- The new Instax Wide Evo shoots large format film and features the widest lens of any Instax yet to fit more into your photos.
- It’s a hybrid instant camera, meaning you can select which photos to print
- It costs $349.95 in the US and £319.99 in the UK (Australian prices TBC)
Fujifilm has unveiled its second hybrid instant camera, the new Instax Wide Evo, which will sit alongside the Instax Mini Evo. As its name suggests, the Wide Evo prints on large format paper just like the Instax Wide 400, which is the largest Instax print size available, only this is the super sleek model you’ve been waiting for.
As a hybrid instant camera, you get a large 3.5-inch LCD screen to compose your photos, with the option to take your first photo and then print it using the Fujifilm app, complete with a variety of lenses and film effects – a total of 100 combinations. – plus an additional selection of cinematic styles.
A real first for the Wide Evo is the new 16mm f/2.4 ultra-wide-angle lens, the widest of any Instax camera, meaning you can fit more into your shot; This will be especially useful for those selfies and group shots. , all of which can be stored on a Micro SD card (sold separately).
I love the look of the Instax Wide Evo, but it’s an expensive package – the most expensive of all the Instax cameras at $349.95 / £319.99 / AU$599. There’s also the optional leather case, which costs $ 49.95 / £37.99 (Australian prices TBA).
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Does appearance matter?
I review cameras of all types, shapes and sizes, and perhaps it’s the instant cameras where style is most important to people; To me, that’s why the Instax Wide Evo looks like a winner in the race for best instant camera.
It’s not that I have much competition. The only other Instax camera that shoots large format instant film is the Instax Wide 400, a monstrous hunk of plastic that I have a hard time seeing resting next to anyone as they walk around town. It’s too bulky and toy-like to take too seriously. Fortunately, we now have the Instax Wide Evo as an alternative.
When I look at the Instax Wide Evo, the premium Fujifilm GFX100 II medium format model comes to mind. It is not a style for all tastes, but it is undeniably elegant. Even better, the Wide Evo is suitably thinner than the Wide 400, fits better in the hand, plus it’s a hybrid type, meaning you shoot first, print later – that means less paper waste.
The hybrid concept of Evo instant cameras makes sense compared to dedicated models. And in the case of the Instax Wide Evo, so does its 16mm f/2.4 ultra-wide-angle lens that is more suited to your photographs, being ideal for group photos and selfies. You want your subjects to get closer in instant photography to fill the frame, and a wide-angle lens allows for this more easily.
For me, it’s love at first sight, but we’ll share more thoughts when our in-depth review, which is currently underway, is published soon.
