Fujifilm Instax Mini 41 Review – Keeping It Retro

The Instax range has expanded a lot over the years. Fans of the brand aren’t short of choice when it comes to their favourite devices, whether it be the more modern-looking Instax Mini 12 (and its predecessors) or the range of square and wide film devices. There is no doubt that the mini film has won the popularity battle, but Fujifilm offers another range of devices for its popular film type. The launch of the Instax Mini 40 offered a more classic Victorian-era design, giving fans a different aesthetic option. Now, some four years later, the brand has updated that range with the release of the Instax Mini 41. 

The Instax Mini 41 Design Breakdown

The Instax range has always leaned towards the retro side of things, with its features inspired by 70s and 80s instant analogue camera technology. Its designs, for the most part, have followed suit. The Mini 40 took things to the next level of what it means to be retro. And now, the Instax Mini 41 has fast-forwarded the timeline ever so slightly. 

While it still has the feel of a vintage camera, it doesn’t feel quite as old – perhaps something more akin to the 60s or 70s. The one significant change over designs from that period is that the Mini 41 features an all-plastic construction. This isn’t to say that it’s bad in any way, but it’s significantly lighter than anything from that period 60 years ago. 

Its mix of a steel grey frame and textured (knurling) black trimmings provides a great contrast in its colour scheme. With its mix of squared and rounded edges, coupled with its large lens and stylised typefaces, it adds more to the overall retro aesthetic. 

Its dimensions measure 104.5 × 122.5 × 67.5 mm, so it isn’t as large as many of the other Mini cameras. It weighs 345g without the batteries, which is approximately 1.5 times the weight of your smartphone. Not at all heavy. 

The contents of the box include a wrist strap, as with the majority of the other Instax units. There are two slots to fit the straps, allowing you to choose your preferred side or purchase a large strap to cover all options. What’s interesting in the design is that while it offers these small details in some instances, it has one glaring omission – the tripod attachment. That said, it may not be needed at all, which I’ll discuss shortly. 

How the Instax Mini 41 Keeps Photography Fun & Fuss-Free

Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best. Instax uses Occam’s razor as the premise on which the Mini 41 is built. It doesn’t offer much in the way of features, refining what it does well and sticking with it. 

It has fundamental controls. The control toggle around the lens has just three settings: off, on and close-up mode. This essentially provides two focus modes. These two focus areas are for close-up, which has a 0.3m (or 11.8″) focal distance, and a second for objects further away. 

With an optical plastic 60mm f/12.7 lens, it projects light directly onto the mini film for instant development. The images are very high in contrast and saturated colours. It also tends to over-expose in bright sunlight, so you’ll need to be wary of having too much light in your image before hitting the snap button. But that’s about it. Besides changing between the two focus modes, you simply have to point and shoot. 

With its improved close-up mode, the Mini 41 makes it much easier to take selfies, even with friends. Its design has been optimised for one-handed use to make this even easier to manage. As a result, and with the lack of a self-timer, you won’t need that tripod attachment thread. 

It takes only a couple of seconds to produce the film out of the top of the Mini 41. It takes a few additional minutes to develop the image fully thereafter. 

Should You Buy the Instax Mini 41? Here’s What You Need to Know

The Instax Mini 41 features a retro design for the purest. Further to its purest aesthetic, it also keeps things extremely simple in its features and capabilities. With an analogue approach and only two shooting modes, there’s very little between you and your next print. 

All that said, its value lies in the buyer. For those who don’t need the extras and prefer to keep things simple, the Mini 41 is your best bet. However, for those who like to tinker with the filters, styles, and even retaking of images, there are plenty of other options within the Instax lineup. 

At a retail price of R2,249, it is pricier than the cuter Mini 12 alternative. Its price puts it in an awkward position among a wide variety of Instax options.

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