It took a while, but Fuji’s Instax mini Evo Cinema “hybrid” has found its way to South Africa. If you’re already familiar with Instax, then you might already have one of its instant cameras or printers sitting on a shelf. Now imagine combining the two, adding a dash of camcorder, and you’ve got the mini Evo Cinema. Hybrid, get it?
Absolute (evo) Cinema
It’ll cost you to combine them all into one (small) package, though. Back when it was a Japan-only release, Fuji’s Super 8-like handheld shooter would set you back $410. Now that South Africa has stuck its paws in, picking it up locally will cost you R7,500—not counting any extra film packs. It’s only available in “limited quantities”, too.
You won’t achieve Scorsese status with Jufi’s latest innovation, but it will help you pull off some exquisite YouTube Shorts. Footage captured in the so-called ‘Cine’ mode is locked to fifteen seconds or less. You can bump that up to 30 seconds by doing all your editing inside the free Instax Mini Evo app. You’ll want that app anyway to gain access to your creations “via a one-of-a-kind Instax Mini instant photo printed with a QR code.”
That doesn’t sound like a hassle or a waste of film at all, does it? It might just be worth it, however. On top of the camera’s stylish handheld grip and tactile buttons, Fuji’s punting the ‘Eras’ dial, hard, and for good reason. It’ll apply effects from ten distinctive eras in film, interchangeable with a simple twist of the dial on the device’s side.
It’ll spit out still images, too, if that’s what you’re looking for. Whether those are taken with the camera directly or simply sent from your smartphone, it’s up to you. There’s an LCD fixed to the rear, able to help line up those crucial shots before wasting a print on ’em. It’s on shelves now, if you’re interested. But probably not for long.
