Smartphones might have 5x optical zoom, but one thing they can’t do is instantly spit out a charming souvenir photo that can also play audio. Well, fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) that’s the new trick of the new Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay.
If you ignore the slightly bizarre addition of audio clips to instant photos, the Instax Mini LiPlay is otherwise a fine-looking hybrid instant camera for parties, wedding snaps or Father’s Day (16 June, remember). In fact, it’s Fujifim’s smallest ever hybrid Instax camera, so a bit more portable than the Instax SQ20.
What’s a hybrid instant camera? It’s one that shoots digitally and gives you the option of printing your photos or sending them to your smartphone. Some might say that’s against the whole spirit of instant photography, but it’s also a bit of a money-saver when you consider that Square Format film costs £8.95 for a ten-shot pack.
Related: Best instant cameras
The headline addition of ‘sound-recording’ capabilities is also a slight misnomer, as the Instax Mini LiPlay does this by adding a QR code to your snap that contains a link to your ten-second audio clip. If you felt like QR codes died about five years ago, you’re not alone – though as a wise soul in the Trusted Reviews office suggested, it could be a great (if expensive) way to do a scavenger or Easter egg hunt.
If you’d rather shoot photos on your phone (or get physical souvenirs of your friends snaps), the Instax Mini LiPlay also has an ‘direct print’ function, which effectively lets you use it as a tiny Bluetooth printer.
As a camera, it’s slightly different from the Instax SQ20, despite having the same size 1/5-inch sensor. The Instax Mini LiPlay has a slightly wider 28mm field of view and brighter f/2.0 aperture, although low light performance might be similar given it crams more pixels onto the same size sensor.
The Instax Mini LiPlay will hit the shelves on the 14 June 2019 with a price of £149.99 and will be available in three colours: Stone White, Elegant Black and Blush Gold. We’ll be reviewing it very soon and letting you know where it slots into our list of the Best Instant Cameras.