:
- A small optical zoom lens
- More physical controls that don’t make me want to go into the menu system to do things
- An easier menu system
- A real flash
- Better ergonomics that make this camera easier to hold
- A memory card included with the camera
- More of an emphasis of removing the use of screens and smartphones
This camera is basically a digicam in nearly every single way, but there’s a big printer attached to it. Because of that, I purposely didn’t use the invitation to the LiPlay app that Fujifilm invited me to try. And to be quite honest, I don’t know why they need to make a new app for every single camera they make. Why the heck can’t they just have a single app like the X series does?
I’m truly so sick of using my smartphone for every single camera on the market. On top of that, I’m taking four years off of social media, partially because of the events of January 20th here in the United States.
Fujifilm, give me a camera that has a digital aspect to it, but that doesn’t make me need to use my phone to interact with the camera. I’m sick of looking at screens all day and I was sick of it for years now.
With all this said, I think that the new Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay+ is going to do well in the hands of millennials and Gen Z both. If you’re looking for image quality similar to what we had back in 2000s, you’re going to get it here.
But if you’re sick of screens the way I am, you’ll not like this.
I’m not going to say something like, “Oh, this camera isn’t for me.” Instead I’m stating that Fujifilm really just doesn’t get that we’re all sick of staring at screens.
