Why does this exist? Who is it for? Those are likely to be your initial questions on encountering the Instax Mini Link 3 smartphone printer for the first time.
After all, the Fujifilm range of Instax cameras, like the socially-minded Instax Mini 12, feature-packed Instax Mini 99, and hybrid analogue-digital Instax Mini Evo, already allow you to produce credit card-size photo prints on the fly. Surely the Instax Mini Link 3, which you load with the exact same film as these cameras, stands in direct opposition?
The more time you spend with it, though, you realise the Instax Mini Link 3 fills a very different function. While instant cameras typically capture unique moments in time on film, the Instax Mini Link 3 printer is for people who enjoy crafting the perfect image. Disregarding the capabilities of a phone camera versus a much simpler Instax Mini (especially in regards to macro photography), you have the full photo-editing resources of your smartphone at your disposal – and your desktop too if you prefer to do your image tweaks there – even before you start fiddling in the Mini Link app with its own modification tools, like frames, text, filters and the ability to add sketches to an image. So you can really fine-tune your pic before printing, and then hold the finished physical product in your hand in under two minutes.
If you’re expanding a photo wall, making a scrapbook, or want to gift someone, or someones, a little print of a special shared occasion (which you can reprint over and over here with a single button tap), this one is for you.
As a further benefit, the Instax Mini Link 3 helps you avoid dud images – you know, the usual case of someone having their eyes closed, or disappearing off the side of the frame – so you avoid wastage. When you consider that a pack of 10 Instax sheets is now sitting in the R160 – R200 bracket, depending on the frame style, that’s far more economical.
The flipside is that the Instax Mini Link 3 is quite a bit more expensive than the Mini 12 camera, for example, officially retailing for R2,499 – R2,599. That said, you can find the Mini Link 3 for under R2,300 if you shop around, along with bundles that come with a protective carry case for the portability-friendly printer and a film pack.
For the record, the palm-size Instax Mini Link 3 printer is the third generation of the Mini Link series, which debuted back in 2019. Available in three pastel colours – Clay White, Sage Green and Rose Pink – with a built-in rechargeable battery, and weighing 237g when loaded (versus 400g for the Mini 40 camera), it’s packed with an immense number of features. Honestly, there’s an overwhelming amount to explore if you want to venture beyond basic edit and print.
The basket of functions includes singling out frames from a video clip to print; collaborating with friends to generate a surprise “party print”; Remote Live View, where you can share your screen with others while shooting; and the ability to turn the printer into a remote control. The latter capability is ideal if you’ve got your phone set up on a tripod, though it doesn’t work with the front phone camera, please note. Once you’ve Bluetooth-paired the Link 3 with your phone, you can tilt it to zoom in and out, and take the pic when you’re happy as the printer’s power button acts as a shutter release.
All this said, the Instax Mini Link 3 is being marketed as bringing two specific new functions to the table. The first is Click to Collage, which allows you to recreate the effect of a photo booth, and its candid series of snaps (alternatively, you can always create a collage manually from pre-shot photos in the Mini Link app). The second new feature is Instax AiR Studio, which lets you add 3D augmented reality (AR) effects to both images and video as you shoot them, showing the effect in real-time on your smart device.
AiR Studio has a lot of potential but definitely feels like something just getting off the ground. There currently aren’t that many background templates and decorative elements to choose from, and the initial set-up in the space available to you is fiddly. Also, AiR Studio is only compatible with a select number of operating systems and devices, although you can still try out the experience on non-supported devices with the expectation that functionality may be unreliable.
Right now, AiR Studio is more nice-to-have than a make-or-break feature. However, if we are talking shortfalls of the Instax Mini Link 3, the lone things that stand out are the fact you can only pair the printer with one mobile device at a time, and prints may not feature colours as rich as those on your screen (though you quickly learn the adjustments needed to counter this).
Ultimately the Instax Mini Link 3 is a well-considered balance of play and polish, letting you explore your creativity via its vast, and expanding, capabilities. Even better, its design encourages you to seamlessly share the print creation experience with friends and family, making it even more emotionally satisfying as a piece of consumer technology that culminates in a physical product you made.