It's hip to be square as Fujifilm goes retro with new Instax SQ40 instant camera

Fujifilm’s Instax brand of instant print cameras are some of the hottest items around right now, and today Fujifilm is bringing a brand new model just in time for all those summer trips to the beach (sorry southern hemisphere). The Fujifilm Instax SQ40 offers larger square prints and a cool retro design.

It's not the first time we have seen this retro design in the Instax lineup, with the new SQ40 sharing a very similar vibe to the Instax Mini 90, although it ditches that model’s silver rangefinder-inspired edging for a mostly black chassis. This offers a much more subtle and demure look than the Instax SQ1 or Instax Mini 12, with their bright, playful, and frankly unmissable bubblegum colors. You hopefully won’t get clocked by everyone as soon as you pull the SQ40 out of your bag.

The Instax SQ40 also comes in substantially bigger than its retro cousin the Mini 90, this is to accommodate for shooting on Instax’s larger square film, which measures 62×62 mm of actual photographic image, or 86×72 mm including the frame border, this is compared to Instax Mini’s film 46×62 mm (86×54 mm with frame). Although Instax Square doesn’t quite measure up to Polaroid’s larger 88×107 mm (incl frame) size for those simply after the biggest instant print.

The Instax SQ40 will offer the same automatic exposure modes seen in its most recent Instax Mini 12, balancing the ambient light and the SQ40’s built-in flash to create a bright and evenly lit instant print. When I reviewed the Instax Mini 12, I was really pleased with the exposure, with good results in almost every shot. Like other Instax cameras, the lens can also be popped into Selfie Mode, which offers closer focusing, great for selfies and group shots at arm's length, or getting a close-up shot of an object, person, or pet.

The Instax SQ40 will cost $149.95 / £134.99 / AU$229 and will be available to preorder now for a release at the end of June.

• Instax SQ1 vs SQ40

Brand new Sunset Square film

Fujifilm is celebrating summer and the release of the SQ40 with a brand new variation of Instax Square film being released alongside the Instax SQ40. The new ‘Sunset’ film is designed to represent the gentle gradation of the colors seen in the sky during a sunset. Like all other Instax films, the new Sunset film comes in packs of 10.

The new Sunset film will cost $15.75 / £10.99 / AU$26.95, and will be released alongside the SQ40 at the end of June.

New brown Instax Mini Evo

Fujifilm is also completing the retro trifecta in this announcement with a brown version of the Instax Mini Evo hybrid instant camera. The Instax Mini Evo was originally launched in 2021 in a black and silver color combination as a hybrid camera that could shoot digital images and then allow users to instantly print their favorites on Instax Mini film direct from the camera. You could also use the Instax Mini Evo as a portable printer for images from your phone. Except for the new suave brown coloring, nothing else is changing from the original Evo Mini.

The brown Instax Mini Evo will cost $199.95 / £174.99 / AU$299, which is substantially more than the rest of the Instax Mini range, although our reviewer thinks it is worth the money for any instant print enthusiast. The new color version of the Instax Mini Evo will also be available for purchase at the end of June and can be pre-ordered now.

Find out more about the best instant cameras. Or if you love film photography, why not check out our top picks for the best film cameras and the best 35mm films.