The Instax Wide 400 is a decent cheap camera haunted by what could be.
While Fuji cranks out countless cameras for their Mini and Square instant film variants, they just can’t figure it out Instax Wide.
Many years ago, we were stuck with the dreadful Instax 210, which finally, finally got replaced with the slightly better Instax Wide 300. It’s not like there were other options, either. Fuji has always sold one (1) model of camera that uses Instax Wide film at a time. But as I noted in my review way back in 2015, nearly a decade ago, the Instax Wide 300 is nowhere near perfect. So, in the year of our lord 2024, Fuji has finally released the updated Instax Wide 400 to replace the Wide 300. What did they learn in that decade?
Nothing. The Instax Wide 400 is nearly the exact same camera as the 300, which had the same guts as the 210.
The Instax Wide 400 is an important camera because it’s the only one Fuji sells that shoots Instax Wide. And Instax Wide is the only Instax format with a large enough image area to compete with Polaroid for serious use. Instax Mini and Square are just too small to get good scans, so I reach for Instax Wide cameras whenever I need to shoot Fuji. And now that means, whether I like it or not, I’m grabbing the Instax Wide 400.
In many ways, the Instax Wide 400 is a step back, but there are some improvements here as well. Most importantly, the price, coming in at 150 USD as of 2024, is low enough that I can overlook many of its flaws in a vacuum.
This is a simple camera and a complicated review. Let’s get into it.
Comparing the 400 (top) with the 300 (bottom) you can see how much control has been removed – there is no flash on/off or exposure compensation to be found, much less a little screen.
Controls
Instant film enthusiasts generally come in two flavors – people who want a fun camera to take pictures of their friends with, and photographers using it as a tool. Instax Wide should be geared towards the latter, as the cameras that shoot larger pictures are generally bulky and not nearly as fun for taking to parties. However, everything about the Instax Wide 400 seems to be geared towards people who want a casual fun camera for some reason. And that starts with an almost complete lack of controls.
You can turn the camera on, select focus, and use the timer function. That’s it. There’s not even exposure compensation on this guy, a big step back from the Instax Wide 300. The 400 is designed to be the most basic of point-and-shoots, and the expanded selfie timer functionality points towards an intended audience of people taking pictures of themselves and friends. Though, like I said, this camera is far too ugly and huge to really appeal to that group.
Speaking of that selfie timer, it’s really one of the only big new additions. It’s got a nifty little LED display and a flick-to-trigger design. Along with the selfie ‘foot’ allowing you to prop up the camera on the table, it seems like that’s one of the big intended use cases for this camera. Except – how are you supposed to focus a selfie properly with this thing? Measure it ahead of time I guess? And why isn’t there a mirror on the barrel like on the Instax Mini 11 and 12?
Select focus by turning the lens barrel to the appropriate focus distance. Which one do you need? Fuji says figure it out!
You switch on the Instax Wide 400 by turning the lens barrel to a focus point like with the Instax Mini 12 and Instax SQ1. However, unlike those cameras, there are more focus points to turn that lens to. The Instax Wide 400 is manual focus, but you have to guess what the distance of your subject is (or measure it if you have enough time) because the camera has zero sensors to help you. With some experience and skill you’ll be able to hit focus most of the time, but good grief is there no way to even give us an indicator of some kind? Fuji’s entire line of Instax cameras are essentially manual focus, but this is much more of an issue with a larger format than it is with the teeny-tiny frames of the Instax Mini line. Also, sorry imperials, the focus marks are in meters only.
The 400 feels very similar to the SQ1 in every way. Except huge and awkward.
Ergonomics and Build Quality
This is a bulky, weird camera. It’s slightly less weird than the truly odd 210 and 300 designs, but that’s not saying much. The lens barrel sticks out considerably, and the whole contraption is awkward to hold and transport. I’ve never brought this out at an event without somebody going ‘whoa look at that thing!’ This may be a pro or a con depending on your desire for attention.
The plastics in line with the Instax Mini 12 and SQ1, meaning they’re cheap but serviceable. The lens barrel has a rubbery plastic that I worry about long-term durability. The whole thing feels like a toy, but at this price I’m fine with that. At least it’s a fun mint color. Strangely, it only comes in the fun mint color.
