Fujifilm discontinued the Mini 11 in 2023 and the Mini 12 replaced it, so this is a choice between leftover stock and a camera still in production. Buy the Mini 12: same lens and film, better close-up framing.
Fujifilm launched the Instax Mini 11 in 2020 and replaced it with the Mini 12 in 2023. The Mini 11 is discontinued. You can still find one as leftover stock, in a bundle or used, so the question is whether the older camera is worth hunting down.
What is actually different
Less than the model numbers suggest. Both cameras use the same 60 mm f/12.7 lens, two components in two elements. Both set exposure themselves, run a 1/2 to 1/250 second shutter, and fire the flash on every frame with no way to switch it off. Two AA batteries run either camera for about 100 shots. Each has a selfie mirror and a close-up mode, and neither has a self timer, double exposure, bulb mode, a tripod socket or any manual control. Both come in five colours: Ice White, Blush Pink, Sky Blue, Lilac Purple and Charcoal Gray on the Mini 11, Pastel Blue, Blossom Pink, Mint Green, Lilac Purple and Clay White on the Mini 12.
The Mini 11’s close-up mode covers 0.3 to 0.5 m. The Mini 12 covers the same distance but corrects for parallax, the gap between what the viewfinder sees and what the lens records, so close shots and selfies land where you framed them. Fujifilm also documents the Mini 12’s exposure range, Lv 5.0 to 14.5 at ISO 800, and gives its shutter a slow synchro mode for low light. The Mini 12 works with the instax UP! app. It measures 104 x 66 x 122 mm and weighs 306 g. We do not have verified size or weight figures for the Mini 11, so we cannot put the two bodies side by side on paper.
Reviewers treated the Mini 12 as a small step rather than a new camera. Cameralabs said its upgrades over the Mini 11 are worth the extra money if you mostly photograph people, while noting bright daylight can still cause over-exposure. Dan Finnen called it an iterative update that keeps what works about the Mini 11 and makes it better, and the best Instax camera for jumping into instant film, despite a battery door that fits terribly. Digital Camera World’s verdict on the Mini 11 was that it is a simple, likeable point-and-shoot, but that most buyers should just go for the newer Mini 12.
Price and film cost
At the last price check, on September 9, 2026, the Mini 12 was $82.99, against a list price of $79.95. The Mini 11 has no current price, because Fujifilm stopped making it in 2023. Its list price was $69.95, and whatever a third-party seller asks today is set by what stock they have left rather than by Fujifilm. Treat any Mini 11 listing above the Mini 12’s $82.99 as a bad deal, and check the seller.
Film costs the same either way. Both cameras take Instax Mini film, which prints 86 x 54 mm with a 62 x 46 mm image and works out at about $0.88 a shot. A twin pack of 20 shots was $17.50 at the same check. Five packs of film cost more than either camera, so the price of the body is the small part of the bill.
The Mini 12 has itself been replaced. The Mini 13 arrived in 2026 and was $89.95 on September 10, 2026, with a list price of $93.95. It keeps the same lens, film and always-on flash, and adds a 2 second and 10 second self-timer.
Which one to buy
Buy the Mini 12. It is still in production, it is in stock and it costs $82.99, with a close-up mode that corrects for parallax. Buyers rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 1,500 ratings, and both Cameralabs and Digital Camera World treat it as the default first instant camera.
Buy the Mini 11 only if you find one cheap, well under the Mini 12’s price, from a seller you trust. It takes the same picture through the same lens. You give up parallax correction on close-ups and you buy a camera nobody is making any more.
If you already own a Mini 11, keep it and spend the money on film. And if the always-on flash is the thing that bothers you, neither of these cameras will fix it.
