Instax Mini 12vs FX3
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Beginners, parties & gifting
View Instax Mini 12
VS
Sony
FX3 (2021)
Starting from £3799 new
Best for Professional video, documentary & cinematic filmmaking
View FX3
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, Documentary & Cinematic Filmmaking — FX3 (2021): The definitive run-and-gun cinema camera — A7S III sensor quality in a body built specifically for video professionals.
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
FX3 (2021)
- Professional videographers and filmmakers who need cinema-quality colour science in a compact body
- Documentary and run-and-gun shooters who need 4K/120p and built-in XLR audio
- Sony A7S III owners who want a purpose-built video body alongside their stills camera
- Gimbal and drone operators who need a compact full-frame cinema camera
Quick take: The instax mini 12 is the most affordable; only the fx3 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 12 (2023) | FX3 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £3,799 |
| Sensor | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS (same as A7S III) |
| Resolution | — | 12.1MP |
| Video | N/A — instant film camera | 4K/120p, 4K/60p 10-bit, 12-bit RAW output, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) | Real-time tracking with subject recognition (human, animal) |
| Stabilisation | N/A | 5-axis IBIS — 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic |
| Battery Life | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) | ~640 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~293g (with batteries, without film) | 715g body only (with XLR handle) |
| Dimensions | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm | 129.7 × 78.0 × 84.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) | None — monitor/external EVF use only |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" touchscreen, fully articulating |
| Mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | N/A — instant film only | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C (10Gbps), full-size HDMI, XLR via handle, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Instax Mini 12 | FX3 |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with Instax Mini 12
Camera family history