The new FUJIFILM INSTAX Pal is available on the market and we have had the opportunity to try it in everyday life and on a trip, the result? Find out in our review
When FUJIFILM launched a new INSTAX, one might have expected a new print format or an update to an existing camera model, but instead a real revolution has arrived: INSTAX Pal, an instant camera that literally fits in the palm of your hand. There was so much curiosity about this snapshot with a fundamental question, “but does it really take a snapshot?”. We had the chance to preview it at its official presentation and yes, it really clicks. In recent weeks we have also had the opportunity to take it with us on trips and in everyday life to truly discover all its potential. Let’s discover them together in our review!
Technical characteristics | Fujifilm INSTAX Pal review
Dimensions
- 42.3mm × 44.4mm × 43.0mm (excluding protruding parts)
- Weight ca. 41 g.
Exposure
- Aperture: f/2.2
- Shutter speed: 1/4 second to 1/8000 second (automatic selection)
- Sensitivity: 100 to 1600 ISO (automatic selection)
- Exposure Control: Programmed AE
- Exposure compensation: -2 EV to +2 EV in 1/3 EV steps
- Exposure metering: 256-segment TTL (through the lens) metering, multiple metering
- White balance: Automatic
Battery specifications
- Battery: Lithium-ion battery (internal type, non-removable)
- External interface: USB-C (only for charging)
- Charging time: approximately 2 to 3 hours
Sensor
- Image sensor: 1/5 inch CMOS with primary color filter
- Number of recorded pixels: 2560 × 1920
Objective
- Focal length: f = 16.25mm (35mm format equivalent)
- Shooting distance: 19.4cm to infinity
Flash
- Automatic flash / Forced flash / Flash off Effective range: approx. 60 cm to 1.5 m
Selfie
Everything in the palm of your hand| Fujifilm INSTAX Pal review
From the technical specifications, what attracts attention is the very essence of the INSTAX Pal, or its dimensions: it is the smallest instant camera ever produced before, which fits in the palm of a hand. It looks like a key holder, with the idea that it can therefore be taken anywhere even attached to your house keys. In the back of the room there is a very large and comfortable shutter button, which allows you to shoot with your thumb if you keep the room in the classic way. There is no viewfinder, with the exception of a rubber accessory that can be used to hold the camera on the finger for convenience or as a viewfinder to have a better idea of the photographic field in front of us. This is everything you need to know from a shooting point of view about the new INSTAX Pal, because it has no LCD screen, It has no manual settings and only has three buttons, one for power, one for shutter and one for choosing the type of print which we will see very shortly.
The question therefore arises spontaneously, but where do instant photos come from? And this is where the crossover with the entire Fujifilm Bluetooth printer fleet comes into play.
A crossover with INSTAX | printers Fujifilm INSTAX Pal review
Print photos instantly with INSTAX Pal it is possible, especially if you connect it with any printer of the same range, which can be an INSTAX Mini LINK or INSTAX Square Link or WIDE. Also added to this list of printers are the Mini Evo Hybrid and Mini LiPlay, which being instant with Bluetooth can be easily connected. To this We took the INSTAX with us on an autumn holiday in Lanzarote together with the Mini LINK 2 to be able to see our shots directly. Connecting them is very simple: it happens via a button under the small chamber which allows you to select the printer L and then connect to the nearest switched on printer.
Printing takes place directly, without the need to connect the camera and the printer to each other and without the need to download apps. Once the printer is turned on and the INSTAX Pal is set to the letter L, any photo you take will print instantly. A truly surprising mode that also brings us back to that feeling of not seeing our photo in preview and discover it only at the moment of printing. The print quality is in line with Fujifilm snapshots, therefore with an analogue flavor which is what makes them very appreciable.
You can choose your own photos | Fujifilm INSTAX Pal review
If, however, you want to view your photos and choose them, there is no problem, because with the F key as Fun) the photos are saved directly in the internal memory of the camera, which holds up to 50 shots, or in the external memory, which in fact allows you to insert a micro SD. And by doing so they can be viewed directly in the App which provides the ability to edit photos, insert filters and frames before printing them or sharing them digitally. This mode is very interesting, because it provides a double choice and consequently also a double use of the machine, one more aimed at printing, the other more aimed at digital content.
A very funny snapshot, but not only that
The INSTAX Pal is a really fun camera, carrying it around on holiday or in everyday life is what it is suitable for: small, easy to handle, aesthetically very pleasant and contemporary. Its use makes you smile, because although it is designed for a society that is very oriented towards digital and social media, we don’t forget that to shoot you have to press a button and above all this large button can really be pressed by a large audienceadults and children. A room that is clearly aimed at Generation Z and the needs for speed, the possibility of being online and telling what you do, but not only! Its immediate and fun nature makes it a camera suitable for those who want to have fun with photography with the feeling of being able to have a camera that they can hold between their fingers.
It is already available on the market at a price of 99.99 euros including VAT. The price certainly matters for such a small room and which must also have a supporting Bluetooth printer in order to print. But for those who already own an INSTAX Link of any type it is certainly an excellent integration, especially pleasant for those who travel a lot and want to print their INSTAX photos. With Christmas approaching, the INSTAX Pal also seems like the natural choice as a gift idea, because it is original and able to surprise.
Fun in the palm of your hand
Points in favor
- The dimensions
- Attractive aesthetics
- The two modes of printing or saving
Points against
- The price is slightly above average