Sometimes my “big girl” camera feels like a ball and chain. For example last night I was shooting sideline at my son’s lacrosse game with a 400 mm zoom, mostly without a monopod, now that is heavy. Aside from my iPhone, the lightest camera in my bag is my Fuji Instax 210. Twice the size of its little sister, the Fuji Mini S, as reviewed by Urban Muser last week.  I too use the mini film but I use it in the Polaroid Mio, which if you poke around online you would discover that the camera was actually made by Fuji.  The 210, also known as the Instax Wide is a camera that is still in production as well as the film. The best part about this camera is that its predictable. If your lighting is bright (but not too bright) your exposure and colors are going to come out exactly as you see them. No surprises. With a shutter speed range of 1/64 to 1/200m the  developer emulsion that can perform at temperatures as low as 41 degrees F (5 Celsius) and as high as 104 F (40 Celsius).  I recently used the mini Fuji film on the ski slopes and had no problem with color, like any film hold the photo close to your body to warm it when shooting in cold conditions and you will be fine.

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sherbet sky

Shot at dusk, the flash went off, you can not override it but you can switch the settings to darker to dial down the amount of flash fired. For this shot I held my hand over the flash. With the focal distance at ∞, you can’t even detect it.

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 Taken in Santa Monica, Ca. people have taken to carving their names in the agave that line the bike path along PCH.  I shot this with the setting at close range (0.9 – 3m).

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The camera comes with a clip on macro lens, lets you focus in at 40-45 cm (15 in -17 in.). This was my first and last attempt as I broke the piece that keeps the lens attached to the camera, needless to say its delicate.

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You may remember last summer I took the Instax 210 on my vacation trip to Maui. I have to say my very best images came from this trip. Bright sun, sparkling blue skies, vibrant colors, they all work so well with this camera. I even had the lifeguard stand blown up into a canvas. You can see all the photos here.

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 Bright overcast days work well with helping natural skin tones with portraits.

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 Probably my favorite color combination with the Instax, I love my blue and orange!

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Taken in Hawaii along the Kaanapali shores of Maui.  Be aware, pointing the camera directly into the sun, will produce what I like to call a “Black Hole Sun” my fellow Soundgarden fans will appreciate that reference.

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Want to have fun with the camera and your mobile phone? Try an #instaxagram. This takes a lot of patience but yield some pretty fantastic images. Snap your Instax photo and wait a few minutes for the image to develop. Try to line up the subject within the same frame and snap a photo of the photo, tapping on the Instax photo to make sure that it is in focus. You can help to blend the image with apps like Snapseed and PicTapGo. I did these on vacation. I am particularly fond of my daughters toothless gap.

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See how fantastically well the Instax captures blue skies?

I did a little poking around the Flickr Pool and noticed a few members like the Fuji Instax too. I like the cropped images myself. I don’t normally crop the white frame out but I think it lends itself to a more painterly look which I think works well with both Sue’s and Linnys’ shot.

an optimist is the human personification of spring

an optimist is the human personification of spring by jamie {74}

desk desk by Sue H

CollectionCollection by Lynnylu

If you have taken some Instax shots make sure you come back here and share the link in the comment section. I would love to see them! For more inspiration \\ Groups on Flickr: Fuji Instax Room \\ View my entire Instax set on Flickr here. \\ Sold on Amazon and Photojojo! \\ Film tip: Buy on Amazon in bulk for best pricing, I usually can get it for .75 a shot.

See you on the flip side.

Lindsey