EOS Mvs Instax Mini 12
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Beginners, parties & gifting
View Instax Mini 12
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors — EOS M (2012): Canon's first mirrorless — a historic body that broke new ground with touch-AF and EF-M, but its sluggish contrast-detect system quickly became its Achilles heel.
Beginners, Parties & Gifting — Instax Mini 12 (2023): The perfect starter instant camera — effortless to use, great colours, and comes in beautiful pastel shades.
Who should buy what
EOS M (2012)
- Canon shooters who want the camera that started Canon's mirrorless story
- Budget first-time mirrorless buyers who already own EF/EF-S glass
- Collectors of significant digital camera milestones
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
- Complete beginners wanting their first instant camera
- Anyone buying an instant camera as a gift
- Party hosts who want to hand out physical prints on the night
- Kids and teenagers who want a fun, colourful camera
Quick take: These cameras are closely matched across the key specs below. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | Instax Mini 12 (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £80 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | — |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | N/A — instant film camera |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) |
| Stabilisation | — | N/A |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | N/A |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | ~293g (with batteries, without film) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | N/A |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | N/A — instant film only |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | Instax Mini 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Landscape | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with EOS M
Camera family history