Some obsolete technologies go away, never to be revisited. Others leave a gaping hole that, somehow, needs to be filled. In the case of Polaroid’s instant prints, that hole definitely exists. People still enjoy physical keepsakes, after all, and a printed photo can be such a memorable one. Fujifilm thinks their new Instax SP-2 may offer the best way to fill that gap.
A portable printer, it lets you turn any images from your phone into an instant print, so you can relieve the glory days of Polaroid using your newfangled gadgets. Doing the classic camera one better, you can pick and choose exactly which pictures you print, so you don’t end up wasting valuable film on random pictures like your parents (or grandparents) did back in the day.
The Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 is mini-laser printer that uses a new laser exposure system to produce prints in a mere 10 seconds – a big step-up in speed compared to existing portable printers. It produces prints with 800 x 600 pixels at a 320 dpi density, so photos should look adequately rich and detailed. At 3.5 x 5.2 x 1.6 inches, it’s probably not small enough to fit in a pocket, although it should slot nicely into backpack pouches and similar compartments.
Features include a rechargeable battery rated at up to 100 prints, the ability to pair with up to eight devices at a time, and an accompanying app from which you’ll control the printing. It uses Instax Mini film (well, photo paper, actually) for printing the images.
Available now, the Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 is priced at $199.99.