Fujifilm's cheapest Instax Mini against its best known one. The Mini SE has a brightness dial and longer battery life, but the Mini 12 focuses closer, sets its own exposure and is far easier to buy.
Specs side by side
| Spec | Instax Mini SE | Instax Mini 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Analog instant camera | Analog instant camera |
| Status | Current | Current |
| Launched | 2024 | 2023 |
| Film or media | Instax Mini | Instax Mini |
| Print size | 86 x 54 mm | 86 x 54 mm |
| Image size | 62 x 46 mm | 62 x 46 mm |
| Film cost per shot | $0.88 | $0.88 |
| Lens | 60 mm f/12.7, 2 components 2 elements | 60 mm f/12.7, 2 components 2 elements |
| Focus | fixed; 0.6 m and beyond | fixed; 0.3 m to infinity; close-up (selfie) mode 0.3 to 0.5 m with parallax correction |
| Exposure | manual brightness dial (no auto-exposure) | automatic, Lv 5.0 to 14.5 (ISO 800) |
| Shutter | 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 0.6-22 m | auto, always fires |
| Selfie mirror | No | Yes |
| Close-up mode | No | Yes |
| Self timer | No | No |
| Double exposure | No | No |
| Bulb mode | No | No |
| Tripod socket | No | No |
| Manual modes | brightness dial | n/a |
| Power | 4 x AA alkaline | 2 x AA alkaline |
| Shots per battery / prints per charge | 200 | 100 |
| App | instax UP! | instax UP! |
| Dimensions | n/a | 104 x 66 x 122 mm |
| Weight | n/a | 306 g |
| Colours | 1 (five colors including Purple, Pink, Gray, Green, Blue) | 5 (Pastel Blue, Blossom Pink, Mint Green, plus 2 more) |
| Street price | $69.95 (checked September 9, 2026) | $82.99 (checked September 9, 2026) |
| Amazon rating | 4.3 (54 ratings) | 4.6 (1,500 ratings) |
Specs from manufacturer pages; prices and ratings checked September 9, 2026.
Fujifilm’s cheapest current Instax Mini is not the one most people end up with. The Mini SE arrived in 2024 as a US Walmart exclusive with almost no marketing. The Mini 12 arrived in 2023 and is the one shops actually stock. They take the same film and about $13 separates them, so what you are picking between is how each one exposes and focuses.
What is actually different
Both cameras use the same 60 mm f/12.7 lens, and both print the same 86 x 54 mm Instax Mini frame with a 62 x 46 mm image. The similarity stops at the shutter.
The Mini 12 works out its own exposure between Lv 5.0 and 14.5 and varies the shutter from 1/2 to 1/250 second, with slow synchro in low light. The Mini SE has no auto-exposure. Its shutter is fixed at 1/60 second and you set brightness yourself with a dial that wraps around the lens. That is more control than the Mini 12 offers and more room to get it wrong: reviewers shooting the two side by side found the Mini 12 got the exposure right more often.
The other difference is how close you can get. The Mini 12 is fixed focus from 0.3 m to infinity and adds a close-up mode from 0.3 to 0.5 m with parallax correction, plus a selfie mirror beside the lens. The Mini SE has neither, and its fixed focus starts at 0.6 m, so anything closer sits outside its range. PetaPixel, writing about the Mini 13, put it bluntly: “There is an even more basic option of Instax camera, which only provides fixed focus called the Mini SE, but I would say that extra limitation makes it even more frustrating.”
The Mini SE wins on power. It takes four AA cells and gets about 200 shots, against two cells and about 100 for the Mini 12. Reviewers also give the Mini SE the better grip of the two. Both come in five colours. Neither has a self timer, a tripod socket, double exposure or bulb mode.
Price and film cost
At the last price check, on September 9, 2026, the Mini SE was $69.95 and the Mini 12 was $82.99. The list prices are $69.95 and $79.95, so the Mini SE was selling at list and the Mini 12 above it.
Film costs the same either way. Both take Instax Mini at about $0.88 a shot, and a twin pack of 20 shots runs about $17.50. Buy two packs and you have already spent more than the gap between the cameras.
Can you actually buy the Mini SE
The Mini SE launched as a Walmart exclusive in the US, and its Amazon listings are dominated by Renewed units rather than new stock. Its ratings history is thin as a result: 4.3 out of 5 across 54 Amazon ratings, against 4.6 out of 5 across 1,500 for the Mini 12. It is still a current model with its own page on the instax US site, but you have to go looking for it, and you have to check whether the listing in front of you is new or refurbished.
Which one to buy
Buy the Mini 12. It focuses closer, has the selfie mirror and close-up mode the Mini SE lacks, and sets its own exposure so you do not have to. Digital Camera World’s verdict is that “the Instax Mini 12 is still the best bang-for-buck instant camera you can buy.”
Buy the Mini SE if the $13 matters, if you would rather turn a brightness dial than hand exposure to the camera, or if double the battery life is worth more to you than a selfie mirror. Digital Camera World rated it four stars and called it “a charming camera for $67, and while it has limitations like a fixed shutter speed, its brightness control makes it a genuine hidden alternative to the Mini 12.”
If you want to switch the flash off, neither of these is the camera. Both fire it on every frame.
What reviewers and buyers say
Instax Mini SE
Published reviews of the Instax Mini SE:
- “The Instax Mini SE is a charming camera for $67, and while it has limitations like a fixed shutter speed, its brightness control makes it a genuine hidden alternative to the Mini 12.” (Digital Camera World, 2024-12)
- “The Fujifilm Instax Mini SE delivers clear photos, and the quick printing further elevates the user experience.” (Zee Business (Raghwendra Shukla), 2024-10)
- “There is an even more basic option of Instax camera, which only provides fixed focus called the Mini SE, but I would say that extra limitation makes it even more frustrating.” (PetaPixel (in its Instax Mini 13 review), 2026-03)
Amazon buyers rate it 4.3 out of 5 across 54 ratings.
Praised for: cheapest new Instax Mini available, brightness dial gives more exposure control than the Mini 12. Criticised for: fixed 1/60s shutter can overexpose in bright light without adjusting the dial, listings on Amazon are mostly 'Renewed' units rather than new stock.
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 SE and the Mini 12?
Exposure, focus and batteries. Both use the same 60 mm f/12.7 lens and the same Instax Mini film. The Mini 12 sets its own exposure from Lv 5.0 to 14.5 with a 1/2 to 1/250 second shutter, focuses from 0.3 m to infinity, and has a selfie mirror and a close-up mode. The Mini SE has no auto-exposure at all: a fixed 1/60 second shutter and a manual brightness dial that wraps around the lens, fixed focus from 0.6 m, and no selfie mirror or close-up mode. The Mini SE runs on four AA batteries for about 200 shots, the Mini 12 on two for about 100.
Which is cheaper, the Instax Mini SE or the Mini 12?
The Mini SE. At the last price check, on September 9, 2026, it was $69.95 and the Mini 12 was $82.99. The list prices are $69.95 and $79.95.
Where can you buy the Instax Mini SE?
It launched in 2024 as a US Walmart exclusive with almost no marketing, and it now has its own page on the instax US site. Amazon listings for it are mostly Renewed units rather than new stock, so check which one you are buying. It has 54 Amazon ratings at 4.3 out of 5, against 1,500 ratings at 4.6 out of 5 for the Mini 12.
Does the Instax Mini SE have a selfie mirror?
No. The Mini SE has no selfie mirror and no close-up mode, and its fixed focus starts at 0.6 m. The Mini 12 has both, with a close-up mode covering 0.3 to 0.5 m with parallax correction.
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