Many digital photographers feel trapped in their own ruts and turn to film for a refreshing change. Instant film eliminates the need for you to bring rolls to the lab or darkroom to develop your images and gives you the same instant gratification as digital photos. One of the many instant cameras still available is Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 (£129.99). The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 uses one of its two largest instant film formats. This doubles the Instax Mini format that is used by Lomography Lomo'Instant. This is a huge plus for me, even though Instax Wide 300 doesn't have some of the creative features that Lomo's camera offers.
The Instax Wide 300 (Amazon: $199.00).The camera measures 3.8x7.4x4.8inches (HWD), and is 1.4lbs. The device features an optical viewfinder and prime lens. It also has a large handgrip at the top with the shutter release. The Instax Wide format film format is used and it's powered with 4 AA batteries.
Instax Wide comes in packs of 10 exposures. Each photo measures 3.9x2.4 inches (HW). You can buy the film individually for $1.50, or you may be able to find it cheaper. Or you could save $0.80 by purchasing in bulk. The film is only offered in color—that's a downer if you appreciate the option of shooting in black and white. Impossible, which makes film for vintage Polaroid cameras, sells black and white instant film, but it's much more expensive at about $3 per shot.
Even if you are just looking for fun, the cost of instant film is a problem. Wedding photographers who want to increase the value of their packages may be able to justify the low price. The camera is easy to use and can be handed to an assistant. Even if the flash is turned off, it will still fire in dark conditions.
The only exposure control you have is to adjust its brightness or depth. The camera meters well, and I found some shots that were too dark. Even though the camera was set to darken, one image of the blooming cherry tree turned out slightly too bright.
That's it for exposure control—if you want an instant camera that gives you more creative power, look to the Lomo'Instant. You can set the aperture, shoot multiple frames at once and use a variety of lenses attachments. The only problem is that the Instax Mini format is too small.
When the lens is turned on, it locks into a focus range between 0.9 and 3 meters (22.9 to 9.8feet) The 3-meter to infinity range can be accessed by twisting the barrel. The included clip-on macro attachment allows you to bring the focus down to 0.04 meters. The plastic arm is placed in front of the fixed optical seefinder and shows you the center point of the frame when you focus close.
Parallax is an issue in close focus because the lens offsets from the viewfinder. It is a 114mm prime at f/14. This lens has a field of view that is roughly equal to the 35mm focal length on a full frame camera system. This lens has a medium wide angle of view, which is fine for landscapes as well as snapshots.
Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 provides a strong platform to shoot larger format instant films. You can use it easily if you consider the distance between yourself and your subject. While serious photographers might find manual exposure control a problem, casual snappers will be able to use the basic controls.
If you want more creative control, including double exposures, consider instead the Lomo'Instant—you'll just have to be happy with the smaller film format. An old Polaroid camera can be found on eBay. You could also use Impossible film. This gives you the option of either black-and-white or color but will cost you a lot more each shot.
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