Instax Mini 12vs A7R
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.
Studio, Tripod Landscape & Camera History — A7R (2013): The world's first 36MP full-frame mirrorless — a landmark camera that launched the A7R series, despite contrast-detect AF and significant shutter shock limitations.
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
A7R (2013)
- Collectors and photographers interested in the camera that started the A7R lineage
- Studio photographers who work on a tripod and can manage contrast-detect AF
- Landscape photographers who prioritise resolution over autofocus performance
- Sony FE system users who want a historical body at a very low used price
Quick take: The instax mini 12 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 12 (2023) | A7R (2013) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £349 |
| Sensor | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) | 36.4MP Full-Frame CMOS (no OLPF) |
| Resolution | — | 36.4MP |
| Video | N/A — instant film camera | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) | Contrast-detect AF only (no phase-detect on sensor) |
| Stabilisation | N/A | None |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 4fps |
| Battery Life | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) | ~340 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~293g (with batteries, without film) | 465g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm | 126.9 × 94.4 × 48.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots (no tilt, no touch) |
| Mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | N/A — instant film only | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Instax Mini 12 | A7R |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Architecture | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| 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