Fujifilm Instax Pal review – A shutterbug’s life

Everyone has a camera in their pocket these days, as even the most affordable of smartphones is capable of taking a decent snapshot. And then you’ve got Fujifilm’s line of Instax cameras, a nod to the halcyon days of the Kodak past when you could snap a photo and get an instant print of that moment. These days, Fujifilm has several Instax devices that suit a wide range of needs (we had a blast earlier this year with the social-minded Instax Mini 12), but its latest piece of photographic hardware, the pocket-friendly Instax Pal is refreshingly odd.

A golf ball-sized camera that goes back to the very basics of photography, it’s an approachable device that looks like a Tamagotchi, and is family-friendly with its design. It’s at its best when paired with other hardware, but as a no-frills portable camera that can be used to capture intimate moments, it’s a fun alternative when compared to its bulkier siblings.

Internally, the Instax Pal is equipped with a 1/5-inch CMOS sensor and the lens has an F2.2 aperture combined with a 16.25 mm focus distance. That’s a 35mm equivalent so you’re getting a nice wide field of view, and it can store up to 50 photos inside of it in case you forget to insert a Micro SD card. Picture quality isn’t the best, but then again, the graininess and noise from low light situations aren’t that obvious when you’re printing your pics and handing them out.

Externally is where the fun begins. The Instax Pal has a simple interface that consists of powering it on, positioning it in your fingers, and punching the satisfying rear button to take a photo. It’s simple and surprisingly discreet, something that might appeal to street photographers looking to keep a low profile. There’s no LCD screen or viewfinder on the Instax Pal so you’ll need to go with your gut feeling when grabbing a snapshot, but it does have a tripod thread for when you want to set it up for a more stable shot. If you’re looking for those group shots and selfies, the camera has a neat little function where you can record your own pre-shutter phrase or sound through its dedicated app. For example, teach it to recognize “deze nuts” and watch it take photos as you and your friends giggle.

A USB-C connection allows you to quickly charge it and grab photos off the SD card, making for a simple but cute little camera overall.

Where the Instax Pal really shines is when you pair it with a smartphone, as you get more fine control over your photos. You can use your phone as a remote control shutter, transfer images over Bluetooth from the Instax Pal to your phone, and then connect an Instax printer to bring those images to physical life. Admittedly, this does make for a pricy setup as the Instax Pal on its own is R2,000 and a printer will set you back at least another R2,000 depending on the model that you go with.

And yet, there’s a charm to this device that is unmatched. I’ve been wracking my brain this week trying to think of best-case uses for the Instax Pal over a smartphone, and I settled on two scenarios. The first one is that I’d happily recommend one of these over a smartphone when you’ve got a kid looking to get into photography because I’d imagine keeping a black mirror of internet-connected doom and gloom away from kids for as long as possible is a good thing. Something like the Instax Pal feels like a much safer solution for children who want to indulge in a photographic creative outlet. That, and I’d rather let them use this camera instead of an expensive mirrorless lens that costs as much as a week-long cruise in the Caribbean.

The second scenario I landed upon centres on purity and convenience. With its shoot now and print later design, the Instax Pal excels at not wasting any costly photographic printer paper – which is a concern with traditional instant cameras. Combined with the app, the option to choose what you want to print is convenient and economical in the long run. Secondly, I’ve become fond of popping this into my pocket and secretly documenting the world around me with quick snaps.

Candid photos taken through an analog-only experience makes for a refreshing change of pace, and backed up by the well-designed companion app, the Instax Pal has reminded me of the basic joy of photography. No intrusive smartphone in someone’s face, no agonizing about the perfect settings when using a high-end camera. With just a simple push of the button, you have a moment in time frozen forever on a square piece of light-reactive paper. It’s a charming all-rounder that I’m happy to carry around with me, and when people do notice it, they can’t get enough of this cute gadget.