Fujifilm’s hugely popular “Instax” cameras are among the best-selling cameras worldwide thanks to their instant film prints, simple controls and gift-friendly price. However, the extensive range of different models available can make it a little tricky to choose the right one. The Instax range is also very commonly discounted in sales, especially for Black Friday, when good deals are often available on remaining stocks of older cameras as well as new models.
The Instax Mini 99 is Fujifilm’s latest and greatest “mini”-sized analog camera. It replaces the previous flagship, the Instax Mini 90, after a wait of nearly eleven years. As such, the Instax Mini 99 offers a selection of new and unique features, along with a few significant changes.
Here, I answer the question, “Fujifilm Instax Mini 99 vs. Instax Mini 90: What’s the Difference?”
Here’s all the information you need to understand the differences between the Instax Mini 99 and the previous Instax Mini 90. Is it worth an upgrade, or should you save money by seeking out the older model while stocks last?
As usual with my What’s The Difference articles, I’ll start with the most important differences at the top, with progressively more detailed information presented towards the bottom.
At A Glance: Instax Mini 99 Offers Unique Features And New Creative Possibilities
The Instax Mini 99 is a much more capable camera than the Mini 90, offering new built-in color effects and greater creative control over the brightness of your photos. It is slightly bigger and heavier than its predecessor and significantly more expensive. Its redesigned exterior also gives it a very different appearance to the Mini 90. Most importantly, the Instax Mini 99 takes photos that, at the time of writing, no other Instax film camera is capable of taking.
But first, let’s start with what hasn’t changed: Most of the core specifications of the Instax Mini 90 remain unchanged in the Instax Mini 99.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 99: What Hasn’t Changed
As a replacement for the Instax Mini 90, the Instax Mini 99 retains most of the core features of the previous model. These include:
- Uses with Instax Mini film, creating 86mm x 54mm prints that take around 90 seconds to develop
- Dual shutter buttons for vertical or horizontal shooting
- Fixed ISO setting of 800 (determined by the film)
- A Fixed 60mm, f/12.7 lens (equivalent to zooming in by around 1.5x on an iPhone)
- More advanced control over exposure and shooting modes compared to entry-level Instax models
- Similar, though not identical, size and weight
Here’s a list of the Instax Mini 99’s significant new features.
The Instax Mini 99 Adds:
- Six color photo effects powered by LEDs inside the camera
- Vignette control — optionally darken the edges of the picture
- Macro and landscape mode controls on the lens barrel
- Improved viewfinder with parallax correction
- Redesigned camera body without the “Retro” looks of the Mini 90
- Redesigned rear controls
- Intuitive exposure (brightness) control dial
- Indoor mode
- Sports mode
- Base grip with tripod mount
- New higher-capacity battery
On the other hand, some features of the Instax Mini 90 have been changed or removed on the new model.
The Instax Mini 99 Loses:
- Hi Key and Low Key modes (replaced with exposure control on Mini 99)
- Party mode (replaced with Indoor mode on Mini 99)
- Kids mode (replaced with sports mode on Mini 99)
- Brown camera body color option (Mini 99 available only in Black)
- Selfie mirror
- Dedicated power switch
- Motorized functions (replaced with manual controls on Mini99)
Let’s look at some of these changes in more detail:
Instax Mini 99: New Color Photo Effects
Perhaps the most striking new feature of the Instax Mini 99 is its selection of six new color effect modes. Unlike digital cameras, film cameras like the Instax Mini 99 can’t add filters and effects to a photo after you have taken it. However, the Instax Mini 99 has four color-changing lights inside the case that can be activated during shooting to give your prints a colorized, almost cinematic look.
In addition to Normal mode, you can choose from Faded Green, Wam Tone, Light Blue, Soft Magenta, Sepia and Light Leak options. The Light Leak option mimics a faulty camera where light has leaked into the case and partially exposed the film. Adding the effect deliberately imparts a strong ‘retro’ feel to the images, which many find aesthetically pleasing. This implementation is particularly interesting, as the effect is randomized each time you take a photo — no two light leaks will look the same.
You can see the Instax Mini 99’s LEDs activated in the photo below.
Instax Mini 99 vs Instax Mini 90: Physical Appearance
The Instax Mini 99 ditches the retro camera stylings of the Mini 90 in favor of a sleek but functional look. Unlike the Mini 90, which was available in both black and brown versions, the Mini 99 comes only in black, although aftermarket cases are available in various colors.
