Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay Review: the perfect instant-print camera!

Having tested a range of instant print cameras over the years there really is little new to the category of late. Until the Instax Mini LiPlay hit the market.

Bringing new life to the instant photo – or “Polaroid” as we all knew it as kids, the Instax range of cameras has been a big hit for Fujifilm over recent years.

A series of cameras that are point and print have been big hits at parties, with teenagers and many more.

But they had one problem – Literally instant printing. Perhaps the resurgence of this style missed the very essence of what was wrong with Instant printing – the stuff ups.

While it was fine in the 80s and 90s when photography was an “I have 18 shots on this roll, gotta get it right” exercise but when things went digital we could finally take more and choose what was printed.

Perhaps that’s why the second part of the category was created a year or so back – the instant printer. These little gadgets pair with your smartphone and allow you to print the photos you take on your phone.

Forget both those, and enter the Instax Mini LiPlay. At $229 its an all-in-one all you can eat, all you will need instant photo solution.

This is an Instax camera – you can point and shoot.

This is an Instax Printer – you can pair with your smartphone and print photos you’ve taken on your phone.

But the real difference, and the Instax Camera itself doesn’t print the moment you shoot. It’s more like a Digital Camera – allowing you to take photos, browse them on the LCD screen, and choose the ones you want to print!

This means you can take a bunch of snaps and not waste the precious print paper on photos you don’t like.

The refills are over a $1 each after all – so, it’s logical really.

We used this today at the 90th birthday lunch for my kids Great-Grandfather. The kids loved taking snaps, we were able to choose the ones we printed and made an instant party collage.

If you want to add some flare to your photos, there are even a range of filters you can add as you take the photo or after the fact.

And also some frames to overlay over images you’ve taken or while you take them.

More expensive than an Instax printer, More Expensive than an Instax camera. But cheaper than buying both, and more feature rich than both combined too.

This is without question the best product Fujifilm have ever made in their Instax range and won’t be left sitting in the bottom drawer, you’ll want to use it!

We’ve found it at JB Hi-Fi for $229.