The newest Instax Mini camera is small, colorful, and a whole lot of fun

Avery Hartmans/Business Insider

The best way to describe Fujifilm's Instax Mini 9 camera is with one word: Delightful. 

Tech features aside, the camera is just plain adorable. When I opened the box for the first time, I quite literally squealed with excitement (and I'm not a squealer). It's small, it's retro, and it comes in an array of fun colors — mine was a minty blue-green called ice blue. 

It's so eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing, I was actually stopped on the street by someone who found it just as exciting as I did. 

So what's it like to actually use the camera? Dead-simple and lots of fun. 

Here's what I mean. 

What sets the Instax Mini 9 apart from previous iterations of Fuijifilm's Instax line of cameras is three key features: A tiny mirror next to the lens for selfies, a lens attachment (not pictured) for macro close-ups, and high-key mode, which adds a bright, faded look to your photos.

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Like most other Instax cameras, the Mini 9 uses credit-card-sized film that prints instantly. The camera can hold 10 sheets at a time. 

The Mini 9 is super straightforward to use. A button next to the lens turns it on, while pressing the lens back into the body turns it off. A twist of the dial around the lens changes the brightness, and the shutter button on the right-hand side takes a picture. Wait a few seconds, and that photo pops out of the top of the camera. It runs on two AA batteries. 

The camera costs $69 at third-party retailers like Urban Outfitters and comes in lime green, smoky white, cobalt blue, flamingo pink, and ice blue. Refills of the film cost $30 for two 10-packs.

Here's my very first photo, taken of my colleague Kif Leswing. One thing to know about the Mini 9 is that is will flash every time it takes a photo, regardless of the lighting conditions (if you're trying to be subtle, this is not the camera for you). But it's helpful in low light: the Business Insider newsroom can be pretty dim on cloudy days, but Kif is lit perfectly.

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I've shot with film, pinhole cameras, DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, smartphone cameras — you name it. While I'm mainly taking photos with my phone these days, I got a kick out of using the Instax because I remembered how beautiful film photos are, even if they're tiny, instant ones.

Avery Hartmans/Business Insider

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