TechCamerasI’ve used the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 – is it the best large instant camera?The Instax Wide 400 offers large format instant film fans a snazzy new optionWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

TechCamerasI’ve used the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 – is it the best large instant camera?The Instax Wide 400 offers large format instant film fans a snazzy new optionWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

The Instax Wide 400 offers large format instant film fans a snazzy new option

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

We’re massive fans of thebest instant camerashere at T3. These retro-tinged units offer a tangible result in minutes, giving your photography a whole new edge.

One of my favourites recently has been thePolaroid Go (Gen 2). That’s the smallest instant camera on the market, with an equally miniscule film inside.

I spent a morning with the camera, getting to grips with how it works and if it’s any good.

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(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

How does the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 work?

Fortunately, that didn’t take long as the Instax Wide 400 is an impressively simple camera. In fact, upon seeing it for the first time, I remarked how similar it was to theFujifilm Instax SQ40. I reviewed that camera last year, and couldn’t fault the incredibly simple operation.

That’s much the same here, with very little brainpower required to operate it. A revolving portion around the lens turns the camera from ‘off’ into one of two distance scales. Users can pick from a focusing distance of 0.9-3m, or from 3m to infinity.

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One other neat feature is the markings in the viewfinder. They give a sense of the parallax effect when using the the close focus, allowing you to better compose your images.

Image1of3(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)

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(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

Does the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 take good pictures?

“All of that is great,” I hear you cry, “but what about the image quality?” Well, fear not, dear reader. As you should have come to expect from Instax devices, the image quality is excellent.

Sure, we aren’t going to be having conversations about “tack-sharp” here, but that’s not the point of these cameras. There’s an element of soft focus which is a big part of the appeal.

What you do get is a contextuallyverysharp image, which is rich with colour. Interestingly, the Instax Wide film seemed to produce a little less saturation than I’ve come to expect from Instax Square and Instax Mini film. That’s something I’ll look to test further when I can put the device through a full review.

Beyond that, though, the Wide format is simply brilliant in use. It seems slightly obtuse to simply say “bigger = more good” but that formula really does work here.

The larger your film format is, the more detail you’ll be able to capture and the better your image will look. Having the close up capabilities on this camera really accentuates that, offering a subject in close focus with a wider background beyond it.

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(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

(Image credit: Sam Cross)

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 400

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400?

Ultimately, the biggest competitor for the Instax Wide 400 will be its own ancestors. The Instax Wide 300, for example, enjoys a relatively comparable spec sheet, which will certainly appeal to some.

Those are already selling for exorbitant prices, though. And if you’re determined to shoot the wider format, that really only leaves you with the Instax Wide 400. And that’s rather a nice place to find yourself.

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