Instax cameras have always fascinated me. However, I have not been able to find a consistent use case for them other than clicking photos of my son over the years and pinning them on my fridge. This is because Instax cameras don’t really work for the kind of photography I love—taking random cloud and scenery photos and editing them heavily to make them look dramatic. That is until I discovered the new Instax Wide Evo.
The Instax Wide Evo has the design sensibilities of earlier Instax cameras but has enough new appendages to ensure it stands out from the rest of the pack. It also has a vintage premium feel, that makes you comfortable carrying it to parties and weddings. There are two dials — one for selecting the film style and another for lens type. There is another dial for printing the photos while many would consider the shooting trigger also unique. There is a toggle on the front to switch to the wide mode, the USP of this Instax camera. On the back is a 3.5-inch TFT LCD screen.
There are two dials — one for selecting the film style and another for lens type. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Compared to the other Instax cameras, the biggest advantage for me was the fact that you don’t have to print each image as soon as you shoot it. In older Instax cameras you really don’t have that option. But with the Instax Wide Evo you just print the photos you want using the printing dial. Printed photos have a small icon on top so that you don’t reprint them by mistake.
This is why I actually took the Instax on a quick trip to the US, clicking some interesting images, though I had no film inside the camera. I was clear that I will come back to India and then decide which ones to print. But then this is a much better camera, offering bright images and vibrant colours, not usually associated with instant printing cameras.
The wide angle squeezes in much more than regular Instax cameras can. For instance, group photos look much better with the wide angle and they don’t add a lens distortion.
The wide angle squeezes in much more than regular Instax cameras can. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
As you frame the images, you can use the film dial to select the style and the lens dial to add another creative layer on top. Of course, there is the normal mode too, but I used monochrome blur with monochrome film to create what I felt was a style statement of my own. You can also use the menu button under the LCD to adjust exposure, white balance or switch to the macro mode. These features are missing in regular Instax cameras and give more control to buyers of the Instax Wide Evo.
It has a vintage premium feel to it. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
You can use the LCD to review the images you have shot and print out the ones you think are best. But there is more. Once you connect the camera to the Instax Wide Evo app you can print any photo in your gallery. And I did bring some old memories back to life. This means you can print a set of your favourite photos to adorn your office or home wall. The possibilities are endless.
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The app also offers a remote shooting function where you are using the phone to frame the image you want to shoot.
Once you connect the camera to the Instax Wide Evo app, you can print any photo in your gallery. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
The Instax Wide Evo is a great upgrade for what is a unique camera in every sense. But this is an upgrade that aligns the Instax range with the demands and possibilities of 2025. This is a camera, a smartphone printer, and a creative tool all at the same time. A must-have for photography enthusiasts.
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