There must be design competitions at Fuji, to see who will reinvent the wheel! Every year, the manufacturer renews and completes its range of instant cameras, alternating between its Instax mini (credit card format), Wide (landscape) and Square (square). Named the SQ40, the latest opts for a retro look and favors the square format, “Square”. 20 minutes tested it.
Retro design and minimalist settings
Massive (13.3 cm wide by 11.4 cm high and 5.7 cm thick) the new SQ40 from Fujifilm adopts, according to its manufacturer, a “classic chic” design. We would rather say vintage “. Unlike many of the brand’s very colorful instant cameras, which target the young planet, the latest one wants to appeal to their elders, with its black coating imitating leather. It succeeded.
Despite its overweight, the SQ40 remains a minimalist. Devoid of any possibility of adjustment, it has, in addition to its viewfinder and its flash, a retractable lens. Two possibilities when you unlock it by turning it from left to right: shots from a distance of 50 cm, or between 30 and 50 cm of distance. This second option is to be reserved for macro photography (as much as the SQ40 can achieve!), but especially for selfies.
The shutter button on the front of the camera falls perfectly under the finger. Whether you take a classic photo or a selfie (by framing his self-portrait with the small mirror on the front), the manipulation could not be simpler. When triggered, the SQ40 detects the light level and thus regulates the intensity of the flash (which cannot be deactivated). However automatic it may be, this automated photo exposure is not without its setbacks.
Very good quality photos
During our tests of the SQ40, we alternated (after the 90 seconds required for the view to reveal itself) between photos of very honorable quality in daylight; sometimes overexposed (skies in landscapes are more often white than blue); even underexposed for some selfies indoors (i.e. in low light). The perfect photo every time does not exist here.
This is also, undoubtedly, the charm of the instant photo!
Instant photo that we will favor to have fun taking portraits during an evening, with photos that will pass from hand to hand or that we will pin; to create albums of memories; compositions to hang; or for their timeless appearance with this slight blur which gives them an outdated appearance.
The SQ1 revisited
Here we could criticize Fujifilm for not innovating and playing “repackage”. Because if you look closely, this new SQ40 is none other than a dressed-up SQ1. Launched in 2020, this instant device (orange, white or blue in color) and still sold for 129 euros, offers exactly the same services as its younger sister.
At 149 euros, the SQ40 therefore charges 20 euros more for its design. The price of views varies depending on the pack purchased. A pack of 10 photos is therefore billed at 9.85 euros (i.e. 0.98 euros per image). To save money, it is better to invest in a pack of 50 photos (44.99 euros), which puts the photo at 0.89 euros.
If you’re a little hesitant about taking photos that won’t necessarily all be impeccable, but you want to print in a square format, don’t panic. Two options remain possible.
Alternatives to the square
The first is to get an SQ20 camera. Launched at the end of 2018, this model is unfortunately no longer sold by Fuji. Its advantage consisted in the presence on the back of the case of a 2.7-inch control screen. This allowed you to preview the image before printing (or even apply filters). And choose to print only the photos you want. It’s a shame that Fuji didn’t continue to plow this furrow! Still, you can find used or reconditioned SQ20s for around 180/200 euros.
Second possibility: purchasing not a Square camera, but an instant photo printer. Connected to a smartphone and an application, the Fujifilm Square Link prints in square format, but mainly prints photos from your mobile terminal (much better quality). It will also be possible to choose only those that you wish to print, after having retouched and personalized them with text, or even a QR code to associate them with a location. Currently at 149 euros (the same price as the SQ20), it is an excellent product, as our test revealed.
Dilemma, therefore, upon arrival! Because Fuji ultimately gives us the choice if we want to print square photos. Either stay in the 100% analog world, with its SQ40, its new instant camera vintage and attractive, but the photo quality can sometimes be improved. Or, at the same price, dive into digital with its Square Link portable printer and its 100% successful prints. To arbitrate, it is therefore not a question of price. Simply taste.