This spring, Fujifilm’s iconic Instax line gets a big, grown-up upgrade in the Fujifilm Instax Mini 41 instant camera. The 41 brings a new, mature, high-end aesthetic to this popular line of instant cameras—and it snaps beautiful photos, too.
What’s in the box of the Fujifilm Instax Mini 41 instant camera?
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 41 is one of the brand’s non-rechargeable lightweight instant cameras. In its box, you’ll find the camera body, two AA batteries, a hand strap, and a quick start guide. Film is sold separately.
Instax Mini 41 specs
- Instax lens: 60 mm
- Focus range: 0.3 m to infinity
- Automatic exposure: Yes
- Built-in flash: Yes
- Flash control: Yes
- Close-up mode with parallax correction: Yes
- Selfie Mode with selfie mirror: Yes
- Film development time: Approx 90 seconds
- Battery life: Approx 100 images
Testing the Fujifilm Instax Mini 41
The Instax Mini 41 truly features everything that I, personally, want out of an instant camera. It’s super simple with a great, grown-up aesthetic. All of its features are passive: They’re improvements for your experience that don’t require you to make any extra choices.
The 41’s selfie mirror makes it easy for you to take snaps of yourself or with friends. It doesn’t add any weight or accessories to the camera body. Its parallax correction frames your close-up shots just right. Even features like shutter speed and exposure are automatically set by the camera so you can capture the perfect image without second-guessing yourself.
What’s new in the Instax Mini 41 that I really love is the camera’s body texture. Fujifilm has wrapped this camera in a textured camera grip—and it’s beautiful. It makes the camera look and feel like a premium product. It isn’t just for looks, however; it actually does make the camera very easy to hold onto and use, which has been an issue with some past Mini models. (The matte, flat plastic that Fujifilm has used in other Mini models can make the cameras quite slippery, especially for smaller hands.)
This textured design choice elevates the entire camera body, accenting the lens (which makes it easy to switch lens modes even while wearing winter gloves) and printer as well.
How does the Instax Mini 41 compare to other instant camera models?
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 41 is a great, affordable option for an instant camera. It’s compact and lightweight with limited features. My favourite part about it is that it offers similar aesthetics to Fujifilm’s higher-end Instax models (like the Mini 99 and Instax WIDE Evo) at an entry-level price point. The Instax mini 41 will, presumably, be replacing the Instax Mini 40, which I reviewed after its launch in 2021.
Compared to other instant camera models, I see the Instax Mini 41 as a “purist product”. It is only an instant camera. It doesn’t edit photos, double as a printer, or connect to your smartphone. Instead, it simply snaps and prints, which is really what sits at the core of the “instant” category. This puts it in line with products like the Instax Mini 40 and Mini 12. Functionally, these are all the same camera in different skins. The Instax Mini 41 features parallax correction in close-up mode, which older models (pre-2023) do not include.
The Instax Mini 41 prints on smaller film than something like the Polaroid Now Gen2 or the Fujifilm Instax WIDE line. It produces prints of a similar size to the Kodak PRINTOMATIC line, which prints digital images on heat-reactive ZINK film. (Fujifilm Instax products print on analog film, which is thicker and glossier than ZINK film.)
Why do I love shooting with entry-level Instax Mini cameras?
Fujifilm Instax cameras are really fun to shoot with. They’re great, well-made instant cameras that are easy to use and come in a satisfyingly wide range of designs. Plus, thanks to the popularity of the line, it’s easy to find more Instax film if you need to re-stock on the go.
Complex instant camera bodies like the Fujifilm Instax Mini 99 or the Fujifilm Instax WIDE Evo, which I recently raved about here on the Best Buy blog, are a great way to create truly unique analog prints. They’re designed with dozens of layerable effects, filters, and other customizations. However, all those micro-decisions can be hard to make, and for someone as indecisive as I am, they can make instant photography feel… Well, less instant. At times, that “instant” can take one or two or five minutes.
That’s why I love shooting with “basic” or “entry-level” cameras like the Instax Mini 41. There are no extra effects or filters to add on to your photos with the 41, which makes capturing the perfect shot in an instant truly take just an instant—but thanks to that beautiful Instax analog film, each photo still comes out looking cool and professional. This is very much a lightweight, compact, snap-and-go product, and even factors like exposure control are automatically set by the camera itself. It’s easy for new photographers to use, and because it’s so simple, it’s a great training device for learning how to frame the perfect shot.
Final thoughts on the Instax Mini 41 instant camera
I really enjoyed using the Fujifilm Instax Mini 41. The brand’s entry-level Mini products are always a pleasure to shoot with, but this is the first one that I really vibe with aesthetically. I love that it’s a beautiful product, I love that it fits comfortably in my hand, and I love that I only have to make one decision when capturing: Hit the button or don’t hit the button?
While Fujifilm has done a great job developing new effects and filters for their camera products, the myriad of customizations can feel overwhelming—or, at least, they can for me. This camera is a steal for the price and feels like a luxury product despite its simplicity. The Instax Mini 41 is a great instant camera to have on hand and makes an excellent gift for grown-ups and new grads alike.
Pre-order the Fujifilm Instax Mini 41 instant camera at Best Buy Canada today.
