With the advent of SLR cameras and ‘smartphones’ the world of analog photography collapsed. From the year 2000 these new devices began to gain ground and the digitization process in this sector seemed unstoppable. This has not changed today, but there is a category – that of instant cameras – that seems to have resurfaced from its ashes.
At the turn of the century, Fujifilm opted to maintain its range of Instax instant cameras, the most important selling point being its ability to make and print them at the time. In those years it didn’t work. With a digital camera the user could also see the result immediately on the LCD screen and the same happened with mobile phones, which also offered the ability to send photos to friends.
However, after a huge drop in sales, in 2009 the company saw a certain resurgence in the use of Instax among young people in major cities in Japan. This new trend led Fujifilm to sell more than 5 million instant cameras in 2015. In Spain this category has also been a success for the Japanese company, growing in double digits in the last decade and reaching 200,000 cameras and up to one million loads (rollers and paper) in 2019.
This is detailed in an interview with Europa Press, Daniel Pérez, head of the Instax segment in Spain, which hopes to recover after the pandemic (which has left a 23 percent drop in business due to the ‘confinement) the levels of previous years. “Fujifilm relaunched the camera with a radically new concept and sales came back in a way that could almost be described as miraculous,” they argue from the company, which now has 83 percent market share in this product category.
The Spanish manager is optimistic about the future and believes that such devices still have room. The event or travel sectors, in which experience prevails and the possibility of bringing (or giving away) a printed image, are good examples of the use that users give to instant cameras and could mark the path of ‘this recovery. In addition, the pandemic has also grown Instax’s online sales, accounting for 60 percent of the total in recent months.
THE NEW INSTAX MINI 40
In this context, the company has announced the launch of the new Instax mini 40, with a ‘vintage’ design that seeks to conquer a more heterogeneous audience (so far the majority of these cameras are young and female). Alongside this camera, Fujifilm is also introducing a new variety of INSTAX mini film, the ‘Contact Sheet’, which mimics the look of a classic film contact sheet.
“With its classic and sleek style, the new Instax mini 40 is for anyone who enjoys taking and sharing photos,” said Toshi lida, president of Fujifilm Europe. “Designed to be easily transportable, the camera is designed with a high-quality texture and fits comfortably in one hand. The bright black camera body is accented with silver details, resulting in a sophisticated look. and timeless, synonymous with Fujifilm’s iconic approach to camera design, ”he postulated.
The new Instax has auto exposure feature that automatically detects the ambient light level when the shutter button is pressed and optimizes the shutter speed and flash power depending on the scene. It allows even beginner users to take photos that are automatically exposed appropriately, regardless of indoor or outdoor conditions, obtaining high quality photos at the time.
Users can also activate Selfie Mode to take selfies and close-ups. To do this, they simply have to pull the front edge of the lens after turning on the camera. “This makes it easier than ever to take a selfie and take close-up photos,” the company explains.
Instax mini 40 joins a versatile line of Instax instant cameras and printers for ‘smartphones’. This new Fujjifilm instant camera will be available at a suggested retail price of 99.99 euros and can be purchased from April 21, 2021.