Shooting film is all about the retro colors – but Fujifilm’s new square format shooter levels up its color game with built-in blue and orange filters. The Fujifilm Instax Square 2 is an instant film camera with classic square prints and a surprisingly easy set of features.
Announced late on October 13, the Square 2 ends a three-year gap since the last square-format shooter from Instax, the SQ40. Instax's square cameras have been hard to find in many regions, with Fujifilm Japan apologizing earlier this year when production couldn't keep up with orders for the six-year-old original SQ1.
Now, the Instax is back with a new model, along with a new film, Instax Square Haze, which is designed for reduced contrast and a softer look.
The Instax Square 2 is almost fully automatic. The exposure is fully automatic, and the flash can’t be turned off. But photographers do need to remember to twist the dial on the lens to close-up, standard, or landscape mode to get the subject in focus.
While built for simplicity rather than advanced controls, there is one unusual creative tool built in. Flipping a switch on the front of the lens adds a blue or orange filter across the lens. The blue filter creates moody shots that feel a bit more hazy with cooler colors. The orange filter, meanwhile, adds a pop of warmth – I didn’t want to turn it off when out snapping photos of fall colors.
While serious photographers may have been hoping for something with controls more along the lines of the Instax Mini, the Square 2 is simple enough that I think even older kids could use it. The built-in filters add more mood to the already charming instant film.
I’ve shot with several Instax cameras. The Square 2’s larger film format comes with a much chunkier camera than the options from the Instax Mini series. It’s a 450g / 15.9-ounce camera without the film or batteries loaded. Like the Instax Mini SE, the Square 2 also uses replaceable AA batteries instead of a rechargeable one.
That simpler design also heralds in a more basic price point, with the camera expected to retail for $119.95 / CA$139.99. International pricing wasn’t available at launch, but that converts to about £90 / AU$172. That’s not much higher than the Instax Mini 13 and is under the list price of the existing Instax SQ40 – though the older camera is hard to find at US retailers.
The new Instax Square Haze film pack brings a softer look to the photos and is expected to list for $18.99 / CA$16.99 per pack (about £14 / AU$27). Both the new camera and film are expected to begin shipping before the end of October.
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Take a look at the Instax Square 2 review, or browse the best instant film cameras.
