Travel review: Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6

Fujifilm's instax Square SQ6 in Blush Gold, RRP $199. Photo / Supplied

Most of us are guilty of taking photos only on phones these days, and never actually doing anything with them. Think about it: when was the last time you actually had a photo printed?

I think for me it was circa 2012, when I used to carry a real camera around with me on my travels. Now I just take my phone, as its camera plus an editing app is more than sufficient to create great shots. I've just checked and there are currently 4343 pics stored on my iPhone. I'd guess around 93 of them are probably worth printing. Will I get around to it? Answers on a postcard. (Another relic from the good old days of travel.)

Like a polaroid: Instax is the 'best of old and new worlds'. Photo / Stephanie Holmes

Combining the best of old and new worlds is Fujifilm's Instax Square SQ6. It's an old-school instant camera, producing physical photos in a matter of seconds, but it has many of the bells and whistles the social-media generation have come to know and love. First up, the pics replicate Instagram's 1:1 ratio (for the uninitiated, that means the shots come out square). Plus, there's a selfie-mode — the camera's intelligent processing system ensures optimum focus and brightness, complete with a small selfie mirror to the side of the lens so you can perfect your duck pout before you press the shutter. Other features include an automatically adjusted shutter speed and ambient brightness, which are designed to produce high-quality results.

And, the SQ is available in three stylish colours — millennial-approved blush gold, pearl white and graphite grey.

I tried the camera on a recent trip to Bali, and had a lot of fun with it. Although billed as "slim-build", it's pretty bulky, so it is going to make a bit of a dent in your luggage allowance. And it's never going to fit in a small handbag on a night out, that's for sure.

I stupidly forgot to take the user manual away with me, so was going in cold when it came to navigating the SQ's special features. But I found it was pretty
user-friendly and with a bit of intuition I could work out most of its features.

Fujifilm's instax Square SQ6 in Blush Gold, RRP $199. Photo / Supplied

I loved the double exposure mode, which created a layered-effect selfie, but didn't really see the point of the flash colour filters — small plastic covers that you place over the flash to give pictures a textured colour wash. There's a good depth-of-field option, which blurred my face in a selfie (bonus . . . no wrinkles) but kept the jungle background in sharp focus.

Although I don't know if I'd pack this on my next big overseas trip, it's perfect for long weekends away with mates and summer days at the beach to capture all those fun, spontaneous moments in a tactile, keepsake form. Just like the good old days.

Review
Fujifilm's Instax Square SQ6, RRP$199.