The Instax Wide 400 reintroduces wide-format instant photography with a more sophisticated approach. Designed for those who appreciate both quality and nostalgia, it offers larger prints and enhanced usability, building on the legacy of the Instax Wide 300.
While the era of instant photography of the iconic Polaroid era was for the purists, the snap-and-print world has leaned much more to the younger generation with Instax’s range of instant cameras. However, the Instax 400 aims to target those photography purists once more and bring a more ‘grown-up’ take on the segment.
Following in the footsteps of the now-discontinued Instax Wide 300 introduced in 2014, this new wide-format Instax camera is the first Wide product since the Instax Link Wide printer launched in 2021.
Supersized prints
The increased size of the Instax Wide prints, measuring 62 x 99mm (double that of Instax Mini film), provides a more immersive size. This allows for capturing a broader range of photographic scenes – think group photos, city scenes, and landscapes, which are not possible to achieve using smaller mini film.
Impressive quality
The Instax Wide 400 produces classic-looking instant prints with a reliable success rate in focus and exposure. The quality of the images is satisfying, both inside and outside in different light. This is helped by the automatic exposure and automatic flash (that features a 3-metre range). You can see the camera’s specs here.
Overall, pictures taken with the Instax Wide 400 show good detail and accurate colour with some extra saturation due to their glossy finish.
Apart from the appeal of instant analogue photography with Instax’s largest format film, the Wide 400 is really easy to shoot with. Just a single left turn of the dial around the lens powers it on to shoot in normal mode. With a press of the shutter button, a photo prints out almost immediately, developing within 90 seconds.
Scenery mode
For capturing scenery at a distance of three meters or more, just turn the lens in the same direction to switch to landscape mode. This will ensure clear, in-focus pictures and pretty scenery shots. Furthermore, the camera package includes a close-up lens, allowing users to capture subjects as close as 40cm without any blurriness or focus problems.
Not a pocket camera
On the design side, he Instax Wide 400 camera is substantially bigger than other Instax cameras in the range. Some may find the camera to be quite bulky for use when out and about. It won’t slip easily into a backpack, but for weddings or events where size is less of an issue, this is a great option for larger prints.
Conclusion and price
With its easy handling, decent print quality, and wide film format, the Instax Wide 400 is a fun tool for events and get-togethers. Although Instax claims the 400 can also handle scenic photography, you would be better off using a smartphone in challenging conditions. Instax does offer an interesting app (see image above) for scanning, storing, and sharing Instax pictures.
Although its bulk limits portability, the Instax 400 Wide shines in capturing group moments. Available for R3 500 in South Africa, it earns 3 out of 5.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
