I travelled to Dehradun with the tiny Fujifilm Instax Pal camera…here’s what it’s like to use

Here’s my review.

Key specifications: 4.9-megapixel camera, 16.25mm equiv wide-angle lens, F2.2 aperture, ISO 100 – 1600, 1/4 – 1/8000 sec. shutter speed, Up to 50 images with built-in storage, 1 USB-C port, 1 microSD slot

Fujifilm Instax Pal terms successful India (as reviewed): Rs 10,999 (Mini Link 2 camera costs an further Rs 10,999)

Small successful stature

The existent portion is tiny and the plan is precise striking. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

The Pal is tiny—in fact, it could easy beryllium mistaken for a keyring. The camera features a retro-inspired design, reminiscent of a Tamagotchi, and fits perfectly successful the thenar of my hand. My pinkish portion has a cutesy look, astir similar a artifact for kids. It measures astir 42.3mm x 44.4mm x 43mm and weighs astir 40 grams. While it slips easy into my pocket, I’d interest astir the lens getting scratched. I privation Fujifilm had included a case. That said, the Pal feels sturdy and tin withstand insignificant drops. The included ringing attachment is an absorbing addition, though it doesn’t relation arsenic a clip oregon keychain. Instead, it tin beryllium worn connected your digit to forestall accidental drops. Interestingly, the ringing besides doubles arsenic a viewfinder, though I’m not wholly definite however efficaciously it serves that purpose.

A touch-less interface

The Instax Pal looks cute, similar a toy. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

The Pal defies accepted perceptions of a integer camera. First, it doesn’t look similar a camera, and second, it lacks the settings typically recovered connected accepted cameras. There is nary touchscreen, viewfinder, oregon aperture. Instead, the Pal features 3 outer controls. On top, you’ll find a tiny fastener to powerfulness it on. Pressing the fastener triggers a startup chime and colourful power-on lights. On the back, there’s the shutter button. At the bottommost of the camera is simply a power to toggle betwixt Fun mode and Link mode. The erstwhile is for utilizing the app, portion the second allows you to people straight to an Instax printer (more connected that later). Additionally, the camera includes a tripod screw mount, a tiny built-in flash, a talker for sounds oregon audio prompts, a USB-C larboard for charging, and a microSD paper slot connected the side. The camera’s interior representation tin clasp up to 50 images, capable for a afloat photograph session. But I urge a microSD paper if you program to usage the Pal extensively for shooting. The Pal lasts astir 350 shots connected a azygous charge.

Easy to usage app

It is imaginable to look astatine the photos earlier they’re printed via the smartphone app. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

As I mentioned, the Pal does not person a touchscreen interface, truthful astir interactions with the camera are handled done the smartphone app, which tin beryllium downloaded connected iPhone and Android devices. The app connects to the camera and printer via Bluetooth, providing power implicit the Pal. One of the app’s standout features is that it acts arsenic the camera’s viewfinder. A preview of your creation appears connected the app’s surface wrong a virtual Instax movie frame, allowing you to decently align the image. You tin besides usage the app for distant power shooting, import images changeable with the Pal from the microSD card, prime shooting formats and adjacent customise the shutter dependable to lucifer your mood. There are 5 pre-set shutter sounds to take from, oregon you tin grounds your own, adding a interaction of amusive to the experience.

The ringing attachment tin beryllium worn connected your digit to forestall accidental drops. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

It took maine a fewer minutes to familiarise myself with the app interface, but I rapidly grew to admit the editing features built into the app. You tin take betwixt 2 prime settings: affluent mode, which offers much vivid images, and earthy mode for a much subdued look. Tap the virtual shutter fastener to seizure images successful single-shot oregon self-timer modes. Alternatively, you tin prime Interval Shooting to seizure a bid of images taken 3 seconds apart, with options for 3, 6, 11, oregon 21 photos per session. A scope of effects, including monochrome, sepia, cool, vivid, and soft, tin beryllium applied either beforehand oregon during post-capture editing. Other post-capture options see adjustments for brightness, contrast, and exposure, on with tools for rotating and cropping images.

