Fujifilm’s new hybrid instant camera features its widest lens yet

Fujifilm has announced a new hybrid instant camera coming to its Instax line that doubles as a smartphone printer. The new Instax Wide Evo Hybrid instant camera is similar to the Instax Mini Evo that Fujifilm launched in the US in 2022, but as its name implies, it instead uses Instax’s Wide format instant film that produces prints that are twice as wide.

The Instax Wide Evo will be available starting sometime in February 2025 for $349.95. It will launch alongside a matching black case for $49.99 that allows the camera to be used without removing it completely, and a new version of Fujifilm’s Instax Wide instant film featuring a brushed metallic border effect in a $24.99 10-pack.

In addition to being much larger than the Instax Mini Evo to accommodate the wider film stock, the new Instax Wide Evo features a 15.67mm lens, which is the widest used on any Instax camera to date. It allows you to snap wide-angle images to capture more of a scene, but it can also be turned off using a toggle switch if you prefer a closer crop.

Image: Fujifilm

There’s no viewfinder, but the back of the camera has a 3.5-inch LCD display for framing shots as well as navigating menus for effects, settings, and editing images. On the front of the camera a small mirror can be used to frame selfies. Fujifilm says the Instax Wide Evo’s battery has enough charge to print up to 100 images, and there’s a microSD card slot to boost the camera’s storage capacity. Out of the box its internal memory can only hold about 45 images.

Image: Fujifilm

Like the Instax Mini Evo, the new Instax Wide Evo offers 10 lens effects and 10 film effects that can be combined (only two at at time) for a wider range of creativity. The intensity of the effects can also be adjusted using a Degree Control, which is controlled by a ring on the lens. Dials on either side of the camera let you scroll through the various lens and film effects.

For photographers feeling a bit nostalgic for film, the Instax Wide Evo also offers five additional film style customizations that add effects like film strip holes, “a retro contact sheet look,” or the date and time superimposed in the corner of an image. The camera even has a small crank with a pop-out handle — similar to what film cameras used to advance exposures — that’s instead used to start printing.

Image: Fujifilm

The Instax Wide Evo can also be used as a printer when wirelessly connected over Bluetooth to a smartphone running its free iOS or Android mobile app. You can print images from your phone’s camera roll, or use your smartphone as a wireless remote for the Instax Wide Evo, letting you join group shots without the need for a timer. The app even has a Discover Feed featuring images from other users, and lets you share your own if you’re looking for yet another social media fix.