The Mini 8 and Mini 9 are discontinued cameras with a manual brightness dial and a fixed shutter; the Mini 12 sets its own exposure and focuses closer. Buy the Mini 12 unless a Mini 8 or 9 comes to you cheap or free.
The Instax Mini 8 ran from 2012 to 2017, the Mini 9 from 2017 to 2020, and the Mini 12 arrived in 2023. The Mini 8 and Mini 9 are both discontinued. If you have one in a drawer, or you have seen one cheap on a resale site, this page is about whether it is worth using instead of buying a Mini 12. For the older pair on their own, see our Instax Mini 8 vs Mini 9 comparison.
What is actually different
The lens and film are the same across all three: a 60 mm f/12.7 lens, two components in two elements, printing on Instax Mini film. Each runs on two AA batteries for about 100 shots. None has a self-timer, double exposure, bulb mode or a tripod socket. The differences are in how each camera decides on exposure and how close it can focus.
On the Mini 8 and Mini 9, exposure is partly your job: each has a manual brightness dial with an LED exposure indicator, and the shutter is fixed at 1/60 second. The flash fires on every shot, adjusts its output automatically, recycles in 0.2 to 6 seconds and reaches 0.6 to 2.7 m. Both focus from 0.6 m to infinity. Neither has a close-up mode.
The Mini 12 takes that job away. It sets exposure itself between Lv 5.0 and 14.5 at ISO 800 and runs a variable 1/2 to 1/250 second shutter with a slow synchro mode for low light. It focuses from 0.3 m, and its close-up mode covers 0.3 to 0.5 m with parallax correction, so selfies and close shots land where you framed them. The flash still fires on every frame. It works with the instax UP! app, which the older two do not.
Weight is a wash. The Mini 8 and Mini 9 both measure 116 x 118.3 x 68.2 mm and weigh 307 g. The Mini 12 measures 104 x 66 x 122 mm and weighs 306 g. The colours differ: White, Black, Pink, Blue, Yellow and Grape on the Mini 8; Lime Green, Ice Blue, Cobalt Blue, Flamingo Pink and Smokey White on the Mini 9; Pastel Blue, Blossom Pink, Mint Green, Lilac Purple and Clay White on the Mini 12.
Reviewers who used the older cameras liked them. Dan Finnen called the Mini 8 a perfectly competent, well-built camera that does exactly what it needs to do. Amateur Photographer compared the Mini 12 directly with the Mini 8 and found it easier to shoot with, with the fun at the heart of Instax and without missing the older camera’s extra modes. Dan Finnen also called the Mini 12 the best Instax camera for jumping into instant film, despite a battery door that fits terribly. We do not have a named hands-on review of the Mini 9 in our records.
Price and film cost
The Mini 12 was $82.94 at Amazon on October 5, 2026, against a list price of $79.95. Amazon buyers rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 1,554 ratings.
The Mini 8 and Mini 9 have no current price. Fujifilm discontinued the Mini 8 in 2017 and the Mini 9 in 2020. Both had a list price of $69.95. What a seller asks today depends on condition and on what stock is left, not on Fujifilm. A used Mini 8 or 9 that costs close to the Mini 12’s $82.94 is a poor deal.
Film costs the same on all three. Instax Mini film prints 86 x 54 mm with a 62 x 46 mm image. A twin pack of 20 shots was $18.17 at Amazon on October 5, 2026, about $0.91 a shot. Five twin packs, 100 shots, cost $90.85, more than any of these cameras, so film is the bill that keeps coming whichever one you shoot.
Which one to buy
Buy the Mini 12 if you are buying a camera. It is the only one of the three you can buy new, it sets its own exposure, and its built-in close-up mode handles selfies and close shots that the older two need a clip-on lens for.
Use a Mini 8 or Mini 9 if you already own one or can get one for very little. It takes the same film through the same lens, and the brightness dial gives you a small amount of control the Mini 12 does not. You give up close focus, a variable shutter and a camera that is still made.
The Mini 12 has its own successor now. The Mini 13 launched in 2026 and was $79.95 on October 5, 2026, $2.99 less than the Mini 12. It keeps the same lens, film and always-on flash and adds a 2 second and 10 second self-timer. See our Mini 12 vs Mini 13 comparison before you buy.
