Fujifilm’s new instax SQUARE 2 is not trying to make instant photography more digital. It goes the other way, adding a few physical controls to a fully analog camera and asking you to commit to a look before you press the shutter.
The headline feature is a Mood Filter switch with Warm, Cool and Off positions. These are not software presets. Physical filters sit in front of the lens, so Warm adds golden tones and Cool shifts the image toward blue at the moment of exposure. On a camera with no screen, no preview and no delete option, that decision is permanent, and that is the appeal. It is a straightforward way to give prints character without carrying gels or relying on lucky lighting. The filters will not fix a badly lit room, though. Exposure, surroundings and film still determine most of the result.
Focusing is handled by rotating the lens ring through three modes. Close-up covers roughly 0.3 to 0.5 metres for selfies and small objects. Standard covers 0.5 to 3 metres for most people photos. Landscape is for anything beyond 3 metres. A selfie mirror sits next to the lens, and automatic exposure adjusts shutter speed and flash output. The flash fires on every shot, which is the most obvious drawback here. Glass, shiny surfaces and venues that discourage flash will be more difficult than they should be.
The square format remains the main reason to choose this line over the more popular instax mini. Its 62 x 62mm image area leaves more room for backgrounds and group shots without forcing subjects into a narrow frame. Fujifilm’s analog square cameras, including the SQ1 and SQ40, have always been slightly niche next to the mini range, and the SQUARE 2 looks like an attempt to give that format a more distinctive creative angle.
The camera has a rounded body with a textured grip and comes in Misty White, Slate Blue and Brick Red. It runs on four AA batteries, with alkaline cells included and NiMH rechargeables supported, as long as you do not mix the two. Prints develop in about 90 seconds, depending on temperature. Cases and an acrylic display frame will be sold separately.
Fujifilm is also launching Soft Haze film, which the company says lowers saturation and contrast while softening shadows and making highlights glow. Unlike the filters, that look applies to the whole 10-shot pack.
The SQUARE 2 is due in the US in late October at $119.95, with Soft Haze priced at $18.99 per pack. At almost two dollars per print, every Warm or Cool experiment will cost real money, and that may be the biggest factor in who actually buys it.
