Performance

The images printed out by the Instax Share SP-2 are high quality, with great colour and lots of detail.

It’s definitely a marked improvement from the SP-1, and you can get some really nice fun prints which could be good to commemorate a special occasion or event. It takes a little while for the photo to fully develop, so don’t be put off if the picture looks a little muted at first, generally speaking the colours will get there.

While images don’t look quite the same as they do on screen - they’re a little bit more contrasty, this is generally quite a pleasing look. You may find that some highlight detail is lost if you’re printing anything which is reasonably high key.

The finished result is significantly more impressive than images produced using ZINK paper used in Polaroid cameras and printers - but it’s important to remember that INSTAX is also quite a bit more expensive to buy.

Another thing to remember when it comes to the Instax film is that it has an expiry date. We’ve been using both new film and some out of date film - the latter seems to be producing quite good prints, but they’re perhaps not quite as punchy as the newer film - you might want to avoid buying in bulk for example if you don’t think you’re going to be able to use it up quickly.

Example Prints

Conclusion

Fujifilm has crafted a very nice and fun bit of kit with the Instax Share SP-2. We can see it being very popular at parties, or larger events such as weddings, as you can have an instant print of a photo as a keepsake.

Using the printer with the free app is very easy and intuitive, and the fact that you can print from social networking sites is also useful if you don’t happen to have the picture you want stored on your phone.

There are a couple of connection niggles, but on the whole, it’s a pleasant and easy experience. Adding filters, creating collages and so on is also a fun element to using the printer, which is great to experiment with.

Resulting prints are also pretty impressive. Colours are vibrant and well rendered, while there’s good gradation and lots of detail. It’s also quite fun to watch the photo “develop” in front of your eyes.

The biggest downside to this piece of kit is the price. It’s got a high initial outlay, and of course the ongoing cost of buying Instax film. It seems highly likely to be something you’ll use a couple of times for fun, and then put in a drawer for very infrequent use - whether that’s worth the high cost will be down to the individual.

Where it may have some bigger audience is in the events market - tying this together with a photobooth or similar from an event would be great for mementos and souvenirs - especially if you could charge per print to fund it.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	4
Ease-of-use	5
Value for money	3

Your Comments