Instax Mini 12vs GR IIIx HDF
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Beginners, parties & gifting
View Instax Mini 12
Ricoh
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street & documentary photography with a distinctive aesthetic
View GR IIIx HDF
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 & Documentary Photography With A Distinctive Aesthetic — GR IIIx HDF (2024): The GR IIIx with a built-in dream filter — for photographers who want the GR's legendary APS-C quality with an added layer of analogue magic.
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
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
- GR IIIx fans who want the HDF bloom effect without using post-processing
- Street photographers who want a distinctive, instantly recognisable aesthetic
- Film photography enthusiasts who want to replicate analogue optical character digitally
- GR III owners ready to upgrade to the 40mm equivalent perspective
Quick take: The instax mini 12 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 12 (2023) | GR IIIx HDF (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £999 |
| Sensor | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.2MP |
| Video | N/A — instant film camera | 1920 × 1080 / 60fps |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) | Phase/contrast hybrid CDAF with Snap Focus |
| Stabilisation | N/A | 3-axis Shake Reduction (SR) — 4 stops |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 4fps continuous |
| Battery Life | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) | ~200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~293g (with batteries, without film) | 262g body only |
| Dimensions | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm | 122.5 × 69.5 × 35.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) | None — rear LCD only |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" fixed LCD touchscreen, 1.037M dots |
| Mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) | Fixed GR Lens 26.1mm f/2.8 (40mm equivalent) |
| Memory Cards | N/A — instant film only | Single SD/SDHC/SDXC slot |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Instax Mini 12 | GR IIIx HDF |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Street | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
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