Fujifilm Announces the Instax Mini 99

Fujifilm has unveiled the Mini 99 Instant camera, which it claims keeps the iconic Instax appearance while adding new features that allow photographers to manage color, brightness, and focus.

The Mini 99, billed as a more complex instant camera that uses Fujifilm’s Instax Mini film, features a new Color Effect Dial, Brightness Control Dial, Shooting settings, a Vignette Switch, and three focus settings, as well as an accompanying grip that screws into a built-in tripod mount.

The Color Effect Dial offers six effects controlled by LEDs inside the camera: faded green, warm tone, light blue, soft magenta, sepia, and light leak. Photos are exposed onto Instax Mini instant film in the specified hue using the supplied lamps.

The Brightness Control Dial is just a simple exposure compensation dial with two degrees of light and darkness surrounding a neutral center.

Fujifilm added several new shooting modes to improve the user experience, including Indoor Mode, which is designed for low-light situations, Sports Mode, which increases the shutter speed to capture the perfect action shot, Double Exposure Mode, which allows the user to combine two images into one, and Bulb Mode, which increases the amount of light let in when creating the image, resulting in a brighter effect on the print.

The new Vignette Switch is a physical switch that closes what appear to be aperture blades around the perimeter of the frame, adding a mild vignette to the exterior of captured images.

The Mini 99 also offers a self-timer and flash control options, including auto, fill-in (in which the flash always fires), red-eye reduction, and the ability to turn the flash off completely.

The focus modes are initiated based on how much the lens dial is cranked. Landscape Mode focuses on subjects at distances of three meters or more. Macro Mode allows for close-up images from 0.3 to 0.6 meters. When faced with a choice between the two, users can pick Standard Mode. The lens has a reasonably simple two-element construction.

The camera’s body includes a 1/4″-20 tripod screw mount and precision-milled Base Grip.

The camera has a rechargeable 680mAh battery, but it cannot be charged while inside the camera. The Fujifilm Mini 99 is scheduled to be available in mid-April for $199.95.


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