December 13, 2009

New phase of polaroid?


When Polaroid finally yanked its trademark instant film from the market last year, enthusiasts mourned the death of instant photography. But consolation has come quickly: Fujifilm has recently released its own line of instant film cameras, the Instax. The professional wide-format model went on sale a year ago, and this past September a smaller, consumer-oriented version came out: the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S. The Instax Mini sells for about $95, and uses Fujfilm's 800 speed Instax color film, which costs $19.99 for 20 exposures. The "Mini" doesn't refer to the camera (which is a far cry from the pocket-friendly digital cameras we're used to), but to the film: the camera pops out Polaroid-esque, credit-card-sized instant photos. Fujifilm reports that the Instax Mini has sold out at many retailers, and availability will be limited through the new year.