Instant Film Meets Analog Video: Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 Review

[@pyroMaximilian]

That wide shot of the two of you standing awkwardly waving at the camera was an integral part of growing up in the 70s and 80s! This might well be your best video yet. Thanks.

[@falxonPSN]

Absolutely right! This video took me back immediately!

[@jackwiegmann]

Crazy that Fujifilm, to this day, still has not made a pro grade Instax camera

[@Zack-Hates-Youtube]

If they made a pro Instax camera I would buy it instantly!

[@JamesClark1991]

Imagine an X100vi with a built in printer...

[@michaelbell75]

Because they are too busy making a million Mini versions for children. The Intsax line has become a joke. I now own mostly Lomography Instax cameras

[@POVwithRC]

@@michaelbell75Go where the money is 😊

[@lackoliver55]

@@michaelbell75 And they're fine with that. The instax line is like a tangible advertisement for their film cassettes. If we buy a third party camera, they still get our money on film.

[@petrolpoodle]

I just want to say that the colour grading/general image you've got out of this GH7 is absolutely beautiful! I'm a Sony A7Siii and A7IV shooter and don't particularly sit on a high horse about sensor size but on the other hand I don't think I've given M43 the credit it deserves either. It was just aesthetically delightful and actually quite refreshing not having everything behind the subject enooooormously out of focus. Great video as always!

[@adamsorgi1457]

love that you paired the instant film camera video with the super 8. Great idea!

[@BehradMosh]

Love the analog footage and the shots you decided to get with it. Even though the viewfinder gave some challenges with compositions I really enjoyed the subject/scapes you were capturing Chris. Good stuff guys!

[@pedro77167]

Loved the parts that were filmed on super 8!! Such a great episode.

[@AbdonPhirathon]

Loved seeing parts of the episode shot on Super 8!

[@thomassantomartino7337]

This looks like a really fun camera! Thanks for the review.

[@giklab]

Nice timing, I just got mine yesterday. The design and color remind me of something between old military hardware and the Safari edition Bronica ETR.

[@Quin1an]

That Super 8 camera is $5500? They're crazy.

[@zoinked1351]

Great opportunity to make competing ones for $4500

[@qenreblayers5331]

Wow, fun and hell of a funky video!

[@lionheart4424]

Loved the footage from the Kodak Super8! Great video guys!

[@efleschner]

The resolution of the Panasonic, to the Fuji, to the Kodak, is wild!

[@Trevellian]

Another great review. Love the super 8. Have been waiting for a new Instax wide, but no manual controls and poorly aligned viewfinder = no sale.

[@cyrilhamel8289]

Excellent fun video! 😊 Great creative job guys 👍🏻

[@theprettydamned]

Whoa, that super 8 footage makes me feel super nostalgic - but we never had one! I do remember we had a VHS recorder but hardly used it.

[@jesperandersen3354]

That super 8 was fantastic. It instantly makes any footage, however mundane, look gorgeous.

[@MrNoipe]

gorgeous to maybe people 50 years and older?

[@POVwithRC]

@@MrNoipeNo, to many people across all age demographics

[@MasticinaAkicta]

Eh, must be a mood thing. It has lots of technical issues. But it knows how to set a mood.

[@pjw57yt]

"It instantly makes any footage, however mundane, look gorgeous." Or at least historic.

[@jean-claudemuller3199]

For me it's no charm at all, having to underexpose to get correct highlights with totally black shadows as a result. In the past tear appart Polaroid was OK, why is Fuji not able to do it ?

[@rugerthedog396]

Wow, Super 8. As somebody who had both my wife's 8mm from the 50's and 60's and my own family's 16mm home movies scanned in 12-bit 2K,, I'm impressed, but I'm wondering why the colors seem a bit un-saturated. Would love an episode on the technical and process details you used for the film segments.

[@andyfarmer2661]

Jordan, Wow, you did a fantastic job on this video.

[@zobzob2010]

It took me a while to work it out - you guys are far smarter than me - good luck with your new adventures!

[@AdamJRichardson]

Who shrank Chris by 1/3? That camera is comically enormous! But this was a super fun video, and I'm genuinely impressed by what you got out of the Super8. Particularly liked the shot at @0:48 I have an Instax wide printer, and the much smaller size/weight of that and the flexibility of printing from my phone far outweighs (for me) the charm of using an actual instant camera.

[@CalebThomasMedia]

The Super 8 adds soooo much! How fun!

[@kcphotogeek6207]

Thanks for covering Instax, I often get ridiculed for shooting it by “real” photographers. The new Instax wide is a hard sell when compared to the Lomography Wide Instax for a little less money you get a better looking camera, better viewfinder, can be used with pro flash and exposure control. For a little more you get wide/macro lenses, flash gels and splitter. You can probably tell I love mine. Would be interesting to see you guys cover Lomography products in general.

