The Instax Wide Evo isn’t about perfection it’s about fun. With its larger prints, USB-C charging, and the ability to choose what you print, it brings a playful, hands-on vibe to photography that your phone simply can’t. Its digital quirks are easy to forgive when you’re handing someone a photo moments after snapping it. The Wide Evo turns casual photography into a shared experience — and that’s where it really shines.
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Design
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Features
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Performance
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Value
Smartphone cameras can do a lot — stunning low-light shots, 4K video, even AI-enhanced portraits. But you know what they still can’t do? Spit out a physical print on the spot. For that, you’re either getting a portable printer or something like the Instax Wide Evo — a quirky hybrid shooter that brings back the joy of printed photos.
Like its smaller sibling, the Instax Mini Evo, it has the same charming blend of retro design and digital convenience. But does it make sense in a world where your phone is likely a ‘better’ camera?
Wide load, instant mode
The Instax Wide Evo brings the big guns: it shoots onto Instax Wide film (62mm x 99mm), which gives you about double the print area of the Mini film (62mm x 46mm). That means roomier group shots and landscape scenes that don’t feel squished. Even more so when you switch the lens to wide-angle mode via a switch on the front.
Just like the Mini Evo, the Wide Evo lets you choose which images to print, so no more wasted film on your cat looking away or blinking mid-shot. You just scroll through the images on the 3-inch LCD, pick your favourite, and joyfully crank out prints with the analogue lever. We cannot overstate how enjoyable that crank was, we even got excited watching others giving it a spin.
At the heart of the Wide Evo is a 16MP digital sensor paired with a fixed 16mm f/2.4 lens (that’s roughly 35mm full-frame equivalent). It’s sharp enough for Instax’s print quality and great for wide-angle selfies or group shots. You get ten lens effects and ten film styles to mix and match — double exposure, retro, monochrome, you name it. That makes for 100 different combinations to choose from, and the camera allows you to save your favourites for quick reuse.
Built to be handled
Fujifilm nailed the retro-futurist vibe with the Instax Wide Evo. It’s quite… wide, but it’s not as chunky as the Instax Wide 400, surprisingly light, and all the controls are laid out for intuitive two-handed use.
The highlight? That print crank. It’s fun, tactile, and makes the whole process feel special. There’s also a slick, flat on/off switch, a faux shutter lever, and clicky knobs for zoom and settings. Nothing protrudes awkwardly, so it slips into a tote or camera bag easily, even with the wide film format.
Beyond just looking good, the Wide Evo offers a functional menu system with the basics: exposure, timer, white balance, and flash settings. There’s face detection too, but you don’t get to choose which face it locks onto if there’s more than one.
The Wide Evo’s print quality is classic Instax: a slightly soft focus with a warm, filmic tone that feels more nostalgic than precise. It’s not clinical, but that’s the aesthetic — and part of the charm when you’re flipping through a stack of prints rather than scrolling through a gallery. You can tweak brightness, contrast, and saturation in-camera, though don’t expect Lightroom-level finesse. You can also boost colour vibrancy by switching to Instax Rich mode, compared to the more subdued Instax Natural mode.
Party trick with a purpose
Do yourself a favour and slot in an SD card. Internal storage only stores the photos that you have printed, so the SD card allows you to delete with a little more hindsight. The camera occasionally freezes (especially if you’re hammering buttons), but a small reset pinhole will sort that out.
In real-world use, the battery gives you around 30 shots and 8 prints per charge. It charges over USB-C and can operate while plugged in. There’s a tripod mount, but it’s slightly off-centre to make space for the film ejection. A bit awkward, but not a dealbreaker.
The Wide Evo app lets you transfer printed photos immediately, shoot remotely, and even print straight from your phone. There’s also a “Discover” feed for sharing effect combos, which is a cool way to get inspired without diving into trial-and-error mode.
Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo verdict
The Instax Wide Evo adds a physical, interactive layer to your photography, especially in social settings. You might not get pixel-perfect clarity or pro-grade control, but you can get that in a decent smartphone. Being able to choose what you print is a genuine game-changer, and the larger Instax Wide format gives your memories more room to breathe. The fact that all this comes packed into a sleek, lightweight body is another win, just like the much-needed upgrade to USB-C charging.
At R6,600, it costs just over double the Instax Mini Evo — fitting, since the prints are almost twice the size. Sure, the digital photos probably won’t win any photography awards, but they’re perfectly suited to the instant format and come with a healthy dose of charm. It’s more than a gimmick — it’s a modern take on the instant camera that’s actually fun. And sometimes that’s exactly what your camera collection needs.
