Instax Mini 12vs Lumix S5 IIX
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Beginners, parties & gifting
View Instax Mini 12
Lumix
Lumix S5 IIX (2023)
Starting from £2399 new
Best for Professional video, filmmaking & hybrid shooters on L-mount
View Lumix S5 IIX
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.
Professional Video, Filmmaking & Hybrid Shooters On L-Mount — Lumix S5 IIX (2023): The S5 II with ProRes RAW and 6K Open Gate — the most serious L-mount video tool in a portable, weather-sealed body.
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
Lumix S5 IIX (2023)
- Video professionals who need ProRes RAW output and 6K Open Gate in a portable L-mount body
- L-mount filmmakers who want USB power for extended recording without battery changes
- Hybrid shooters who need both 24MP stills quality and professional video specs in one camera
- S5 II users who specifically need ProRes RAW support for their post-production workflow
Quick take: The instax mini 12 is the most affordable; only the lumix s5 iix is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 12 (2023) | Lumix S5 IIX (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £2,399 |
| Sensor | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) | 24.2MP full-frame CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.2MP |
| Video | N/A — instant film camera | 6K/30p Open Gate, 4K/60p 10-bit, ProRes RAW via HDMI — V-Log, LUT support |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) | Phase-hybrid AF — improved over S5 with subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | N/A | 5-axis IBIS — 6.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 9fps mechanical, 30fps electronic (6MP crop) |
| Battery Life | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) | ~370 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~293g (with batteries, without film) | 740g body only |
| Dimensions | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm | 134.3 × 102.3 × 90.1mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) | OLED EVF, 3.68M-dot, 0.78× |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots |
| Mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) | L-mount (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma) |
| Memory Cards | N/A — instant film only | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C with power delivery, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Instax Mini 12 | Lumix S5 IIX |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Instax Mini 12
Camera family history