[@jmtphotographymedia]

I agree. The Lomo Instant Wide is a much better camera.

[@inhumanguy]

it's even a hard sell compared to the bluetooth instax printer. focus and exposure controls more than make up for the losses you get from a cell phone's small sensor. plus it's got a lithium battery (i was shocked to see this new version still uses AAs instead of an internal battery and usb-c charger) and is small enough to stash in a large pocket.

[@jmtphotographymedia]

@@inhumanguy agreed. I have both the Lomo and Instax Wide printer. I pair it with the XS10 which can print directly. Clutch for the better quality

[@ProbablySteven]

Yeah Lomography is making some really clever and original things over there. I love my Lomo'Instant Square. Just opening and closing it is so satisfying.

[@Hurlup]

you ever get the "film not ejecting properly" issue with the lomo wide? it worked fine for a couple of years and I love the photos it takes, but now it's gradually gotten worse and it ruins a lot of film. I tried packing the door with some tape, but it didn't help

[@saltyfish5244]

love the video! Highlight holds sooo well on super8

[@theforgereviews4346]

Yeah having a viewfinder that is not accurate to that extent seems like something that needs to be fixed. I feel like it being functional is kind of a prerequisite for actually being able to take the images you want. That’s annoying to say the least.

[@johnmilner0859]

Your absolutely right about the viewfinder. Deal breaker really for me.

[@turtledovechen176]

a cool use case for these could be harvest to be use one medium format camera as instax film back, since most pack film are out of production for decade there is a quite active community of film back moder out there, i'm sure they can make good use of this camera

[@ianroe1076]

It's really weird that this came out alongside the Mini 99, which is an extremely well-featured camera. Nothing wrong with this camera, but I do think that it's a little too similar to the last one. I'm not a big fan of the plastic tripod thread, either. I know the camera itself won't put much weight on it, but I always worry about splitting those by screwing them too tight. Hopefully it's at least a high impact plastic and not ABS.

[@NotAnotherChannel_Channel]

“I wish it had more controls” When a professional photographer reviews an Instax camera. Great review and that Kodak was giving me major nostalgia.

[@JasperBunschoten]

You guys should see if you can get the chance to do a review on the Mint InstantKon RF70! Instax wide, but with full manual controls!

[@michaelbell75]

Insanely overpriced. I returned mine. Just get a NONS. Cheaper and interchangeable SLR lenses.

[@ds89421]

Thank you, that's a beautiful video!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

The lack of controls and wonky viewing are a “feature” designed to increase your film usage.

[@POVwithRC]

No, I don’t think so. More of a function of building to cost

[@timdekyrke]

Well thank you guys!! Now I have to get the Kodak .... HAVE A NICE DAY

[@scottgmaclean]

That was a great edit Jordan!

[@aviatorman8]

Oh man I LOVED the Super8 film! Would be awesome if you guys film your videos on Super8 regularly!! 🎞️

[@iloverandombox]

Loving the film grain in this review !

[@erikengelbart]

Very nice Film sequences, especialy the akwards waving scene

[@JayJayYUP]

Can't control the flash with a simple on/off toggle? Are they serious?

[@Teslien]

Great shadows in the opening shot

[@louhautdavid6451]

I'm quite surprised that Fuji hasn't added some exposure controls and you still can't enable the flash. So can't see why I would upgrade for the new camera. It’s a pity because I like the film but it may be good for me because I’ll probably work on a modification with an old folding lens that could allow me to get the basic manual controls.

[@_NoDrinkTheBleach]

The lack of manual controls broke me of Instax wide cameras. I ended up buying the Instax printer, because it just works.

[@ivereadthesequel]

Damn, I was never interested in the Instax format or any instant format. But this fits into the range of "rather thoughtfully designed analog cameras" that the Pentax 17 might share. I like the manual lens extension and the self timer a lot. Also the self-portrait attachment is also really nice! Including the super8 was a fun idea!

[@auxmike718]

What’s a nocht ? I’ve never heard of that term from measuring before🤷🏻‍♂️

[@JohnAudioTech]

That camera reminds me of the old Fujifilm medium format film cameras.

[@inhumanguy]

i have the last gen instax wide and an old gw690. i would love nothing more than to combine the two. a decent lens and the option to go manual focus + manual aperture (or shutter speed) would make all the difference.

[@trickfall8752]

That Super8 footage looks great.

[@tommytorres]

Wow the analog video looks analog for sure, in all the wrong ways. 😂 Super 8 is like thinking about getting back with an ex. It might sound great in your mind… but then you do it and are inmediately reminded it wasn’t that great to begin with.

