Instax Mini 12vs X100S
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Beginners, parties & gifting
View Instax Mini 12
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Beginners, Parties & Gifting — Instax Mini 12 (2023): The perfect starter instant camera — effortless to use, great colours, and comes in beautiful pastel shades.
Street & Travel — X100S (2013): The X100S was the moment the X100 series became legendary. Dramatically faster phase-detect AF, X-Trans II image quality, Fujifilm's film simulations, and the iconic hybrid viewfinder in a pocketable fixed-lens body — the blueprint every subsequent X100 has built on. A brilliant used-market buy for street and travel photographers who want the Fujifilm experience at an accessible price.
Who should buy what
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
X100S (2013)
- Street photographers who want the Fujifilm X100 experience on a budget
- Travel photographers who love a fixed focal length
- Film photography enthusiasts who want digital film simulations
- Used-market buyers stepping into the X100 series
Quick take: The instax mini 12 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 12 (2023) | X100S (2013) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £250 |
| Sensor | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) | 16.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS II |
| Resolution | — | 16.3MP |
| Video | N/A — instant film camera | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) | Hybrid AF with sensor-embedded phase-detect + contrast-detect |
| Stabilisation | N/A | — |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 6fps |
| Battery Life | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) | ~330 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~293g (with batteries, without film) | 445g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm | 126.5 × 74.4 × 52.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) | Hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder |
| Screen | N/A | 2.8" fixed LCD, 460k dots |
| Mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) | Fixed Fujinon 23mm f/2 (35mm equivalent) |
| Memory Cards | N/A — instant film only | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB, Wi-Fi (via optional adapter) |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Instax Mini 12 | X100S |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Street | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history