Instax Wide 400 Review: Instax’s Instant Camera Grows Up

The world of instant photography has experienced a remarkable resurgence in recent years, capturing the hearts of both casual users and photography enthusiasts. Among the most prominent players is Fujifilm’s Instax series, with a range of instant cameras and photo printers. Still, while the lure of instant photography has been great, many users have longed for a more grown-up version of the selfie-centric small format that has dominated the market.

While Instax Mini and Square print sizes are much loved by young adults and tweens, more mature photography lovers were left longing for something bigger. Growing up in the 90s, a time when Polaroid dominated the instant photography game, I’ve always wished for the renewed popularity of larger instant prints. Not just for the sake of my ageing-induced dwindling eyesight, but also because larger prints just look better in frames and photo albums.

Now, Instax is coming to the party with the introduction of the Instax Wide 400. Following in the footsteps of the now-discontinued Instax Wide 300 introduced in 2014, this new wide-format Instax camera is the first Wide product since the Instax Link Wide printer launched in 2021.

The increased size of the Instax Wide prints, measuring 62 x 99mm (double that of Instax Mini film), provides a more immersive size for capturing a broader range of photographic scenes — think group photos, city scenes, and landscapes, which are not possible to achieve using smaller mini film.

Being a 90s kid, I associate the classic Polaroid as the perfect size print, the Instax Wide format is the closest in size to standard Polaroid pictures from yesteryear, but now with even more captured in the frame. With all this extra space it allows for more details to shine through, whether this was more of the area surrounding my subject, or just allowing me to get more of my subject or subjects in the frame.

The Wide 400 produces classic-looking instant prints with a reliable success rate in focus and exposure. I was really impressed with the quality of images I was able to capture with this instant camera. I shot with the camera both inside and outside in different lights, with the automatic exposure and automatic flash nailing it every time. Overall, pictures taken with the Instax Wide 400 show good detail and accurate colour with some extra saturation due to their glossy finish.

Easy to use for different opportunities

Apart from the appeal of instant analogue photography with Instax’s largest format film, the Wide 400 is really easy to shoot with. Just a single left turn of the dial around the lens powers it on to shoot in normal mode. With a press of the shutter button, a photo prints out almost immediately, developing within 90 seconds.

For capturing scenery at a distance of three meters or more, just turn the lens in the same direction to switch to landscape mode. This will ensure clear, in-focus pictures and beautiful scenery shots. Furthermore, the camera package includes a close-up lens, allowing users to capture subjects as close as 40cm without any blurriness or focus problems.

Positioned on the front of the camera, a self-timer offers another user-friendly experience. By simply turning the lever, a sequence of LEDs illuminates, providing a timer of up to 10 seconds. Once the shutter button is pressed, a countdown begins, with the LEDs diminishing at an interval of two seconds. The charm of capturing memorable group shots is elevated with the tactile act of turning the lever and the counting down of subtle timer sound. The self-timer lever is easy and fun to use and a super useful feature.

To make it even easier to take group pictures, Instax includes a camera angle adjustment accessory, placed underneath the camera for shooting without the need for a tripod. This accessory offers two different angles that can be attached according to the height of the subject. It’s a clever little feature that allows you to prop the camera forward or backwards for a different angle. It’s a very simple idea, but oh-so-effective.

The camera also includes a built-in automatic flash with a range of up to three metres.

To achieve this larger format print, the Instax Wide 400 camera is understandably substantially bigger than other Instax cameras in the range. Some may find the camera to be quite bulky for use when out and about — it won’t slip easily into a backpack — but for weddings or events where size is less of an issue, this is a great option for larger prints.

The Instax Wide 400 is powered by four AA batteries (included), with the ability to print in the region of 100 Wide prints before the batteries need to be replaced.

Analogue photography fans will love this new addition to the instant camera game, if you love to decorate your fridge with candid moments and are the type to cherish photo albums then you can’t go wrong with investing in this gadget.

The Instax Wide 400 is now available in South Africa at a recommended price of R3,500.