One of the things that I’d like to explore more in 2027 is taking more photos of the things around me and the things I’ll be experiencing in the new year. I’m still not good enough to warrant getting a DSLR camera, but I would be willing to try out digital cameras where I can experiment and play around with filters and textures while also being able to make the photos live outside of my camera roll.
Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Evo 2 is one such camera, with tactile controls, a large touchscreen, 10 lens effects and 10 film effects to create 100 combinations, and, of course, the ability to print photos. This second generation of the hybrid instant camera and photo printer keeps its predecessor’s retro feel and range of creative combinations while adding some modern conveniences.
Designer: Fujifilm
The camera’s tactile controls add a tangible interface to this digital camera, giving it an analog-inspired way of operating. You have a lens dial to change from one lens effect to another, while the film-effect dial lets you go through the 10 different film effects. There’s also a lever that you pull to print out the photo, making printing a separate, deliberate action.
The 4.5-inch touchscreen is larger than the original Mini Evo’s display. Its Expanded View mode displays the area outside your intended print frame. You get a framing guide to show you what the photo will actually include, giving you an added layer of compositional awareness. This could be useful when you’re waiting for a moving subject to enter the frame. The touchscreen complements the dials by handling settings, image browsing, and editing, including cropping and adjustments to brightness, contrast, and saturation. You can make those changes on the camera before deciding which pictures deserve a print.
The Mini Evo 2 also now has an Immersive Movie feature that captures the four seconds leading up to your photo, producing a five-second silent clip that includes the shutter moment. It requires a separately sold microSD card. Rather than reducing the still photo to a smaller size, Fujifilm lists separate recording resolutions: 2144 × 2860 pixels for normal still images and 560 × 992 pixels for video. The short clip gives you a little more of what happened around the photograph, although it isn’t a replacement for recording longer videos.
For still photos, the camera can also record at approximately 13 megapixels when a microSD card is inserted and Expanded View is turned off. That gives you a higher-resolution option, but it isn’t the default for every shot. It’s worth knowing the conditions rather than assuming that every image you take will have the same resolution.
What appeals to me most is having a dedicated digital camera that encourages a little more playing around. I’d like to spend more time choosing how a photo looks before taking it, rather than scrolling through editing options afterward. The combination of physical dials and a touchscreen feels like an interesting way to approach that, with familiar digital controls alongside something you can actually turn.
The built-in printer adds to the appeal of having two devices in one. It works with photos taken on the camera and pictures from your smartphone through the Instax Mini Evo app. The app also supports remote shooting, so you can join a group photo instead of always being the person behind the camera. Your phone still has a role, but it doesn’t have to handle every part of taking the picture. Combining a digital camera and printer isn’t new for Fujifilm, so the novelty here is more about how the pieces work together. The larger touchscreen and new shooting modes give me more reasons to be interested in the camera itself, beyond the photographs it can print.
For my 2027 photography plans, I’d like a camera that makes me curious enough to keep picking it up. Trying a different effect or paying closer attention to what enters the frame seems like a manageable place to start. I don’t need every picture to become a keepsake; I’d be happy to develop a habit of noticing more. Fujifilm announced the Mini Evo 2 on October 27, 2026, with availability scheduled to begin November 27, 2026.
