After weeks of waiting, I was finally able to get my hands on the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s that I asked my mom to order online for me (no credit card and no work yet, so yeah). I saw an ad of it in one of the online deals websites my mom frequents, and after seeing a price drop of almost 50%, I knew I had to get it for my twin and I. I scrambled to get whatever amount I could to pay my mother off, and after brief negotiations, she succumbed and bought it for me.
I first saw the Mini 7s when one of my orgmates brought hers and took pictures with it. I really thought that instant cameras were long gone (pardon my ignorance), so after seeing one still being sold in the market, the FiMtwins decided that we must have one of those gadgets for our picture taking tirades. We tried searching for low-priced ones, but alas, it was still beyond what our budget can buy. That’s why I immediately grabbed the online deal, no questions asked.
On to the product itself. These are what you get out of the box of the Instax Mini 7s:
- the unit itself (our Instax Mini 7s is color blue. Yay!)
- 4 AA batteries (ours came with Panasonic ones)
- instruction manuals
- wrist strap
The online deal had the option of adding film to the package, which I got. Film for this camera is always sold in 10 pcs per pack, which can be had, depending on where you buy it, for about Php 380.00-480.00 (for plain films). There are also twin packs (10x2 packs) which can be had for a few pesos cheaper than when you buy two 10-pc packs. I mentioned plain films earlier because there are also films which have different designs on them. Hello Kitty, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Garfield, Stitch, Cars, and Disney Princesses are just some of the many frame designs that can be bought to go along with your Instax cameras. (I want to try all of the film designs, if only they weren’t so expensive to buy. :)
Okay, so for the Instax Mini 7s, you put 4 AA batteries on the side of the camera (in our case, opening the blue part/battery cap of the cam using the latch). Be sure to follow the battery placements, as it can be a bit tricky the first time.
To place the film, simply open the back portion of the camera and place your film pack inside, making sure that the yellow strip at the top of the film pack is aligned with the yellow strip inside the film holder. Close the camera and you’re done! A yellow strip should be in the upper right portion of the film cover, meaning you placed your film right.
Finally, to power up your camera, simply pull the lens out. Wait for the light at the top of the camera to turn green; that means the flash is charged and ready to go. (Oh, a little note: the flash will ALWAYS fire. There’s no off option for it. I’m thinking of a way to try and soften and/or block the flash using whatever I can come up with. I’ll let you know what I can do.)
The camera is simple enough to operate. At the top, there are options to choose from depending on where you’re going to take your shot. There are four options to choose from: Sunny, Fine, Cloudy, and Indoor. I haven’t spent much time on the settings yet so I don’t really have advices to give you regarding the settings. A couple of experimentations are still needed. After choosing the setting you want, simply look into the viewfinder to compose your shot (tip: aim slightly lower than the center of your subject. That way, your subject is at the center of the image. Weird, I know, but trust me, after a few test shots, it’s a big help). Click away! Wait for the film to come out on top (oh wait, another tip: after putting on a new pack of film, take a shot first. That way, the cover of the film gets discarded. Then take your real shot.) Tada! You now have an instant image. :D Congratulations!
It’s a pretty simple camera, yet it provides a very enjoyable experience. Not knowing how your shot’s going to look, instant picture printing, pictures reminiscent of old cameras, I just enjoy all of it. :D
That’s it! That’s the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take some more photos. :D
(The official Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s (along with other Instax cameras) website can be found here.)
(P.S. Thank you so much Instaxcular for providing the most affordable films for my Mini 7s. :D If any of you are planning on buying all sorts of Instax films, Instax units, and/or accessories to go with your Instax, you can give their online shop a look. Their website can be found here. They also have a Facebook page.)
