It’s been a decade between the release of the Instax Wide 300 and that of the Wide 400, Fujifilm’s newest Wide. However, the new camera appears to mostly lose out on features when compared to the Wide 300. We find out how it does.
Amateur Photographer verdict
The Wide 400 is a perfectly decent point and shoot. More experienced photographers, however, might find it a bit mid and not particularly enticing.- Easy to use.
- Gives a nice amount of detail.
- Accessories can be helpful.
- Struggles in low light and has no manual exposure control.
- Close-up lens is very hit and miss.
- A step back in features when compared to the Wide 300.
Instax Wide 400 at a glance
- Green body with retractable lens
- Compatible with Instax Wide instant film
- Dimensions 162 x 98 x 123 mm, 616g
- Takes 4 x AA batteries
- Price $149.95 / £129.99.
- Instax.com
Camera body and design
The Instax Wide 400 is big. It’s slightly bigger than my Fujifilm X-T3 and than most of Polaroid’s new cameras. By incorporating the viewfinder more into the camera body, it measures 162 mm × 98 mm × 123 mm, making it slightly smaller than the Instax Wide 300, which measures 167.8mm x 94.7mm x 120.9mmIt is bigger than most of Polaroid’s new cameras.
At 616g, the Wide 400 does weigh slightly more than the Wide 300, which weighs 612g. Its body design is also boxier than Wide 300. That and the fact that the camera only comes in the colour green that’s a military green shade… Is it me or is the Wide 400 giving Jeep vibes?
Its bigger body can make it a bit of a challenge to carry around than other instant cameras. While, I’m glad to say that the Wide 400 was a snug fit inside my Uniqlo crossbody bag along with other essentials and the close-up lens, it was not an easy feat.
There are no controls on the back of the Wide 400. A physical self-timer sits on the front of the camera right next to the lens, which is ideal for group shots and anyone looking to take any self-portraits. By rotating the dial, you can set x-second increments before pressing the shutter button. A LED countdown counts down the time till your camera shutter goes off.
The camera’s lens has two focusing options: 0.9-3m and 3m-infinity. Like the Instax Mini 99, this camera does not come with a selfie mirror on the lens, does technically have one in the form of an attachable close-up lens (with a selfie mirror).
The Wide 400 also comes with angle adjustment accessories on the camera strap. These can be slid under a small square recess located at the bottom of the camera next to the tripod mount. There’s two different sizes to the wedges that can be put in it to prop the camera forwards or backwards for getting different angles.
The shooting experience
With automatic exposure and flash control, the Wide 400 is very much a point and shoot, much like the Instax Mini 12 and Instax SQ40. A friend who owns the 300 has told me in the past that she didn’t like the viewfinder sticking out as she found that it messed with the framing. Relocating it to be more in par with the camera was a step in the right direction and I had no framing issues while using the Wide 400.
Getting the focus mode right was a bit of a challenge and I ended up using the 3m-infinity option as a default and given the larger film size, I was very happy to find that it gave me a nice amount of detail- Everything from crowds, buildings like the Brighton Royal Pavilion, and even a portrait of a very cute dog enjoying a sunny evening out with its owner.
Predictably, the Wide 400 struggled in low light situations such as when taking photos in the shade – in an otherwise sunny day – and indoors. A photo I took inside the Madrid metro is mostly dark, with only the artificial lights and its reflection on some stairs rendered visible. The flash did have quite a lot of range so as long as your subject is relatively close to the camera, it’s not as much of an issue.
The provided accessories can be useful, particularly for selfies and for anyone looking to get interesting angles, but other than the lens, I didn’t use them very much as they are small and easy to lose in one’s bag.
While I found the close-up lens to be a bit hit and miss, I did get a wonderfully detailed selfie while the Brighton beach wind slapped me in the face and ruined my freshly washed and curled hair.
Ah, a fond memory captured in film. Not just that, but the Instax Wide 400 did a very good job of it. I might have ended up looking like a poodle by the end but you can clearly see my face and even various strands of hair in the resulting photo in one of the best selfies I’ve taken with an instant camera.
Value for money
Apart from a makeover and accessories, what does the Instax Wide 400 really gain a decade on from the Instax Wide 300? I briefly used an Instax Wide 300 earlier this year when a friend lent it to me and while the Wide 400 overall gave me clearer results the answer is… not much.
That said, you do lose some. It is worth noting that the Instax Wide 300 does have flash control, an LCD status screen and the ability to shoot double exposures over the Wide 400. It also gives you brightness control (with light, dark or normal modes) and it can be found in more colour options.
The Wide 400 is priced at $149.95/£129.99. While the Wide 300 can be found for lower prices than the Wide 400, it can be difficult to find. In the US, it is listed as no longer available in retailers like B&H.
For those wanting more control over their cameras, the Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide, which has more manual controls, might be a better option. Another alternative, if you’re looking to print photos taken with your smartphone or camera, is the Instax Link Wide printer. The Wide 400 is less expensive than the printer but the printer can be found for less than the Wide 400’s price when bought as part of a kit with Wide film.
Verdict
So, is this the best wide camera yet or is it nothing new? Regrettably, it’s not just nothing new but a bit of a disappointment. Previous Wide models like the Wide 300 have much more controls and creative features and I felt disenchanted when I found that the new Wide 400 didn’t have more to it for instant photographers who like to experiment, especially since it appears to replace the Wide 300 on the Instax website and offer no other Wide alternative.
When it comes to instant cameras, there is a lot of choice out there and it really comes down to what kind of experience you want and the price you’re willing to pay for it. If you like the new look and want an easy to use point and shoot instant camera that can take larger prints and don’t mind carrying a larger, heavier instant camera in your bag, the Wide 400 is a decent option.
Related content:
- Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo review: the best instant camera for beginners?
- Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 review – why wait for your prints to come?
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