Fujifilm’s new Instax Mini Link 2 smartphone printer has a cool AR drawing feature

Those of you into photography even just as a casual hobby would certainly have heard of Fujifilm and their Instax line of instant film cameras. However, unlike the Instax mini 11 that we checked out recently, their new Instax Mini Link 2 isn’t an instant film camera. In fact, it’s not even a camera at all. Instead, it’s a printer that lets you link your smartphone to it to print photos onto the classic Instax mini film photographs.

Looking at it at a glance, it probably won’t look too different compared to the original Mini Link. You’re getting a 210g body that measures 36.4mm thick, and in it is a battery that you charge with a bundled microUSB cable. It links up to your smartphone via Fujifilm’s app and you can capture images with your smartphone and print out images onto an Instax mini instant film. The resulting photograph will have an 800 x 600 resolution, with a 318dpi and an RGB gradation of 256 colours. You can even make minor edits before printing it out, like tweaking the brightness or rotating the image.

However, arguably the coolest new feature with the Instax Mini Link 2 though is the InstaxAir function. InstaxAir lets you apply an AR effect when taking pictures, allowing you to add drawings or writings to the image. You simply need to hold down the feature button on the top of the Mini Link 2’s body and move the printer around while pointing the LED on the side of the device towards your smartphone.

As you move the Mini Link 2 around, it’ll draw out the corresponding shape or text that you trace out. You can then apply it into the app, with five different brush effects to choose from such as Bubbles and Petals. To help you out when using the Mini Link 2 to draw, the body will vibrate as you move it around in the air, which Fujifilm says will be able to give you a ‘realistic sensation that helps build a sense of excitement’.

Other cool features with the Mini Link 2 include the ability to it to control your smartphone’s camera. You’ll be able to move the body around to control different camera functionalities too, such as tilting it to one side to zoom in, and take a photo by pressing onto the power button. You can also reprint an image by holding the Mini Link 2 with the printer end facing downwards and pressing the power button.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 will be available from 28 July 2022 onwards, with a retail price of RM588. If you like the idea of a printer for Fujifilm Instax mini films, but want it to actually also be a camera, you can also take a look at the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo that launched late last year. It has printing functionalities and can be linked to your phone, but also is a digital camera.