As much as we love the latest technology, we still have a reverence for retro. Fujifilm has taken a stab at marrying the two with the Instax Mini Evo Cinema, a camera that lets you take (and print) photos and video with the resolution and color appearing as they might have in decades past, going back almost 100 years.
Set the camera to 1930s mode, and you can get those grainy, pale-color shots and video from the pre-World War II era. Dial it up to the 1980s and get the vibrant colors of that decade. Or go with 2020s setting for the high-resolution images we have currently. It’s all done with a body styled after an old 8mm movie camera.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add as a preferred Google source.
Fujifilm executive Bing Liem said the new camera melds a vintage look with modern functionality. “Mini Evo Cinema delivers a smooth, unique photographic experience that gives the user a myriad of ways to turn casual moments into unforgettable ones,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
But those retro moments won’t come cheaply. The Instax Mini Evo Cinema will be sold at a suggested retail price of $410 in the US. Fujifilm said the device will be available in early February.
Go back in time
The Instax Mini Evo Cinema features a Gen Dial, which lets you set your photo or video mode to a specific decade. “Each era is designed to capture the look and feel of the imagery of that time,” Fujifilm said.
It could be a useful device for a Depression Era-themed party, or a big-hair 1980s shindig. Or don some beads and take yourself back to the Swinging ’60s.
There’s also a Degree Control Dial, which allows you to adjust color, contrast and noise expression up to 10 different levels for each era.
Zoom in or out with an analog-style lever on the camera.
15-second clips
If you want to make a video instead, you can toggle the Cine/Still mode to Cine for a video up to 15 seconds long, in whichever decade you want. You can shoot a series of shorter clips, and the camera will stitch them together for one continuous video that is 15 seconds long in total.
By downloading the free Instax Mini Evo smartphone app, you can connect via Bluetooth and create videos up to 30 seconds in length.
There are several other features. You can add a frame — with the characteristics of each era — to each photo or video, zoom in or out, and access a storage gallery where you keep and categorize your masterpieces.
Shoot and print
The Instax Mini Evo has an analog-style lever to print your photos, or frames from video clips, directly from the camera. If you take a video and want to play it back, the camera can make a print with a QR code that you can scan with your phone and then watch the video.
Other features include remote shooting (via an app), a 1.54-inch LCD, a viewfinder and grip attachments, a USB-C port for charging and transfer, and a microSD card slot to add photos and videos to.