Instax Mini 99: New Exposure Controls
A dedicated exposure dual on the Instax Mini 99 lets you select one of five brightness levels: D-, D, L, L+ and Normal. While the camera does its best to achieve the perfect exposure automatically, this new dial lets you go darker or brighter according to your creative vision. The D- and D modes are particularly useful for avoiding blown-out skies and improving highlight details in brightly lit situations. The Mini 90’s exposure options are button-operated and less versatile.
Instax Mini 99: New Vignette Control
The Mini 99 adds a new Vignette option, which gently darkens the edges of the picture to direct the viewer’s attention toward the middle. The camera achieves this effect by sliding a physical aperture in front of the lens before you take the photo.
Instax Mini 99: Removal Of Motorized Functions
One key aspect of the Instax Mini 99 might initially seem like a downgrade: Where the Instax Mini 90 offers motorized functions, such as extending and retracting the lens, the Instax Mini 99 is entirely manual. This may seem like a “cheaper” option, but extending the lens by hand is quicker and quieter than a motor and saves valuable battery power. It’s something to be aware of, however, if you rely on a motorized lens for accessibility reasons.
Instax Mini 99: Changed Control Buttons And LCD Display
On the back of the camera, the Instax Mini 99 features just three buttons, whereas the Mini 90 has five. These are “Mode,” “Self Timer,” and “Flash.” The Mini 90 additionally features a pushbutton — to select between lighten and darken modes — and a dedicated macro button. The Mini 99 replaces these buttons with a twisting lens barrel control to select macro mode and a dedicated control dial to adjust picture brightness (see above). The new control system is easier to operate while shooting as you don’t have to check the back of the camera or perform multiple button pushes to select the options you need.
Unlike the Mini 99, The Mini 90’s buttons are predominantly labeled with icons rather than text.
Instax Mini 99: New Battery
Speaking of the battery, the Instax Mini 99 introduces a new NP-70S 680mAh Lithium Ion battery rated for around 300 charging cycles. Depending on the ambient temperature, it takes one to two hours to charge and is incompatible with the Mini 90, which uses a 740 mAh NP-45A battery.
The Mini 99 includes an updated rechargeable battery with a smaller, more convenient USB-C charger.
Instax Mini 99: Improved Viewfinder
Shooting close-up images in macro mode can cause the image in the viewfinder to appear shifted compared to the final photo, resulting in misaligned images. Fujifilm has added a new parallax correction function to the Mini 99’s viewfinder that automatically engages when the macro mode is selected. It’s not perfect, but it makes it noticeably easier to compose your images.
Same Features By Different Names
Some of the Instax Mini 90’s other features have changed a little on their way to the Mini 99. These include Party Mode and “Kids” mode. In Kids mode, the Mini 90 selects a faster shutter speed to freeze the motion of fast-moving subjects such as children or pets. Party mode does the opposite: selecting a slower shutter speed to capture the available light in darker environments better. The Mini 99 can achieve similar effects by selecting Sports or Indoor modes instead.
Instax Mini 99: New Grip And Tripod Mount
The Instax Mini 99 comes with a small cylindrical grip that can be screwed onto the bottom of the camera. This grip makes the camera easier to hold steady when shooting vertically and also serves as a tripod mount.
Instax Mini 99: A Puzzling Omission
With all of the advances Fujifilm has made with the Instax Mini 99, one niggling omission remains: there’s no built-in selfie mirror. Most Instax Mini cameras, including the Mini 90, feature either a small dedicated mirror or a highly reflective shutter button, which allows you to frame yourself reasonably accurately when looking at the camera to take a selfie. The Instax Mini 99’s all-black exterior offers no such convenience, making selfies unnecessarily tricky to pull off.
Instax Mini 99 vs. Instax Mini 90: The Bottom Line
The Instax Mini 99 is Fujifilm’s most Advanced Instax camera to date, yet it can be just as easy to use as the more basic models once you’ve familiarized yourself with the controls.
Despite offering more functions than the Instax Mini 90 it replaces, its new manual control dials make it easier and more intuitive to operate.
The new built-in color effects may prove enough for some users to upgrade to the new model, as it can deliver pictures that can’t be created with any other Instax camera.
Sometimes, when Fujilim introduces a new Instax model, the older models become more affordable. Unfortunately, with the Instax Mini 90 now discontinued, scarcity has pushed prices up. So, if you want an advanced Instax camera, there’s no reason not to buy the newer model.
The only reason to opt for an Instax Mini 90 now (if you can find one) is if you really don’t like the looks of the newer model or if the Mini 90’s selfie mirror and motorized functions are important to you.
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