[@curtis.strange]

I'd love to see you guys do an i-type modded SX70 at some point, keep the instant film coverage going!

[@ChristopherBonis]

What a fun video!

[@charliewaterman816]

Hey!, you got some hands-on with the super 8! Nice :) expensive.. but nice! 😁 and so want to see more instant cameras with manual controls. Or an interchangeable lens mount :)

[@TimChuma]

Looks like a fun camera for festivals and events too.

[@yolklab]

the image steadiness of the Kodak Super8 isn't great, but thanks a million to shoot this review on it ❤

[@galenyeo46]

The Instax square printer which pairs with a phone app is very good and bypasses the issues and lack of controls on their cameras...

[@jenesuispasbavard]

I have zero interest in using a film camera, but I love this video!

[@thebitterfig9903]

Super8 looks good, particularly when you consider that the film size is 6mm by 4mm. So tiny! But since it's cinema, the time really works in your favor, the graininess of film that small is offset by the frame rate and higher signal over time.

[@Mike0193Azul]

We really need a new pro instax wide or Polaroid camera. Lomography and Mint tried but they are too expensive with too many pros & cons

[@seantomlinson3320]

The Super8 is such a look. Dreadful and painful and cool and fun all at the same time. Neat use of a cool idea.

[@michaelpaz8940]

Only thing missing from this video are Beanies and a Leica M6

[@jw48335]

Important: You can also get hot shoe beanies for your Leica M6.

[@tonywhitmarsh]

And a low budget Ryan Gosling

[@dwm_hc]

Though impractical, I loved the analog footage.

[@sh8736]

I was shooting a dance event last weekend on my full frame cameras at 5000-8000 iso as it was indoors and dark. The organiser brought 2 instax camera with 800 iso film 😂 let’s say the pictures captured some of the lighter bits of the room, but I too would have liked to use it if there was more than press the shutter button take a picture…

[@blekenbleu]

What? Audio not by cassette recorder?

[@TristanColgate]

Awesome stuff! Though man is the pin registration on that super8 terrible!

[@caleblatreille8224]

Would love to see a review of the Lomo'Instant Wide. Seems that unlike what Fujifilm did here, Lomo tried to offer more than the old Instax Wide 300, not less. Not cheap for what is essentially a toy, though.

[@MrPizzapepe]

i've Been using instax wide for 12 years. This one has the best metering of all the instax cameras released. For sure i'd want one with AF and faster optics but...

[@MasticinaAkicta]

I love these "Toys" There is just something about instant photography. Even with all its limitations and "yup that one went bad"

[@beyondpixelation7571]

Remember the Digital Bolex? I wonder how much those go for. Maybe a decent deal in comparison to that Super 8 camera?

[@thatjordandrake]

I have access to one. It might need to make a cameo soon...

[@sharpvidtube]

How many photos can you take, before spending more than the camera costs? I loved polaroid, for a week, never tried it again😂

[@thenexthobby]

Photography channel: We can’t afford to do all this in 8mm Stand Up Maths channel: Please enjoy our more than 20 min video, shot entirely in 35mm

[@PhilSledge]

I think we are enter Techtember early

[@WhyitJellyDonut]

Music feels nice and old just like Chris.

[@pixelkay2004]

thanks!!

[@TheFlyingDogFish]

Looks like something somebody 3d printed at home.

[@DixonLu]

The Bluetooth connected Instax Wide Printer that is physically smaller is only $130. Your phone's camera has all the controls: exposure, saturation, framing, macro, etc. Hot take: these cameras serve only to burn the only (but highly porfitable) film they still make.

[@michaelbell75]

Printing a digital photo on film completely defeats the purpose and looks phony. We want a true analog experience when shooting film.

[@deviantMystro]

The whole point is the shooting experience, not the end result only. Nobody is buying these because they are cheaper or better than an alternative.

[@BunnyslippersEUC]

This camera was never meant for precies framing. But everybody should buy this camera. Just to send Fuji a message the wide format is very popular and we want more manual controls. I want double exposure.

[@simval84]

What feels weird about super 8 film is that with digital, having a small sensor usually doesn't reduce resolution, instead, you get smaller dynamic range because of smaller pixels. But with film, using a smaller format may reduce resolution (making it grainier) but you still have the same color depth and dynamic range of even the biggest formats.

[@keithwalsh1882]

I've long been intrigued by Instax Wide film but Fuji (still ) hasn't produced a camera that's anything other than a point-and-shoot which has kept me from bothering to try this film. I know Lomography has a more advanced camera, or at least a more versatile one, and that remains the only real option for me. At this point, I'm still using my Polaroid 600 film cameras for instant work.

