The new Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo is the sexiest, priciest instant camera of its kind, and I love it

Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo instant camera outdoors in the sun on a stone surface

(Image credit: Fujifilm)

The new Instax Wide Evo shoots onto wide-format film and features the widest lens of any Instax yet to fit more in your photos
It's a hybrid instant camera, meaning you can select which photos to print
It costs $349.95 in the US and £319.99 in the UK (Australia pricing TBC)

Fujifilm has unveiled its second hybrid instant camera, the new Instax Wide Evo, which will sit alongside the Instax Mini Evo. As its name suggests, the Wide Evo prints onto wide-format paper just like the Instax Wide 400, which is the largest Instax print size available, only this is the super-stylish model that I've been waiting for.

As a hybrid instant camera, you get a large 3.5-inch LCD display to compose your photos, with the option to shoot-first-print-later using Fujifilm's app, complete with an array of lens and film effects – a total of 100 combinations – plus a further selection of film styles.

A true first for the Wide Evo is the new ultra-wide angle 16mm f/2.4 lens, the widest of any Instax camera, which means that you can fit more in your shot – this will come especially in handy for those selfies and group shots, all of which can be stored onto a Micro SD card (sold separately).

I love the look of the Instax Wide Evo, but it is a pricey package – the priciest of all Instax cameras at $349.95 / £319.99. There's also the optional leather case, which costs $49.95 / £37.99 (Australia pricing TBC).

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Fujifilm Instax Wide Evo instant camera in the user's hand who is adjusting the lens — (Image credit: Fujifilm)

Do looks matter?

I review cameras of all kinds, shapes and sizes, and it is perhaps instant cameras where style matters to people the most – that for me is why the Instax Wide Evo looks like a winner in the race to be the best instant camera.

Not that it has much competition. The only other Instax camera that shoots on wide-format instant film is the Instax Wide 400 – a monstrous hunk of plastic that I struggle to see resting by someone's side as they take a city walk. It's too bulky and toy-like to be taken too seriously. Thankfully, we now have the Instax Wide Evo as an alternative.

The premium Fujifilm GFX100 II medium-format flagship comes to mind when I look at the Instax Wide Evo. Not a style to everyone's taste, but undeniably stylish. Even better, the Wide Evo is properly slimmed down from the Wide 400, fitting better in the hand, plus it's a hybrid type meaning you shoot first, print later – that's less wasted paper.

The hybrid concept of Evo instant cameras makes sense over dedicated models. And in the case of the Instax Wide Evo, so too does its ultra wide-angle 16mm f/2.4 lens that fits more into your photos, being ideal for group photos and selfies. You want your subjects close in instant photography to fill the frame, and a wide angle lens allows for that more easily.

For me, it's love at first sight, but we'll share more thoughts when our in-depth review, that's currently being carried out, is published soon.

Tim is the Cameras editor at TechRadar. He has enjoyed more than 15 years in the photo video industry with most of those in the world of tech journalism. During his time as Deputy Technical Editor with Amateur Photographer, as a freelancer and consequently editor at Tech Radar, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with cameras, educating others through news, reviews and features. He’s also worked in video production for Studio 44 with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi. Tim is curious, a keen creative, avid footballer and runner, and moderate flat white drinker who has lived in Kenya and believes we have much to enjoy and learn from each other.