Instax Mini Evo Cinema is the ‘oldfangled’ Super 8 compact camera throwback that nobody needs. But that’s precisely its big appeal!

Well, Fujifilm, you’ve done it again. You’ve made me care about something I thought I didn’t give a darn about. I am, of course, talking about the newfangled (or rather ‘oldfangled’) Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema. When this little nostalgic nod to the Super 8 cine cameras of yore was announced a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help but pass it off as nothing more than a charming oddity. What I couldn’t appreciate then was that the odd-factor is entirely its appeal.

Upon filming the latest episode of Bokeh Face: The Digital Camera World Podcast, I got to play with this curious little device for the first time. And it instantly clicked for me! Firstly, the product images cannot do it justice. It’ll never be a conventionally pretty camera like the Fujifilm X Half, but it does have a utilitarian charm all of its own, what with the various physical dials, that dainty little lens, and the throwback, upright form factor.

But similarly, I don’t think product descriptions do this camera justice, either. It’s such an odd concept that manages to squeeze in so many features, I actually think it can be a little difficult to get your head around, on paper. However, in the hand, it feels exceedingly intuitive.

I didn’t need to look up the product page, I didn’t need to scan through a manual, I didn’t even need to ask my colleagues, Chris and James, who had just been discussing the camera on the podcast, how I should use it. It was all so instinctive. I switched it on, looked through the rear LCD, and immediately started playing with the Eras Dial.

I deny anybody who doesn’t have a good time journeying through the history of filmography, from a 1930s hand-cranked effect, all the way to 2020 in 10-year increments. And that’s before you’ve fiddled with the Degree Control Dial that you simply twist around the lens, providing 10 ‘Expressions’ per era. Expressions allow you to adjust color, contrast, and noise, combining with Eras to provide 100 different filter effects.

And all that video nonsense is before you consider the fact that the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema is also a functioning instant camera (and digital camera for that matter). Granted, I didn’t get to use it for stills, but I've used enough Instax cameras in my time to know what’s what. Now, don’t get me wrong, like the Fujifilm X Half, this isn’t a perfect camera. In fact, it’s far from a perfect camera – it certainly isn’t for everyone.

The 15-second video cap is perhaps the biggest elephant in the room, and as much as I love the Eras Dial, I could see myself only swapping between four or five favorites, as, naturally, some do look very similar. It’s also not the snappiest camera out there, often having to ‘think’ for a moment between settings. Now, you can read the Digital Camera World review to explore the pros and cons in more depth. I haven’t used the camera long enough to offer any definitive review myself.

However, I do think it’s important to remember that some devices aren’t meant to be practical creative tools. And photography journalists (like me), professionals, and hardcore enthusiasts often forget that. The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema is meant to be a fun, creative tool. I couldn’t tell you how much use I’d get out of it, but what I can tell you is that I cannot remember having such an intense burst of fun with a new camera. In many ways, it transported me back to the noughties, when technology had a tendency to be far less practical.

Remember the original Nintendo DS, with its headache-inducing graphics? A far inferior console to the Sony PSP, yet infinitely more fun! The iPod Shuffle, a USB-sized MP3 player with no screen and no way of knowing what the heck you were playing. But fun! The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema gives me that same impractical appeal.

I also don’t think it’s a terrible price for what it offers. It retails for $409.95 / £329 / AU$599 – an Instax Mini 12 will set you back $93 / £70 / AU$129, before you’ve even started to consider the Cinema's video features. And while it might still seem a lot for a camera with the Instax moniker, the far-less-feature-rich Instax Wide Evo retails for roughly $350 / £320 / AU$599.

I also think the Mini Evo Cinema is priced far more competitively than the Fujifilm X Half, which has seen plenty of reductions, despite its short lifespan. When the Mini Evo Cinema eventually gets reduced, the price will be even more palatable, and I think I’m going to find it very hard to resist. I don’t think this is a camera anyone really needs. And that’s part of its charm.

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