Instax Mini 12vs A5100
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.
Casual & Travel — A5100 (2014): The A5100 is one of the smallest APS-C mirrorless cameras ever made. Its 24MP sensor, phase-detect AF, and selfie-friendly flip screen pack remarkable capability into a shirt-pocket-sized body. No EVF or hot shoe limits it for serious use, but as a compact travel camera or beginner's first mirrorless, it punches well above its price on the used market.
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
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Quick take: The instax mini 12 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 12 (2023) | A5100 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £200 |
| Sensor | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.3MP |
| Video | N/A — instant film camera | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | N/A | None |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 6fps |
| Battery Life | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~293g (with batteries, without film) | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) | None |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | N/A — instant film only | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | N/A | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Instax Mini 12 | A5100 |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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