This camera has been around for a few years, it is the most advanced Mini camera in the FujiFilm range of Instax, the camera uses Instax Mini film and a rechargeable battery, which is great. Instax cameras do not come with a free pack of film, so it is best to buy some film with the camera, otherwise, you will be unable to play with it. You can save money if you bulk buy from either Amazon. When you are loading a cartridge of film, make sure that the yellow spots match up, one will be at the top of the inside of the camera, the other will be at the top of the cartridge itself. The first photo you will take when you put a pack of film it will eject the dark slide before you start taking photos, after this, you will have 10 shots to use. If there is yellow showing in the tiny window, it means that there is a film in the camera. The switch to open the film door is the one at the top of the camera, the lower switch is for the battery compartment. When installing the battery, match the yellow stripes and follow the arrows on the battery. The counter tells you how many shots you have remaining.
The minimum focusing distance for this camera is 60cm (24 inches/2 feet / 1 arm length) to get sharp photos. Give your subject extra space at the minimum distance so that you get everything you want in the frame. Use the circle in the viewfinder to help compose your image.
Shooting Settings are: Macro, shoot closer up at 40cm-50cm (just before and after elbow length away) rather than 60cm. Lighten and Darken Modes, this allows you control exposure a bit more. Self Timer, this is a 10 second self timer. The red light will go on and just before it takes the photo the light will blink. Hit the button twice and you can get two photos out of the self timer.
Macro Mode changes the viewfinder, you have a better idea of what you are going to get. Use the lighten mode to keep subject brighter. You can mix lighten and darken modes with other modes, like macro.
To get out of a mode hit the button again, when nothing appears on the screen you know that the settings are back to basics. When taking a horizontal photo makes sure that the flash is at the top of the camera.
The Flash settings will always flash when you hit the button once, the second time, you will activate red eye reduction, the third time you hit the button you can turn the flash off. It has a range of 2.7 meters, if anything is further away than that the flash will not light them.
The flash light is not flattering, if shooting people, outdoor or window light is better to use. The Shooting Modes can be selected either by hitting the mode button on the back of the camera, or by moving the ring on the front of the camera.
Shooting Modes are:
Party Mode (two people), it exposes for the background and fires the flash to expose your subject. Leaves shutter open a little longer than usual, so the camera and subject need to keep still for a little while.
Kids Mode (baseball cap), fast moving subjects indoors or low light.
Landscape (mountains), Changing focus distance of camera from 60cm or 3 meters to 3 meters to infinity.
Double exposure mode (two boxes over each other), you can put two images on the one sheet of film. Shadow in first image is where the second image will be seen.
Bulb mode (B), will leave shutter open for up to 10 seconds if you are holding the shutter button down. Use a tripod or some other stability.
The photo develops in 90 seconds or so, depending on the air temperature. Do not shake the photo, hold by edges or bottom, do not touch the chemicals. Do not fold the photos.You can keep the film in the fridge, but let it come back to room temperature before you use it. When the little red light on the back is solid you can shoot, if it is flashing, the flash is recharging and you need to wait as the camera will not work.
Gallagher Photography 