Digital Camera World Verdict
The Instax Link Wide 2 spits out gorgeous oversized instant film prints from digital photos. The app and connectivity are seamless, and charging is now USB-C. But, prints occasionally get a stray line. Only the X-T30 III and Pal 2 support direct prints. And while I love the size of Instax Wide, film packs are pricey.
Pros
- +
Lovely print quality
- +
Seamless connection
- +
Easy-to-use app
- +
USB-C charging
Cons
- -
Occasional lines in prints
- -
Only two cameras support direct prints
- -
Pricey film packs
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Instant film portable photo printers allow photographers to have their digital files and get real instant film too. The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide 2 brings oversized instant film into the mix – all with seamless connectivity and simple USB-C charging.
I tried the Instax Link Wide 2 with photos of every sort from smartphone snapshots to pro mirrorless photos – and found the portable printer has a near-perfect blend between charm and quality.
Specs
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.1 |
Film type |
Instax Wide |
Film Size |
86 mm × 108 mm (8.6 x 10.8 cm) with border |
Color modes |
Instax Rich or Instax Natural |
Charging |
USB-C |
Price
The Instax Link Wide 2 retails for about $180 / CA$240 – that’s surprisingly less than the original was going for in the US just ahead of the update’s launch, as the original was selling for about $235. But, as a larger format printer, the Link Wide 2 is understandably a bit higher priced than the Link Mini+ and Link Mini 3.
Film is going to need to be factored into the cost as well. In the US, a pack sells for between $23 - $29, which is about $1.15 - $1.45 each image. In the UK, a 20-pack of Instax Wide sells for about £19, making each print about £0.95 each.
Design
The Link Wide 2 feels about the size of a desktop external hard drive, or for a more retro comparison, a bit larger than a portable CD player. While larger than the Mini series printer, the photo printer doesn’t feel too obtrusively sized, thanks in part to a very simple design.
The front has an eye-catching textured pattern and an Instax logo that lights up when powered on (or charging). One side has two buttons – a power-on and an Fn button for checking the battery level – the other has a simple USB-C port for recharging.
The back opens up to install the film cartridge. Installation is simple – just match the yellow on the printer to the yellow on the film pack.
Prints spit out of the top.
But, it’s been nearly five years since the original Wide Link came out, and there’s one key usability upgrade to the design – rather than the ols Mico-USB, the Link Wide 2 uses the wildly available USB-C cord for charging.
Performance
Devices that rely on a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection tend to be prone to connectivity issues – but I had no issues at all getting the Link Wide 2 connected to my phone. The printer connected to the app on the first try, and the app walked me through the simple connection steps without needing an instruction manual.
I’ve owned and loved a handful of Link Mini-sized printers, but after trying the Link Wide 2, I’m going to have a hard time going back to the smaller prints. The Link Wide 2 spits out images that are about twice as big as the Mini film type. Instax wide is about 62mm by 99mm – or 86mm by 108mm if you include that classic white border.
I used images from several different cameras to test out the Link Wide 2, including the new Instax Pal 2, iPhone shots, and images from mirrorless cameras.
Prints are sharper than I had expected. The prints are just the right size to get enough detail while still keeping the classic instant film format.
Colors hit an excellent balance between being true to the original image and having a bit of film-like color – after all, what’s the point of printing on instant film if you don’t want a bit of that retro charm? Part of that color prowess is the ability to swap between two quality modes. Instax Natural is going to have more of that imperfect instant film look, while Rich mode gets a bit closer to the colors and contrast of the digital version.
I did run across an occasional faint line on the bottom of the images. When working with instant film, this usually hints at an error in the rollers that break loose the chemical packets to develop the film. Positioning the printer upright rather than flat with the cartridge side down improved these lines a bit, but I did still get an occasional line on the bottom of the print. These lines didn’t appear in every image, but tended to be most noticeable in lighter colored images.
Many of the features that are new to the Instax Link Wide 2 are app-based updates. One such feature is the new Photo Mixer. This is a mode that automatically assembles a collage for you, including cutting out some images – which I suspect is AI-based. The collages can be remixed up to five times, and those edits can also be tweaked.
Like the earlier Link Wide, the app also allows for adding a QR code so prints can double as a photographer’s business card. Those QR codes can also save locations, messages, and sound clips.
The printer can also print without an app from two supported cameras – the newly announced Instax Pal 2, or the Fujifilm X-T30 III. Firmware took away the Instax direct printing option on a handful of cameras, which is disappointing, so other Fujifilm cameras will have to wirelessly send to a smartphone, then print from there.
Verdict
The Instax Link Wide 2 turns digital photos into real, oversized instant film. The print quality has the ideal balance between preserving the color and sharpness of the original while still having a bit of real film charm to it.
I love the oversized Wide format, which is about twice as wide as Instax Mini.
The app experience is seamless, with the printer connecting on the first try and automatically connecting on subsequent prints. I did miss the widespread camera-to-printer compatibility that Fujifilm previously had. The Wide, for now, only connects app-free with the X-T30 III and Pal 2. Other cameras need to send to a smartphone first for printing, which is a bit disappointing as someone shooting with a previous-generation Fujifilm mirrorless.
My biggest complaint is that the prints occasionally pick up a stray line or two on the bottom of the image – likely a roller issue.
The Link Wide 2, while convenient and charmingly retro, is also a pricier way to get prints than ordering 4x6s from a photo lab, as film packs cost about $29 / £19 for 20 prints.
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