Although I am a fan of digital life, I recognize that the world already has too many screens. From time to time it is good to look away from the screen and enjoy something "real", something tangible and that can be touched, such as photos printed on photographic paper. Taking advantage of the Christmas dates we are in, today I will talk about what can be a unique and very original gift: the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 camera . A camera that has fascinated me and that it may become a gift from Santa Claus to someone in my immediate environment (shuuuut ... !!).
WHAT KIND OF CAMERA IS THE FUJIFILM INSTAX WIDE 300?
I want to point out some peculiarities of the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 that differentiate it from 90% of the cameras that are sold today.1) IT IS AN ANALOG CAMERA
It lacks screen. It lacks an electronic viewfinder (it has an optical one). It lacks menu. It lacks Wi-Fi. It lacks Bluetooth. It lacks memory card slot. It lacks GPS. It lacks connectivity to your favorite social networks. And no, it doesn't record video either. The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a first analog camera. It makes you live photography as before: shot you take, photo you get. You have no room to review the photo. It has a limited photo cartridge. As soon as this is finished you run out of photos unless you carry spare cartridges. Someone will say: why would I want a camera that limits my possibilities, having today cameras that allow shooting and erasing without worrying about cartridges? I will talk about this in a moment. I continue with the characteristics.2) IT IS AN INSTANT CAMERA
This means that, unlike modern digital cameras, with which you have to pass the photo to the computer first and then send it to print, either through an online website or in a kiosk of these where photos are printed, and also unlike normal analog cameras that carry film, the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a camera that uses an instant development system. It carries a photo paper cartridge and as soon as we shoot a photo it comes out of an already printed slot. At the beginning the photo is not seen on the paper, but after a few moments the picture begins to glimpse. I think that with these two points we are located. Now let's see what distinguishes this camera from other instant analog cameras ... Because there will be several like that, right?WHY FUJIFILM INSTAX WIDE 300?
If you look at the instant cameras (that is, those that print the photo at the moment) that are on the market right now we will find predominantly two brands: Polaroid and Fujifilm. The first, Polaroid, are digital cameras after all (I speak of those that are produced today). They allow you to print the photo instantly, which is fine, but that "digital" point does not quite convince me. Fujifilm Instax is Fujifilm's proposal for instant cameras, but unlike Polaroid, Fujifilm's are completely analog . In addition to the “100% analog” point, the second point in favor of the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 versus other brands and models is the fact that most current instant cameras (whether digital or analog, both Polaroid and Fujifilm) Reveal photos in an extremely small size . The first time I saw a picture of these I was perplexed: the pictures are chrome-sized of these that the kids exchange. Surely many people do not care that the photo is so small, however I like that the photo is large or at least of a medium size, which can be contemplated even without having to get too close. The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is one of the very few instant cameras that print photos at a reasonably large size. In my case this was the definitive feature with which I decided on this camera as a finalist.SOME INCONVENIENCE WILL HAVE THIS POT, RIGHT?
Disadvantages depend on what you compare it with and for what. As I always say, there is no perfect camera. There is the perfect camera for a certain person with certain tastes and for certain circumstances: a) Being completely analog, the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 has no display. It does not allow you to review the photos, or apply filters, or shoot 100 photos of exactly the same scene in order to choose, delete the 99 and keep the finalist photo. This is a camera that makes you live photography as it was the last century. Nor do we have to go back so much. Only 20 years ago this was the most common way of photographing: each photo spent a paper or a space in the film, which made you value the photo before shooting it. You struggled to get the right picture from the same shot, because you knew that you were not going to be able to see it on a screen, nor were you going to be able to select a photo from 100, nor were you going to be able to apply filters or stories. You shoot. Pum. Outside. I love. b) The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is large. As I said before, there are two types of photo paper for instant cameras: the small, chrome type, and the large one. This, when carrying large paper, requires that the body of the camera itself be large. Nor is it giant, but don't try to compare it with a pocket digital camera. c) Requires to be fed photo paper. Did you want photos instantly revealed on large paper? Well paper you will have to buy and put. Depending on where you buy the paper and how big or small the package you buy, it can cost you between 0.60 and 1 euro the photo. As we have become accustomed to digital photography where with a memory card you have thousands of photos, the idea of ??having to buy "a consumable" regularly scares you at the beginning. Nevertheless:- The "paper shortage" factor makes us very selective with our photos and press the shutter button only when we are really sure that the photo and the moment are worthwhile.
- Satisfaction to share in-situ the excitement of the moment with our loved ones is more valuable than 0.60 euros. I think.
- We all currently have some type of digital camera, even the smartphone. The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 does not intend to replace your digital camera. You can continue digitally shooting the photos you want, but with the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 you can immortalize unique occasions and special moments and enjoy them on the spot. You can hang those "special" moments in the fridge, hold them with tweezers to a thread in a part of the house, or go gathering stories, people and moments of your life in a cork that will tell your experiences.
Note: In my case I bought the camera at Amazon (where I usually received the best price and best after-sales service). They currently have it for about € 98.34 . If, like me, you intend to give it away, remember to add a pack of photographic paper ( you have it available here ).
