Beginners, Parties & Gifting — Instax Mini 12 (2023): The perfect starter instant camera — effortless to use, great colours, and comes in beautiful pastel shades.
Landscape, Studio, Commercial — A7R IV (2019): 61MP in a mirrorless body — the resolution benchmark.
Who should buy what
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
A7R IV (2019)
Quick take: The instax mini 12 is the most affordable; only the a7r iv is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 12 (2023) | A7R IV (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £2,199 |
| Sensor | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) | Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS 35mm |
| Resolution | — | 61.0MP |
| Video | N/A — instant film camera | 4K 30fps |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) | 567-point phase-detect, real-time tracking |
| Stabilisation | N/A | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 10fps |
| Battery Life | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) | 670 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~293g (with batteries, without film) | 665g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm | 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) | EVF 0.78× 5.76M-dot |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.44M-dot |
| Mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) | Sony E-Mount |
| Memory Cards | N/A — instant film only | 2× SD UHS-II / CFexpress Type A |
| Connectivity | N/A | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.1, USB-C 3.2 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Instax Mini 12 | A7R IV |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Landscape | — |
More comparisons with Instax Mini 12
Camera family history