Fujifilm recently released the new Instax Link Wide instant film printer. This is the first printer for larger Instax film, called Wide Instant Film. For those who shoot Instax, this is pretty big news!
A lot of people never print their pictures, and most images are quickly forgotten. A fun way to get tangible photographs is to print them on Instax film. Keep them in a photo book. Display them on a cork-board or refrigerator. Give them to friends and family. You can even print the pictures with a QR-code on them, and turn your images into unique business cards!
A great thing that you can do with this printer is use film simulation recipes on your Fujifilm X camera, and then print those pictures on Instax film. Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry did just that (which you can see in the image below)—she used my Agfa Optima 200 recipe on her Fujifilm X camera, and then, using the Instax Link Wide printer, made instant film prints from the images that she captured with the recipe. Amazing!
Some of you might be surprised to learn that I have an Instax Mini 40 that I occasionally use. Instant film photography is fun, but I don’t consider it a “serious” endeavor; however, the Wide printer does make for the intriguing union between recipes and instant film. There’s certainly the prospect of a compelling art project.
Nathalie and I discussed the Instax Link Wide printer in SOOC Episode 04. A short excerpt of this segment can be found in the video below. If you are interested in this printer, be sure to watch the video!
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The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide Printer retails for $150.
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The Instax printers are fantastic. I’ve seen them used at weddings receptions to give the guests a memento. Every time I see an article about printing photographs, I get tempted to make more prints.
But then I recall what life was like when I shot 35mm film (and the dreaded APS) nearly 30 years ago. I would expose a roll either developed it myself (with the occasional print) or take it to a pharmacy for development and prints. Some of the prints were true keepers, documenting the special moments in my life. Those either went into a photo album or picture frame. But most were stuffed into a box on a shelf where they remain today.
Isn’t that the same as what we do now with our digital cameras?
If I start regularly making prints again, at some point, I’ll have too many, and that box on the shelf will grow a little more crowded.
My family has that box. We occasionally dig it out to look through all the photographs. It’s very nostalgic, and I’m honestly glad we have that pile of prints, even if we only take it out to look through during big events or every few years.
Is it odd that no one in my family has any interest in going through a box of prints?
It’s not odd. When my grandparents passed away, nobody wanted the family pictures!! I was shocked. So I took them. Of course, they’re “packed away” (the prints and photo albums in a spare dresser drawer, the slides in a box–actually, boxes within a box), but I was really surprised that nobody wanted them. Perhaps I’m the odd one….
Our boxes of prints come out once every few years it seems. It’s fun to look through! Honestly, I wish that I would take the time to sort through it and eliminate 80% of the pictures, and keep just the 20% that is most meaningful. I need to do the same with my digital collection, too. But who has time? Thanks for the comment!
I have a box (or three) full of prints that rarely get opened. My wife and I have been discussing this very topic. How is it different? What we’ve kind of decided is that only meaningful pictures should be printed. So, printing is important, but so is being selective about it, and finding balance. I can’t say that I’ve found that balance, but definitely trying to find it. Thanks for the comment!
I have enlarged 16”x20” framed prints and 30”x40” canvas on some walls. I want to make a few more. I don’t think I’ll be doing anything like that stack of Instax prints.
That’s what I want to do more of, too: large prints.
Please mention that the newer printers cannot print directly from the Fuji cameras. The older SP printers could do this.
I’ve got this printer and consider it one of my most important pieces of gear. For me it’s not real until it’s printed, and if it’s not worth printing then it’s not very good.
Yeah, I think the process is, using the Cam Remote App, download from the camera to the phone, then, using the Mini Link App, upload from the phone to the printer. It would be nice to reduce a step here.