The new Instax Mini Link+ printer from FujiFilm is a bit on the expensive side, retailing at $169.95, but it’s an upgrade well worth considering for anyone who cherishes instant photography. As a frequent traveler, I find the original Instax Mini Link 3 printer, priced at $100, to be an essential part of my travel journal. I love attaching printed photos alongside my handwritten notes to capture memories in a tangible way. However, the prints from the earlier model often turned out a bit soft and unclear, which is where the promise of the Mini Link+ comes into play.
One of the standout features of the Mini Link+ is its new Design Print mode, which is advertised as a solution to enhance the clarity of text and detailed illustrations. While this feature sounds compelling, I found that the improvement wasn’t as significant as I had hoped, despite it being a major selling point for the printer. On a brighter note, the internal enhancements of the Mini Link+ do result in better contrast, richer colors, and sharper images across a wide range of photographs, which is likely what most users will appreciate more.
In my experience, the Mini Link+ certainly brings some notable advancements, but it's crucial to temper expectations when it comes to instant film printers like these, especially considering the small print size of 62 x 46mm (2.44 x 1.81 inches).
Verge Score: 8/10
Price: $170
The Positives:
- This is undoubtedly the best Instax Mini printer to date.
- It provides enhanced colors, sharpness, and contrast for most images.
- It offers fun creative options for artistic individuals.
The Negatives:
- There’s minimal enhancement when it comes to text-heavy images.
- The price is on the higher end.
- The app has a complicated interface.
FujiFilm’s Instax family utilizes Instax Mini instant film, costing around $30 for a pack of 20 sheets—approximately $1.50 per photo. In order to print your images, you’ll need to download the "Instax Mini Link" app, which is available on both iOS and Android devices.
This app is packed with numerous features, including the ability to visualize your photos in augmented reality and use the printer as a remote camera shutter. It also allows you to organize your images creatively; picture your photos displayed in frames, on shelves, or assembled into a collage on your wall, complete with playful text, stickers, and filters. You can even link your Pinterest account if you’re inclined. It’s fun, but honestly, I’m not a child anymore—I simply want to print photos from my iPhone without all the frills!
To print a photo, I first have to upload the image to the Instax Mini Link app, select either the Simple or Design mode, and then wait approximately 20 seconds for the print to develop. The Simple mode promises to deliver smooth color tones suitable for everyday photos, resulting in softer images that are generally an upgrade over anything produced by the Mini Link 3. The Design mode, exclusive to the Mini Link+, is where you might find the most value.
Through my testing of various modes with different types of images, I discovered that prints made using the Design mode on the Mini Link+ were particularly impressive for portraits, landscapes, high-contrast scenes, and close-ups of nature. However, I didn’t notice any substantial improvements for text-heavy illustrations.
For instance, consider a photo of myself. The older Mini Link 3 struggled with bright lighting, often resulting in blown-out details. In contrast, both the Simple and Design prints from the Mini Link+ managed the lighting more effectively, showcasing better contrast, more detail in my eyes, and a more accurate representation of colors and skin texture.
In another example, the Mini Link 3 produced a print that was quite soft and lacked definition, while the Mini Link+ offered improved contrast, showing distinct textures on rocks and tree branches, along with enhanced colors overall. The details, such as the wooden slats of a barn and individual trees, appeared sharper in the Design print, reducing the oversaturation seen in previous models.
Moreover, when it came to depicting snow, the Mini Link 3 flattened the scene into a white blur, whereas the Mini Link+ captured individual snowflakes and added depth to the image. Similarly, in terms of sky and mountain detail, the Mini Link 3 lost texture, while the newer model showcased vibrant greens and blues, providing better separation between gravel and grass.
Even in terms of lettering, the Design mode sharpened text and added an artificial black outline to white letters, enhancing visibility, which was absent in Simple mode.
Interestingly, I found very little differentiation between the illustrations produced by the Mini Link 3 and those from the Mini Link+, even in Design mode. This is perplexing, as FujiFilm promoted the new printer's capability in this area. That said, both models still produce decent results for hobbyists and anyone looking to add some flair to their journals or home decor.
After printing 15 photos over a few days, the battery on the Instax Mini Link+ was still holding strong at 80 percent. It charges via USB-C, and for those in Europe, the FujiFilm NP-70S battery can be replaced by the user once it begins to lose its charge.
Ultimately, it’s clear from my testing that if you aim to achieve the best photo quality available in an Instax printer, the $169.95 Mini Link+ is the superior choice. It also justifies itself as a worthwhile upgrade for existing Mini Link 3 users, provided you don’t have high expectations for text-heavy prints.
However, the price of the Mini Link+ places it in direct competition with dye-sublimation printers, like the Canon Selphy QX20, which produces prints that are sharper, more accurate, and exhibit better resistance to water and fading. On the other hand, the Mini Link 3 remains a fantastic printer for its price, offering soft, atmospheric images that are undeniably appealing at $100.
