Instax share sp-2 vs mini link

Fujifilm is well aware that its Instax Mini format is a hit among the youth and others looking for an affordable, easy-to-use instant camera, such as our favorite entry-level Instax Mini 11. The Instax Mini Link 2 ($99.95) uses the same type of film, but, instead of snapping photos with a lens, it prints any image from your phone's camera roll. This second-generation printer adds some gesture-based controls and animated art filters to the mix, but we found them cumbersome and gimmicky in practice. The real upgrade here is the addition of a Rich printing mode for better dynamic range, but it's not enough to spur photographers to ditch the original Mini Link, and we're disappointed to still see a micro USB charging port onboard.

A Pocket-Size Photo Maker

The Instax Mini Link 2 may sound like a second-generation product based on the name, but the instant film printer concept dates back further, to the Instax Share SP-1 from 2014. We don't mind the change in product names—it makes it a little easier to figure out what type of film to use with the printer. For instance, whereas the Mini Link 2 uses the Instax Mini format, the Link Wide ($149.95) uses the Instax Wide film format.

(Photo: Jim Fisher)

We're still waiting for Fuji to release a Link Square to replace the discontinued Instax Square Format Share SP-2 printer. At press time, the only square-format instant film printer available is the Polaroid Lab—its film costs run higher, and it uses an optical lens to print from your smartphone's screen.

At 4.8 by 3.4 by 1.3 inches (HWD) and 7.4 ounces in weight (without a film pack), the Link 2 is wallet-size and matches up with the 1.8-by-2.4-inch Instax Mini film format. The Mini Link 2's Bluetooth connectivity makes for a vastly different design than the set-it-on-a-desk Polaroid Lab (5.9 by 4.6 by 5.9 inches).

Similar Products

Film loads in the rear; each Instax Mini pack is good for 10 prints. (Photo: Jim Fisher)

The exterior is molded plastic, which is standard fare for modern electronics. It features curved lines and lots of ridges. You can buy the printer in your choice of Clay White, Soft Pink, or Space Blue; we received the Space Blue version for evaluation.

There are some subtle physical differences here compared with the first Mini Link. For example, Fujifilm added an LED to the side and a control button up top near the film eject. These operate in conjunction with the Instax Air function, a set of creative app filters that sort of let you use the Mini Link 2 printer as a can of spray paint. We explain this feature more below, but, if that sounds to you like something that's difficult to use, you're probably right.

The onboard LED, the white dot on the side of the printer, is used for Instax Air creative filters. (Photo: Jim Fisher)

The rechargeable battery is good for about four packs of film, or around 40 prints. However, the Mini Link 2 charges via micro USB port. We're disappointed to see the old-style port, especially as the EU moves to standardize consumer electronics around the newer USB-C connection. Practically speaking, I'm sick and tired of trying to plug micro USB cables in upside-down, and I'm sure many of you are, too. Most devices should move to USB-C, if they haven't already, simply to avoid this frustrating issue.

Gestures in a Printer App? Yep

The Mini Link app (available for Android and iOS) is a requisite download, but the app is free and doesn't lock any features behind a paid tier or microtransactions. Take note: There's no support for desktop printing. The Mini Link 2 works only with smartphones and not macOS or Windows devices. The app supports direct printing from the Fujifilm X-S10, but not from any other Fujifilm cameras. (I don't have an X-S10 around, so I wasn't able to try the feature.)

The app splits functions into two sections: Print Mode and Fun Mode.

The interface is straightforward enough, and the app walks you through the Bluetooth pairing process when you first open it. The main screen organizes information and settings up top; the printer name, battery life, and number of images left in your film pack are displayed at the top left, while a gear icon at the top right lets you adjust the Mini Link 2 and other app settings.

The basic printing features are stacked in a column on the left called Print Mode: Simple Print, Video Print, and Instax Camera. Simple Print works with images in your camera roll, Video Print strings together individual frames from a video file, and Instax Camera lets you snap photos directly from the app.

The app lets you add Frames and Stickers to photos.

The app includes some basic editing tools, including an Auto filter that adds some punch and brightness to digital shots; monochrome and sepia looks; manual exposure adjustments; cropping tools; and text and stickers clip art. You swipe up or tap the prominent red printer icon to print an image.

The swipe gesture is a fun touch—it mimics the way the film ejects from the Mini Link 2. But it's not the only gesture control. The Instax Camera function, for instance, adds a digital zoom to your smartphone lens—you can either pinch to zoom on screen, or pick up the Mini Link 2 printer and tilt it up and down to control the zoom.

The printer, along with some Fun Mode prints (Photo: Jim Fisher)

Waving the printer around to set zoom is a convoluted concept and one that's downright gimmicky. It's an academic complaint, though I still don't recommend that you use the Instax Camera function at all. Use your phone's camera app to snap photos instead—you get all the benefits of your smartphone camera's computational features and image-processing power.

