Meet Fujifilm’s modern take on nostalgia
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted an instant camera. But back then, I wasn’t ready to splurge on it—until Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 11. Finally, an instant camera that’s within my budget, has automatic exposure (useful for non-pro photographers like myself!) and adjustable lens for taking selfies. But while it’s fun to use, I had the occasional wasted prints because I’m not used to looking through a viewfinder to take pictures. Thankfully, Fujifilm came out with compact mobile photo printers, which allows you to choose and print photos straight from your phone.
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Introducing the newest in the Link series, the Instax Square Link. It’s easy to use once you’ve set it up and figured out how the features work. And it prints photos in square format and in good quality, too.
What’s new?
Before you get started, you’ll need to download the Instax Square Link app. From there, you can access your phone’s camera roll and pick the photo you want to print. Add text and cute stickers, turn your photos into a collage and edit using their basic suite of tools (rotate, scale, adjust brightness, apply a filter). Or you can also touch up images using whatever editing tool you have in your phone (I see you, Adobe Lightroom users) before printing. If the mood or season calls for it, you may want to add a cute photo frame just because.
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The Instax Square Link is also packed with shiny new features, which for me are nice to have rather than must-haves. AR Print allows users to add a doodle or text on or around their photo. How does it work? The instant print comes out with a QR code and when you scan it, you’ll see the image come to life. But note that if you’re sending your AR print to someone, you may want to give them a heads up that they need to download the app so they can see the full picture. Meanwhile, Instax Connect allows you to send a digital version of an Instant photo with the white border frame and a customizable speech bubble to friends on social media. I’m more of a fuss-free, shoot-and-send kind of person, but Instax Connect makes for a nice e-card for special occasions, like birthdays.
The Instax Square Link is rechargeable over USB-C rather than Micro USB. But no charging brick is included so you need to use your phone’s adaptor, which is not really a deal-breaker for me.
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The verdict
Fujifilm’s Instax Square Link does a fine job printing your favorite photos from your camera roll. It’s easy to use, has fun features and is competitive in pricing (P8,599). The brand's modern take on nostalgia is just what we need to memorialize all the live concerts, holiday parties and reunions we’re finally going to after two long years.
Fujifilm’s Instax Square Link officially launched November 30, 2022 on Facebook and Lazada. Ready to shop? Add to cart here.
Art Matthew Fetalver