Where to buy
Instax Mini 11DiscontinuedList $69.95Check price on Amazon
Instax Mini 12$82.99 (list $79.95)Check price on Amazon
Specs side by side
Same on both: Analog instant camera · Instax Mini film · 86 x 54 mm print · 62 x 46 mm image · $0.88 a shot · Lens: 60 mm f/12.7, 2 components 2 elements · Flash: auto, always fires · selfie mirror · close-up mode · no self timer · no double exposure · no bulb mode · no tripod socket · Power: 2 x AA alkaline · Shots per battery / prints per charge: 100.
| Spec | Instax Mini 11 | Instax Mini 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Discontinued (2023) | Current |
| Launched | 2020 | 2023 |
| Focus | fixed; 0.3 m and beyond; close-up/selfie mode 0.3-0.5 m | fixed; 0.3 m to infinity; close-up (selfie) mode 0.3 to 0.5 m with parallax correction |
| Exposure | automatic | automatic, Lv 5.0 to 14.5 (ISO 800) |
| Shutter | 1/2 to 1/250 s | 1/2 to 1/250 s, slow synchro for low light |
| App | n/a | instax UP! |
| Dimensions | n/a | 104 x 66 x 122 mm |
| Weight | n/a | 306 g |
| Colours | 5 (Ice White, Blush Pink, Sky Blue, plus 2 more) | 5 (Pastel Blue, Blossom Pink, Mint Green, plus 2 more) |
| Street price | n/a | $82.99 (checked September 9, 2026) |
| Amazon rating | 4.5 (800 ratings) | 4.6 (1,500 ratings) |
| Buy | Check price on Amazon | Check price on Amazon |
Specs from manufacturer pages; prices and ratings checked September 9, 2026.
What reviewers and buyers say
Instax Mini 11
Published reviews of the Instax Mini 11:
- “The Mini 11 is a simple, likeable point-and-shoot, though most buyers should save a few dollars less or just go for the newer Mini 12.” (Digital Camera World, 2020)
Amazon buyers rate it 4.5 out of 5 across 800 ratings.
Instax Mini 12
Published reviews of the Instax Mini 12:
- “The Mini 12's upgrades over the Mini 11 are worth the extra money if you mostly photograph people, though bright daylight can still cause over-exposure.” (Cameralabs, 2023)
- “The Mini 12 is easier to shoot with than the Mini 8 and delivers the joy and fun that's at the heart of Instax cameras without missing the older camera's extra modes.” (Amateur Photographer, 2023)
- “The Instax Mini 12 is still the best bang-for-buck instant camera you can buy.” (Digital Camera World, 2023)
- “The Mini 12 is an iterative update that keeps what works about the Mini 11 but makes it even better, and is the best Instax camera for jumping into instant film, despite a battery door that fits terribly.” (Dan Finnen, 2024-01)
Amazon buyers rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 1,500 ratings.
Praised for: easy enough for kids and first-timers, reliable auto-exposure in daylight, fun color options. Criticised for: flash always fires and cannot be turned off, feels plastic and toy-like, battery door fits poorly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Instax Mini 11 and Mini 12?
The close-up mode and the shutter, not the lens. Both cameras use a 60 mm f/12.7 lens, automatic exposure, a flash that fires on every shot, two AA batteries and about 100 shots per set. The Mini 12, launched in 2023, adds parallax correction to its 0.3 to 0.5 m close-up mode, a slow synchro shutter for low light and a documented exposure range of Lv 5.0 to 14.5. The Mini 11 launched in 2020 and was discontinued in 2023.
Is the Instax Mini 11 still available?
Not from Fujifilm. The Mini 11 was discontinued in 2023 and the Mini 12 is its replacement. What is left is remaining retail stock, bundles from third-party sellers and used bodies, so there is no reliable current price. Its list price when it was on sale was $69.95.
Should I upgrade from the Mini 11 to the Mini 12?
Probably not. The two share a 60 mm f/12.7 lens, automatic exposure, a 1/2 to 1/250 second shutter and the same Instax Mini film at about $0.88 a shot, so your pictures will not change much. The Mini 12 was $82.99 at the last check, which is a lot to pay for parallax-corrected close-ups and a slow synchro shutter.
Which entry-level Instax Mini should I buy in 2026?
The Mini 12 at $82.99, or the Mini 13 at $89.95, both checked in September 2026. The Mini 13 launched in 2026 as the Mini 12's replacement and adds a 2 second and 10 second self-timer. Buyers rate the Mini 12 4.6 out of 5 across 1,500 ratings and the Mini 13 4.3 out of 5 across 63 ratings.