Fujifilm recently updated their INSTAX SHARE WiFi Smart Phone Printer to the second generation model, the SP-2.
If you haven’t seen the INSTAX printers, they’re really cool gadgets.
Using a built-in Wi-Fi connection, the handheld printer lets you print wirelessly from either a Fujifilm X Series camera, or right from your mobile phone or tablet using the dedicated app.
Using the standard INSTAX film cartridges, which are quickly becoming the standard instant film format (Leica recently introduced their new Sofort Instant film camera that uses INSTAX film), the SP-2 printer makes baseball card sized, Polaroid-style instant prints.
The latest version has highly improved print quality and much better detail and tonality. And now Fujifilm has even come out with the new Monochrome film packs.
There’s a reason the INSTAX cameras and printers are so popular, the appeal is that it’s just so much fun to give the prints away to friends, both new and old.
They’re great for travel photographers, because they solve the long-sanding problem of trying to get an address and promising to mail a print back to whatever country or village you were visiting.
Being able to shoot and instantly share a great portrait adds a very satisfying component to your photography, no matter what you’re shooting.
For the same reason, they’re ideal for portrait and wedding shooters, and they’re great for things like events and parties as well. In fact, one of the most awesome things about INSTAX prints is coming up with creative ways to use and share them in your photography, whether for personal or professional use.
I’ve had a ton of fun with my INSTAX cameras and printers, shooting and giving away prints at cyclocross races, social gatherings, important events, etc.. In fact, out of all the INSTAX prints I’ve made, I’ve given every single one of them away, except for this one below- my Romanian Shepherd portrait.
It was the first INSTAX print I ever made, created from a photo I’d shot with my X-T1 and saved to my iPhone. And keep in mind, this is from the first generation printer.
It’s hanging in my office now right above my computer. (I got my SP-1 printer a few months after the trip, so I wasn’t able to share the photo with him).
Last year I shot some photos at a neighborhood school where two of my friends, Nicholas Carman and Lael Wilcox had organized a special “bike drive” and gave donated bikes to the entire 3rd grade class. (Awesome video!) I printed two or three packs of INSTAX prints (10 shots per pack) and gave the entire batch to the teacher so she could share them with the class.
At one point, I gave my X-T1 to one of the kids so he could shoot some photos. He took the picture of that girl in the glasses and red jacket below. Give a boy a camera and what does he do with it? He takes a photo of cute girl on a bike. Yea. Why does that sound familiar…?
The other two collection are from a recent 100-mile snow bike race where I was a volunteer, and this year’s New Year’s Eve party. For that one, I just put my INSTAX Mini 70 instant camera on the table and let people do their thing. It was a huge hit. I think most the photos were taken my friend’s two kids.
Anyway, the INSTAX Printers are a blast, and they can actually be very useful devices in your photography, no matter what style of photos you like to shoot. And they’re quite small- they’ll fit in any camera, travel or bike bag, as well as most jacket pockets.
I highly recommend checking out the new INSTAX SP-2 printer. No matter what camera system you use, or even if you just shoot photos with your phone, I guarantee, you’ll get a lot of use of this thing and have loads of fun giving all the pictures away.
Right now, the SP-2 is on sale at Amazon and costs even less than the first generation S-P1.
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