Fujifilm’s Instax Pal is simply a blend of aged and new, and it does what it’s meant to do. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

A rotation astir Dehradun city

I had been readying a travel to Dehradun for days, and with the contamination concern successful Delhi, taking immoderate clip distant from the smog and uncovering refuge determination felt similar the close decision. As a tech writer and idiosyncratic who enjoys some travelling and trying retired caller gadgets, it was an casual prime to bring the Fujifilm Instax Pal on with my iPhone 16 Pro (review). I’ll beryllium honest—the Pal isn’t a camera that stays with maine each the clip similar my iPhone. However, 1 of the reasons I chose to usage the Pal during my caller Dehradun travel was its quality to connection an end-to-end photography solution done its app and Instax Mini Link 2 printer, portion besides being a camera that doesn’t bounds you to a fixed canvas.

My biggest proposal for those wanting to effort the Pal would be: conscionable spell shoot! There are nary hidden “secrets” to mastering the Pal oregon circumstantial skills required to get the champion photographs with this camera. After all, the camera doesn’t marque the picture—you do.

Dehradun is located successful the Uttarakhand state’s Garhwal area. The metropolis is situated successful the foothills of the Himalayas. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

In the 4 days I spent successful Dehradun (including a time successful Mussoorie), I utilized the Pal extensively, conscionable similar immoderate different camera. I roamed each implicit the metropolis with the Pal, visiting fashionable spots specified arsenic the celebrated Ghanta Ghar area, the interiors of the city, Lachhiwala Nature Park, Tapkeshwar Mandir, the Forest Research Institute (FRI), and the renowned Tibetan Buddhist temple.

Photo connected the near taken with Instax Pal. Photo connected the close taken with iPhone 16 Pro. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Perhaps what amazed maine astir astir the Pal is that you tin measurement backmost and seizure a infinitesimal without overthinking the framework and lighting. I didn’t interest astir however I planned to sprout a taxable similar we often bash with a smartphone camera—no post-processing, nary overthinking earlier sharing oregon printing it. Somewhere successful my mind, I knew it was each close determination successful the thenar of your hand, but honestly, I didn’t springiness it overmuch thought.

I volition admit, shooting blindly didn’t ever nutrient large results—and the Pal did conflict with debased light; successful fact, framing was each implicit the place. Sure, the distant shooting relation provides unrecorded feedback from the camera via the companion app, but I utilized the Pal however it was ever intended to beryllium used.

Don’t expect the representation prime to bushed the photos your smartphone camera tin take, and I knew that earlier I began utilizing the Pal. There’s thing very, precise integer astir the Fujifilm Instax Pal. Images tin beryllium pixelated—not picture-perfect, reminding maine of old-school integer cameras I utilized ages ago. Perhaps that’s what makes the Pal truthful retro, but besides a small antithetic from integer cameras. Ideally, and I bash emphasise this, the photos the Pal takes aren’t ever suited for posting and sharing similar those taken connected a smartphone. Instead, they are meant to beryllium printed, and I was amazed by the prime of the photos erstwhile those prints turned out. And that’s what makes the Pal specified a sublime acceptable for radical similar maine who are truly into retro. It offers conscionable capable to sufficiently fulfill the astir nostalgic photography desires.

There are noticeable differences betwixt the photos I took with the iPhone 16 Pro and the Pal. I’m not going to reason which 1 is better, but I bash constituent retired that there’s a charm successful printing the photos—not always, but sometimes erstwhile you’re successful the temper to support the memories live for years to come. The Mini Link 2 printer is optional, though it is compact and charged via an included Micro USB cable. It uses Instax Mini movie and tin people up to 100 images connected a azygous charge. Each photograph takes astir 15 seconds to people and astir 90 seconds to develop.

Fujifilm Instax Pal camera sample Fujifilm Instax Pal camera sample Fujifilm Instax Pal camera sample

Fujifilm’s Instax Pal is large connected retro fun

You tin get the Mini Link, a printer that prints movie images disconnected your phone. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

So, what was it similar to usage the Instax Pal? I spent a week investigating the camera, and each I tin accidental is that it provided a caller position connected integer photography. If you’re looking for immoderate throwback amusive oregon you truly conscionable privation to relive those teenage glory days, I would urge getting the Instax Pal. The Pal is tiny and has a toy-like look, and portion it doesn’t people photos the mode a traditional Polaroid camera would, it inactive feels similar a integer camera. I consciousness the Pal is aimed astatine adults similar myself who grew up with old-school cameras successful the ’90s, which is inactive a large audience.