Amateur Photographer verdict
Great design, packed with features AND easy to use, the Instax Mini Link 2 produces high quality images with good level of detail – albeit in small prints.- Portable and versatile
- Terrific, creative features
- Can extract stills from video files
- Rather small prints
Fujifilm’s original Instax Mini Link was one of our favourite accessories of 2019, and was updated with the Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 with some new features. At heart, it’s essentially the same device, namely a small portable printer that connects to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, and then prints your photos onto Instax Mini film via the free Mini Link app. The latest Instax Mini Link 3 has, most notably, yet more creative affects over the Mini Link 2; which many will consider to have plenty enough of these. Some are practical and creative, others are just a bit of fun.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 at a glance:
- £115
- Prints from smartphone or tablet
- Uses Instax Mini film
- Bluetooth connection
- Comes in blue, white, or pink
- Measures 91.9 x 36.4 x 124.8 mm and 210g (7.4 ounces)
- www.instax.co.uk
As well as able to print any image from your phone’s camera roll, the app allows you to extract and print individual frames from video files. There’s also an Instax Camera option, which takes pictures within the app using your phone camera and prints them directly, and even lets you use the printer as a remote shutter release and zoom controller.
Creative options include the ability to make collages of multiple images, or to add colourful frames and messages onto your prints. There’s even a ‘Match test’ party game, which purports to tell you how well-matched you might be to a friend (but only if you make a print to find out).
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 key features:
- Power: The built-in battery is charged using a micro-USB port and should be good for 100 prints, equating to 10 packs of film
- LED light: Activated by the button on top, this can be used to doodle on pictures taken using the Instax Air feature
- Power button: The large central button lights up when the unit is powered on, and it now vibrates subtly, too
- Film chamber: Film packs are inserted into the back, with the door released by a simple sliding catch
Compared to its predecessor, the Mini Link 2 gains an extra button on top beside the print ejection slot, which is used to activate an LED light on one side. Together these are used for the new Instax Air feature, which is effectively an evolution of the Instax Camera mode that adds a light painting function.
This feature allows you to draw doodles on your pictures before printing them out by waving the printer around in front of your phone’s camera. A variety of colours and ‘brushes’ are available, including a spray can and a lightsabre, complete with sound effects. Alternatively, you can just draw on the phone’s screen with your finger, which is arguably easier and more accurate.
In another nice update, there’s now a choice of ‘natural’ and ‘rich’ colour modes, with the latter offering deeper blues and more saturated greens, making it ideal for outdoor shots. It’s just a shame that the switch between these is hidden away in the app settings, rather than being easily selectable for each print.
What is Instax Mini film, and how much does it cost?
Fujifilm’s Instax Mini film is a Polaroid-like instant film. It produces credit-card sized (86 x 54 mm) prints, with a picture size of 62 x 46 mm. Standard colour film costs £15 ($18) for 20 prints, while black & white film costs £10 ($15) for 10 prints. Colour film packs are also available with a wide range of creative borders.
Fujifilm claims that prints take 90 seconds to develop after they’re ejected from the printer, but in my experience that’s optimistic, and you’ll need to wait a few minutes for them to reach the full effect.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2: Our Verdict
Just like its predecessor, the Instax Mini Link 2 is a brilliant little device for making and sharing small prints. The app is attractively designed and easy to use, despite the wide range of features available. Most importantly, it delivers lovely little prints, with strong colours and a good level of detail. Just be aware that the prints are rather small, but if you want larger ones, consider the similar Instax Link Wide instead.
Find more instant printers and instant cameras in our guide to the best instant cameras and printers, have a look at some great smartphone photo apps, and find more great accessories for your smartphone in our guide to the best phone tripods.