[@RicYuYikChung]

I really hope they we renew the Wide 500AF model

[@KathyXie]

Its been 23 years since Fuji released the Instax 500AF, with how expensive they are second hand, fuji should have noticed there is a demand for a more serious instax wide camera

[@ati1903]

So why should i upgrade from instax 300 to 400? They are nearly same cameras

[@BurninSven1]

GH7 I got three of them good cams for sure not sure what it is you talk about here though

[@hendrixg]

the missed opportunity to put that super 8 on a gimbal!

[@johnjon1823]

To be honest, some of us would like something like Polaroid had in terms of quality of camera. Here I am not referring to junk point and shoot stuff. I am referring to things like the folder that used to have, it used a split image to focus and had a lot of quality about it. Sure, auto is "nice" - for people who don't care that much about it, but when you get to true enthusiasts, they want more, in my opinion.

[@spozitron]

this is THE "student film" of camera reviews bit weird, bit dorky, but I'm 100% here for this. more please 🙏

[@nmecredy]

I can't see any advantage to the Super 8 with it's flat, jerky look. I was pleased when you switched to the GH7

[@LordoftheDuat78]

is the Super 8 footage using brand new film? why does it already have artifacts on it??

[@kendokaaa]

I'd never buy the super 8 camera but it was a fun addition to the video

[@cavb748]

Fuji: please bring the 99 wide 🙏

[@michaelbell75]

They won't, It took them 10 years to release this turd of a camera. They hate the Wide format.

[@petepictures]

Long live analogue

[@TheFalleg]

The GH7 image quality is Fantastic #MFT_Rules

[@rupertkingsley]

You forgot turn on the image stabilisation 😂

[@patrickjclarke]

They reduced the features of even the 310 (it had exposure comp and flash controls) but didn't update the exposure meter, shutter speed or aperture...hard pass. I know it's smaller, but the MiNT TL70 Plus that shoots Instax Square is exactly what Chris is looking for. I personally use my RB67 with an Instax Square back so I can shoot different focal lengths, but the TL70 Plus is an amazing piece of kit.

[@DangerousDac]

StandupMaths JUST beat you to the first all film KZbin video.

[@FilmRepair]

lol

[@ej_tech]

PetaPixel didn't even have the budget to shoot the entire video on cheaper 8mm :(

[@DenisLevchenko]

There have been many all film youtube videos. What SandupMaths *claims* (in the title/thumbnail. I haven't watched the actual video yet) he did first is that his video is 35mm. And Chris and Jordan's video is not all film any way.

[@TasteofTaboo]

we used the older 300 every 4 weeks for an event. 10 film packs per event. Normally, I got a new camera every 2 months / 20 packs for free from Amazon because something broke with these shitty toys. Never understand why they were so flimsy. Btw. first we used Polaroid with the even more expensive impossible films ... they were even much worse. Not many of the film packs gave me 8 pops, mostly 7 or 6.

[@chopinho65]

Don’t get why they have made it left a eye dominant viewfinder - strange

[@armouros]

the camra is so big it makes chris look like a toddler holding fisher price my first camera.

[@AnandaGarden]

The opening montage was very funny. I enjoyed learning about the Instax Wide camera, as I do shoot commercially and wondered if it might help me sometime in my job. At 82 I have zero nostalgia for film - thanks, but at $20+ per 36 frames I'll pass, the more so at $40 for 20 shots with instant film. Only in an emergency, as in Pulitzer-worthy life-and-death pix. Same for 8mm - it used to be for impoverished film students; now it's for rich folks, God bless 'em. What's juicing me now is an R50 to snap onto my 70-200/2.8; I've been amazed to see the wonderful portraits folks have taken with APS-C and Big White Glass (for which I just emptied the bank account), including the Canon Rebel 650D (T4i). Cheap camera, hot glass, A++ results - now that's exciting. But aside from my poopy-pants view of film, love your videos, love the high energy, intelligence, enthusiasm, knowledge, friendliness, humor, and helpful attitude.

[@imjooboy]

It’s no Holga. :)

[@fangzhou3235]

胡子哥你好！

[@WittyDroog]

I don't understand why Fuji didn't just reshell the old 500AF and call it a day. Did they just lose the electronics schematics for it?

[@patrickjclarke]

no, they think that there isn't a big enough market for an instax camera with "advanced controls" and leave that to niche players like Lomo and MiNT. Fuji is worried only about sales margins.

[@franz6595]

Fuji should also focus on bringing back some pro film please.

[@upnupnpnupu8091]

instax wide has such create potential. But no affordable alternative