Fujifilm Combines Retro Style with Larger Square Film in Instax SQ40 Camera
Fujifilm has expanded its range of instant cameras by introducing the Instax SQ40, which combines vintage elements from the Mini 40 with the ability to capture square-format film like its predecessors in the SQ series.
Unlike the shiny plastic square models of the past, the SQ40 is wrapped in faux leather with silver accents. At 5.25 inches wide by 4.5 inches tall and 2.25 inches thick, it’s significantly larger than the Mini 40 and other rectangular cameras. For easy carrying, it comes with a shoulder strap with quick release loops.
The lens is retractable and has three positions, starting with a fully retracted “off” position that makes the camera relatively flat and closes the protective cap. In the “on” position, it expands and the lens hood opens, giving a 65.75mm (presumably 35mm equivalent) field of view when shooting up to 19.7 inches. And finally, for selfies, there’s a “macro” mode that lets you shoot between 11.8 and 19.7 inches, with a small mirror on the front so you can see yourself and your friends.
It has automatic exposure and shoots in an Instax Square frame to a 2.4 x 2.4 inch image area on a 3.4 x 2.8 inch film size. Unlike some Instax models, nothing appears to be recorded in digital format, so this is about as analog as modern cameras get.
The SQ40 costs $150 and is expected to be available for purchase by the end of June 2023. The basic white-bordered version of the square film costs about $19 for 20 exposures, and a new version called the Instax Square “Sunset” with pastel borders (above) is $15.75 for a pack of 10. Finally, Fujifilm released a new brown color for the Mini Evo for $200, also at the end of June.
