Instax Share App vs Fujifilm Camera; Which Is Better For Your Instax Prints?
It's a battle to figure out which Instax method is best.
Should you send your images to the Instax Share app first or do it right from camera? Instax is a great way for photographers to give instant prints to clients, either as a memento of the shoot or as an added service. While most people will have to transfer the images to their phone, Fujifilm shooter has the ability to connect directly to their Instax Printer with their Fujifilm X-Series camera…
After much lusting over the years and holding back because of the hefty price tag (with which I could buy a normal-sized regular printer), a few circumstances have surfaced that have convinced and driven me to finally drop some cash on this: the Fujifilm Instax Share SP-1!
My initial thought when this came out two years ago was that I probably didn’t need it, since I already have an Instax Mini 7s (a gift from Kiks from his Japan trip in 2013). That, plus I thought that maybe printing pictures from my phone would be “cheating” because it sort of took away the complete experience of not being completely sure of what it was you captured until the photo develops.
But after finding the perfect use for it (which I will write about sometime in the future) and trying it out in the store this evening when I bought it, I am overjoyed and regret nothing. And yes, I drove over to UP Town Center just to buy it and head back home. Who doesn’t love a little spontaneity?
I adore how it’s got this apple green theme going on. My phone accidentally matches it, haha!
I downloaded the Instax Share app on my phone and iPad this afternoon just to see what it was like. I of course couldn’t print anything, but I liked how it looked so far. The great thing is that the printer makes use of the same film as the Instax Minis, so woohoo! The app also lets you frame your photos within the dimensions of their film. No more guessing with how to compose or crop a photo, and no more wildly off-center subjects!
The printer is simple enough to understand without having to read the manual. The power button is on top next to where the film comes out, a reprint button is to the side if you want another copy of the photo you just printed, and some LED lights in front to indicate battery life and the number of film sheets you have left. The back opens up like the Instax Mini so you can load the film cartridge. The printer uses 2 CR2 batteries, that I’m told should last you a very long time.
I have to give props to the person who assisted me at Wonder Photo Shop over at UPTC. Gab (who had some fabulous lipstick on today) is always the one who attends to my printing needs whenever I drop by when I have photos printed. I come by so often that he remembers me and even asked why I didn’t bring my dog with me (the last photos I had printed were of Bowie). Haha! He let me setup the printer right then and there at the counter so I could test it out. I whipped out my X-A1 and took a photo of the cameras on display. I kind of struggled to find out how to print from my camera (there were no instructions for that on the manual, just how to print from the app) that Gab said he’d try to Google the solution on their computer. Haha! Gotta love that guy. But anyway, like I always do, a little fiddling around with my camera’s menus and I found out where the print command was. And out came the picture! We were both so excited, it was ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was that I hadn’t even paid for it, and yet there I was fiddling around with the printer. Haha! Pays to be a regular, I suppose? Thank you, Gab!
Anyway, I had loaded up my printer with 2014 expired film, so the colors are a little off. It’s not all too clear here, but there’s a magenta tinge on one part of the photo. But I think that adds to the “vintage” charm.
Clearly, my obsession with print is here to stay, and I give props to Fujifilm for fuelling it. I’ve been a Fuji friend (LOL a term Tricia and I came up with some time ago) since 2013, and I’m really glad that they make photography—from capturing photos to printing them out—easy, enjoyable, and just so much fun.