Fujifilm's more feature-rich print options appear below the main tools, in the Fun Mode area. This is where you find options such as Frame Print (adds colorful borders to photos); Collage (puts several images into one print); and Sketch, Edit & Print (allows you to make stickers with drawing tools or with images from your phone's camera). Instax Match, a relationship quiz straight out of the pages of Tiger Beat, is there too.

Instax Air includes filter and paint tools manipulated by waving the device in the air or swiping on your phone's screen with your finger.

The difference-making Fun feature is Instax Air, a mode that lets you use the printer's LED to draw or add filters to an image. It's a bit like light painting, but in reverse—you point the printer toward your phone to draw or add filters, and overlay them onto a photo you snap with your smartphone's camera. You can add stickers, too.

I toyed around with Instax Air and walked away a little puzzled, but I'm old. Instax Air may very well be a smash hit with tweens and teens, but I just don't get it. Your experience may be different, and, if you end up loving the feature, you can use it along with a special edition film; Instax Mini Spray Art packs cost a bit more than regular color film at $15.75 per pack but swap the standard white border for a colorful rainbow with a reflective metallic finish.

The gesture controls also left me flat, but you can turn those off. If you leave them on, the app does some weird things, like playing a sound and swapping background colors if you stand the printer up or lay it down flat.

Photochemical Prints

Fujifilm's photo printers use the same type of film as its instant cameras—the printer exposes a negative to light, a pack of chemicals opens when the film ejects, and the development process begins. This means you get the instant-camera experience of watching pictures emerge. There's no need to shake, though, contrary to André 3000's refrain, it won't speed up the process.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 and prints (Photo: Jim Fisher)

This process makes for very different photos than you get from others like the HP Sprocket Select or Kodak Mini 3 Retro. The HP uses Zink thermal paper and showed better picture quality than previous-generation models, but we still noted pale colors and some ugly banding on prints in our review. The Retro 3 goes with dye-sublimation instead, for much higher-quality results than any Zink print.

The Mini Link 2's print quality is fantastic. There are two color spaces, Instax Natural and Rich. Natural is the default and leans toward moderate color saturation and brighter highlights; it's a good choice for darker scenes. Rich pumps the saturation and reins in highlights; I preferred it in testing, especially for images with detail in the highlights, like the scanned Kodachrome 25 slide of a pig statue I shot years ago at a state fair. You have to dive into the menu to change this setting, however; I wish this option was available on the print screen because it's something you may want to change on a per-photo basis.

Instax Rich (top) versus Natural (bottom) compared (Photo: Jim Fisher)

If I have any complaint about picture quality, it's that the image area isn't that big. Instax Mini film is about 3.4 by 2.1 inches including the border; the image is 2.4 by 1.8 inches. If you're after bigger prints, get the Instax Link Wide instead for double the size (3.6 by 2.4 inches).

At press time, Fujifilm sells a two-pack of Instax Mini film (two cartridges with 10 exposures each) for $14, or 70 cents per photo. Monochrome film costs more, but there's no reason to buy it for a printer—you can just apply a black-and-white filter to a photo on your phone and get the same results.

You can watch prints develop in front of your eyes. (Photo: Jim Fisher)

Print time is something to think about; it's about 20 seconds when we tried with an iPhone 13. We're counting that from pressing the print button in the app to the film fully ejecting; you still need to wait a few minutes for a photo to finish developing.

New Features Fall Flat, But It's Still a Capable Printer

No, a printer doesn't need gesture controls or any of the other whiz-bangs Fujifilm added to the Instax Mini Link 2. But if they're something you're after, they're all here. And if the gimmicks don't appeal, you can simply ignore them and print away to your heart's content.

We got good results with Instax film for digital prints in the past, and that experience carries forward here. We prefer the Instax Rich color mode, though; it does a better job with bright highlights and brings out the color that the Natural profile washes away. Instax Mini film is pretty easy to buy, too, either from an online retailer or a big-box store. If you already have an Instax camera, you can continue to use the same packs.

(Photo: Jim Fisher)

We're disappointed that Fujifilm made the effort to add an LED and motion sensors for the Instax Air feature, but stuck with a micro USB charging connection. It's a missed opportunity for sure, and an annoyance for anyone who has standardized around USB-C chargers.

All and all, we like the Instax Link Wide a little better than this model. We have the same gripe about its micro USB port, but the bigger prints make that flaw a little easier to forgive.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2

Pros

• Prints instant photos

• Bluetooth connectivity

• Instax Rich mode prints

• Supports Android and iOS devices

• Blue, pink, and white finishes available

View More

Cons

• Stale micro USB charging port

• Gimmicky gesture controls

• Can't print from PC or Mac

The Bottom Line

The pocket-size Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 Bluetooth printer relies on instant film for prints and we love the photo quality, but we're less enthusiastic about the micro USB charging and the Instax Air filter feature.

Like What You're Reading?

Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.