fbpx
Film and Analog

Review: Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 (Fujifilm Instax Square)

Chris Gampat
No Comments
05/31/2018
4 Mins read
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 review product images

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 is perhaps my favorite Instax camera of theirs made thus far.

With the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6’s arrival on the scene, Fujifilm I feel has created a respectable Instax Square camera. When the SQ10 was released, I was very hesitant. I’m not a fan of a digital photo being printed onto an Instax frame from the camera. By and large, I prefer full pass through of light through the lens to the film plane. Somehow, Fujifilm was able to create it in a compact form factor that is also very stylish. In many ways, the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 is what the Instax Mini 90 is but with the Square format.

In comparison to the Lomography Lomo’Instant Square camera, I’ll round up my comparison thoughts very quickly before I get into the review.

  • Lomo’s camera has a much sharper and faster lens
  • Fujifilm’s camera has more controls arguably
  • Fujifilm’s camera doesn’t have a bellows that may break or puncture
  • Fujifilm’s isn’t as stylish as Lomo’s.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Various modes make shooting pretty simple
  • Compact
  • Fun

Cons

  • Softer image quality than I’d like

Gear Used

We tested the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 with Fujifilm Instax Square film, obviously.

Tech Specs

Taken from our initial news post

  • Available in three colors, Pearl White, Blush Gold and Graphite Gray.
  • Compatible with FUJIFILM INSTAX SQUARE film (purchased separately).
  • Picture size – 62mm x 62mm/2.4in. x 2.4in.
  • Retractable lens, 2 components, 2 elements, f = 65.75 mm, 1:12.6.
  • Inverted Galilean finder, 0.4 x, with target spot.
  • Three motor driven focus modes: Macro Mode (0.3m – 0.5m/1ft. -1.6ft.), Normal Mode (0.5m – 2m/1.6ft. – 6.6ft.), Landscape Mode (2m/6.6ft. and beyond).
  • Programmed electronic shutter release, 1.6 sec – 1/400 sec.
  • Automatic, Interlocking range (ISO 800): LV 5 – LV 15.5, Exposure compensation: Âħ 2/3 EV.
  • Electronically controlled self-timer with approximately 10 second delay
  • LED display with Shooting mode (auto, selfie, macro, landscape, double exposure), brightness adjustment, flash suppressing and self-timer mode.
  • Two CR2/DL CR2 lithium batteries.
    • Capacity: Approximately 30 INSTAX SQUARE 10-pack film packs with new CR2/DL CR2 lithium batteries.
  • Tripod socket (tripod sold separately).

Ergonomics

With the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6, you get a camera in the square format that looks a whole lot like the Instagram logo. Except in this case, it’s far better looking. There is a mirror on the front for selfies, the big lens, the flash, the shutter button and the viewfinder when you look at the face.

When the camera is activated, the lens enlarges itself and pops out a bit. This is standard for these types of cameras.

On top of the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 is the power switch. Additionally, here is where you’ll get your square prints. DON’T EVER PULL THEM OUT WHILE THE CAMERA IS PRINTING THEM!

On the back of the camera you’ll find the control buttons. The only three controls are on the left side. The top will tell you what’s currently set.

Build Quality

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 feels substantially better built than Lomography’s offering. Part of this is due to no bellows being incorporated into the camera body. However, Lomo’s Lomo’Instant Square has a sharper and much better lens. The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 feels right about up there with the build quality of most other Instax cameras. I wouldn’t take it out into the rain and I’d be careful about using it at a party lest someone spill their expensive glass of Japanese whiskey all over your fairly priced Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6.

Ease of Use

Using the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 is pretty simple overall. There is an on/off switch on top of the camera and then the other controls are on the back. You’ll see how to set it to macro, cloudy, use exposure compensation, etc. Just as long as someone really learns the few symbols, they’re not going to have much of a problem using it. Fujifilm should incorporate this into a manual that is just as fun to read as the camera is to use. That’s where they sort of lack.

Focusing

Focusing with the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 is done automatically via zone focusing. But if you use the other modes on the camera, it will fix the focusing. Again, you’ve got a lens with an aperture beyond f12, so you won’t really need to worry all that much. Focusing with this camera isn’t as user defined as it is with Lomography. Lomo lets you set your focusing manually while with Fujifilm you have preset options.

Image Quality

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 has a lens with plastic elements. It lends itself to really fun, lo-fi images. But for what it’s worth, I really like the image quality that Lomography gives me more. However, the certain nostalgia factor that you get with the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 is surely there. The Instax Square format is really big and so to that end, everyone is perceived as thinner due to how the optics work. It’s hard for someone to look bad with this camera even if the images are blurry due to camera shake with a slow shutter speed.

Conclusions

For only a bit less than $130, you’re getting a solid camera. I like it. It’s plain. It’s everything most people will need. I really wish that there was an option with full manual controls, but there isn’t. However if you just want something for fun, the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 is the way to go.

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 receives five out of five stars.

camera fujifilm Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 instax
Shares
Written by

Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
You might also like
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Canon RF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM review product images Canon EOS R
Features

Did Canon Miss the Memo That Says Mirrorless Lenses Are Meant to Be Smaller?

3 Mins read
12/26/2018

When Canon introduced their new Mirrorless cameras earlier on this year (The EOS R) one of the stand out features was that the lens mount was so huge. While other manufacturers like Sony have made all things Mirrorless smaller, the late comer to the Mirrorless party seems to have decided that bigger is better. In a recently released interview, Canon engineers seem to be having a sly dig at Sony by saying that lenses with smaller mounts are far less capable than those with larger mounts. Read on after the break to find out more about what the Canon engineers are wafting on about.

P1000_BK_front34r_lo_t
News

The New Nikon P1000 Has a 125x Optical Zoom with a Laughable 1/2.3 inch Sensor for $999.95

9 Mins read
07/10/2018

Today, for some odd reason, the Nikon P1000 point and shoot camera is being announced. Odd, you ask? The fact that it is a point and shoot isn’t such a big issue at all; but the fact that it’s a superzoom camera being marketed as one with a 125x optical zoom is what’s insane. Kudos to Nikon for being able to do something like this; but then you read the fine print (or in this case, print that’s not even in the press release) and see the bait and switch–this Nikkor lens is having its potential wasted by being placed in front of a 1/2.3 inch sensor.

X-T3_Black_LeftObl+VPB-XT3+XF18-55mm
Features

Opinion: The Fujifilm XT3’s Sensor Still Doesn’t Output Images That Look Totally Like Film (But They’re Nice)

3 Mins read
09/20/2018

The Fujifilm XT3 (or as they call it, the Fujifilm X-T3) is the company’s latest evolution to their SLR style camera body designed to be a workhorse for many photographers. Despite a whole lot of great and absolutely fantastic things built into the camera, I personally am wondering what Fujifilm’s goal is here with the idea of the X Trans sensor and Film Simulations. One of the reasons why I was so smitten with the X Pro 1 was the fact that it delivered images that really looked like well shot and developed film. To some extent, the Fujifilm XT2 did too but only really with Acros. With the latest iteration, the Fujifilm X-T3, the company is delivering a new 26.2MP X Trans Sensor that delivers the most beautiful colors of any APS-C sensor that we’ve seen. But at the same time, the film simulations just don’t feel right.