It’s been over 6 months since I got the Fujifilm Instax SQ6. In that time I have gone on many a photo walk, packed it with me on short trips, and taken well over a hundred shots with this nifty instant film camera – here are my Fujifilm Instax SQ6 pros and cons after 6 months of using the camera. Let’s start with the pros.
Fujifilm Instax SQ6 Pros
- Portable – It’s not the smallest camera but the Fujifilm Instax SQ6 fits in larger pockets and is easy and carry around with the included shoulder strap
- Simple but not basic – One of the big reasons I am using a film camera in 2021 is to simplify things. The camera does a good job doing that while still having a few modes and other optional bells and whistles I can adjust or experiment with.
- Conversation piece – The design on the camera makes it stand out a bit and when you snap a picture and it spits out the film that slowly appears over a few minutes it makes people ask about the camera – great for striking up conversations.
- Great gift-giver – phone photos usually live in your phone gallery with a few samples ending up on social media. Tangible film pics from the Fujifilm Instax SQ6 make great gifts to mark a memory, event, or occasion.
- Acceptable pic quality – the Fujifilm Instax SQ6 won’t be winning any megapixel zoom testing or tech awards and it doesn’t need to. The camera does a great job capturing what you ask it to if basic thought is given to lighting and composition.
Fujifilm Instax SQ6 Cons
- Film cost adds up – Even with buying film cartridges in bulk or on sale each snap works out to about us$1 which seems like nothing at first but really adds up the more you use the camera.
- Framing takes getting used to – I was dozens of shots into using the Fujifilm Instax SQ6 before I figured out the framing system in this camera and the fact that the lens is off-center with a terrible manual indicator when peaking through the viewfinder makes framing difficult at times.
- Forget about macros* – the camera does have a macro mode but all the quote-unquote macro shots I have tried to take have all been underwhelming. Maybe it’s my fault as the user but the camera certainly doesn’t help in this area
- Accidentally snaps – When the camera is on there are many times that I have accidentally fired off shots from just fiddling with the camera, making maneuvers, and other general operation. It would have been great if there was a simple lock toggle close to the shutter button that users could flick without needing to turn the camera on and off just to be safe.
- Bad with dark skin – Thankfully this is a problem being addressed in the camera industry but sadly the Fujifilm Instax SQ6 is terrible at exposing and capturing dark skin properly. Many a group shot or portrait has been lost. This is not a problem I have had when photographing my lighter and quite skinned subjects.
Thank you for reading my Fujifilm Instax SQ6 pros and cons. Do you enjoy film or digital photography? Let me know in a comment below or share your snaps with me on Twitter @Jamaipanese. I dusted off my Instagram page and hope to start posting more so check me out on Instagram and hit follow.