Where to buy
- Instax Mini 8DiscontinuedList $69.95
Instax Mini 9DiscontinuedList $69.95
Instax Mini 12$82.94 (list $79.95)Check price on Amazon
Specs side by side
Same on all three: Analog instant camera · Instax Mini film · 86 x 54 mm print · 62 x 46 mm image · $0.91 a shot · Lens: 60 mm f/12.7, 2 components 2 elements · 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 8 | Instax Mini 9 | Instax Mini 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Discontinued (2017) | Discontinued (2020) | Current |
| Launched | 2012 | 2017 | 2023 |
| Focus | fixed; 0.6 m to infinity | fixed; 0.6 m to infinity | fixed; 0.3 m to infinity; close-up (selfie) mode 0.3 to 0.5 m with parallax correction |
| Exposure | manual switching system with LED indicator in exposure meter | manual brightness dial with LED exposure indicator | automatic, Lv 5.0 to 14.5 (ISO 800) |
| Shutter | fixed 1/60 s, single-speed mechanical | fixed 1/60 s | 1/2 to 1/250 s, slow synchro for low light |
| Flash | constant firing flash, automatic light adjustment, recycle 0.2-6 s, range 0.6-2.7 m | constant firing flash, automatic light adjustment, recycle 0.2-6 s, range 0.6-2.7 m | auto, always fires |
| Selfie mirror | No | Yes | Yes |
| Close-up mode | No | No | Yes |
| Manual modes | brightness dial | brightness dial | n/a |
| App | n/a | n/a | instax UP! |
| Dimensions | 116 x 118.3 x 68.2 mm | 116 x 118.3 x 68.2 mm | 104 x 66 x 122 mm |
| Weight | 307 g | 307 g | 306 g |
| Colours | 6 (White, Black, Pink, plus 3 more) | 5 (Lime Green, Ice Blue, Cobalt Blue, plus 2 more) | 5 (Pastel Blue, Blossom Pink, Mint Green, plus 2 more) |
| Street price | n/a | n/a | $82.94 (checked October 5, 2026) |
| Amazon rating | n/a | n/a | 4.6 (1,554 ratings) |
| Buy | n/a | n/a | Check price on Amazon |
Specs from manufacturer pages; prices and ratings checked October 5, 2026.
What reviewers and buyers say
Instax Mini 8
Published reviews of the Instax Mini 8:
- “The Fuji Instax Mini 8 is a perfectly competent, well-built camera that does exactly what it needs to do.” (Dan Finnen, 2017-04)
Instax Mini 9
Published reviews of the Instax Mini 9:
- “The Mini 9 was a colorful, low-cost point-and-shoot with a manual brightness dial, succeeded by the Mini 11 in 2020.” (Wikipedia)
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 1,554 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 9 and Mini 12?
Exposure, shutter and close focus. The Mini 9, sold from 2017 to 2020, has a manual brightness dial with an LED indicator, a fixed 1/60 second shutter and focuses from 0.6 m. The Mini 12, launched in 2023, sets exposure automatically from Lv 5.0 to 14.5, runs a 1/2 to 1/250 second shutter with slow synchro, and has a close-up mode from 0.3 to 0.5 m with parallax correction. Both use the same 60 mm f/12.7 lens and Instax Mini film.
What is the difference between the Instax Mini 8 and Mini 12?
The same as between the Mini 9 and Mini 12. The Mini 8, sold from 2012 to 2017, uses a manual exposure switch with an LED indicator, a fixed 1/60 second mechanical shutter and focuses from 0.6 m. The Mini 12 sets its own exposure, has a variable 1/2 to 1/250 second shutter and focuses from 0.3 m. Amateur Photographer found the Mini 12 easier to shoot with than the Mini 8.
Is the Instax Mini 9 still worth buying in 2026?
Only if it is cheap or free. Fujifilm discontinued the Mini 9 in 2020, so there is no new price, only used and leftover stock. Its list price was $69.95. The Mini 12 was $82.94 new on October 5, 2026, and it takes the same film.
Do the Mini 8, Mini 9 and Mini 12 use the same film?
Yes. All three take Instax Mini film, which prints 86 x 54 mm with a 62 x 46 mm image. A twin pack of 20 shots was $18.17 at Amazon on October 5, 2026, about $0.91 a shot.