The viewfinder has been moved to the left of the lens barrel (if you’re facing the camera head-on) rather than awkwardly protruding out from the right side like in the 300 and 210. It feels uncomfortable to use either way, but I like the new placement marginally better. The viewfinder also has some half-hearted attempts to correct for the viewfinder perspective, giving you a frame-within-the-frame for closeup shots. How close? You’ll have to guess! Good luck!!
The metal latch is fun, but makes zero sense.
There’s a big, inviting metal latch over the film compartment itself, which is a bizarre design quirk. Like, metal is expensive. Why not make the plastic camera strap holders metal instead? Those things seem like a dropped camera disaster waiting to happen. But no, it is the film compartment gets a huge latch that screams OPEN ME, but you’re not supposed to open the latch except when swapping cartridges! This is going to tempt casual and first-time users to open this camera when they shouldn’t, potentially blowing the film inside. It’s perplexing.
Image Quality
If you can get your subject in frame and in focus, it’ll look great. Exposure, especially outdoors, is very good. Indoors, the camera sometimes struggles, especially if your subject is too far from the flash. But overall, I found the shooting experience in line with my other current-gen Fuji Instax cameras, which is great.
The lens is sharp enough that you can get generally good results with a deep depth of field. This lens definitely has wide-angle characteristics, so don’t expect to get a shallow depth of field or telephoto style shots.
Instax Wide film is fantastic, which is the main reason why I’m so hard on the 400 camera. The film itself is actually closer in formula and color characteristics to vintage Polaroid than the Impossible Project-derived Polaroid of today.
Right Instax Wide, Left Polaroid. This is a good illustration of many of the current differences between formats. First, the ‘widescreen’ shape of Instax Wide will feel like a much wider field of view than what a square Polaroid will feel like at the same distance, which can be a pro or con depending on what you want to do. Also, this illustrates Instax’s much more neutral color profile and contrast, which actually looks more flattering in this challenging lighting situation, but your taste and results will vary. Flash was used on both of these images.
If you look at this comparison, I actually like the results I got from the Instax 400 better than what I shot on Polaroid in the exact same conditions. Polaroid has recently overcompensated for what used to be a red cast in their chemistry, and now their film tends to be bluer than even the somewhat traditionally blue color Instax profile.
Don’t leave the house without putting fresh (or freshly charged) batteries in your camera. The blinking LED means the camera doesn’t have enough juice to shoot.
Power
There’s a terribly flimsy battery door in the grip that houses four AA batteries. I’ve found that the power demanded from these batteries must be relatively high, as my rechargeable AA batteries will cause the camera to flash the LED and complain of too-low of a battery level to shoot within just a few days.
However, beware of alkalines. You (very likely) won’t be shooting your Instax 400 constantly, and it just takes a few short months for alkaline batteries to explode in the compartment. Remember, it’s not a matter of if alkaline AAs will pop, just when. Always store your camera with no batteries inside. Take it from me – my Instax 300 was killed by chemicals leeching out of the AAs I left inside by accident.
Instax Wide deserves better than these guys.
Conclusions
Most of my frustrations with the Instax 400 have nothing to do with the camera itself. In a vacuum, it’s a perfectly serviceable cheap instant film camera. Awesome. Can’t always take that for granted (*coughPolaroidNowgen1cough*).
However, the fact that this is Fuji’s only Instax Wide camera, coming in at nearly a decade after the last one, makes me incredibly frustrated. Fuji needs to make a photographer-focused camera for their best instant film format. The 400 is even simpler than the already-pretty-dumb 300. I would love to use Fuji Instax Wide more, but I need a halfway decent camera to do so. I can only dream that Fuji will release the equivalent of a Fuji Instax Mini 99 for the Wide (I don’t dare hope for the Instax Wide equivalent of the fabled SLR 680).
Yeah, I know some other companies make cameras for Instax Wide (I’m still traumatized by my experience with the Lomo Wide) and there are mods and film backs and all kinds cool stuff people are getting up to. But Fuji’s cameras are the default for Fuji’s film. And Instax Wide deserves better than the 400.
But that doesn’t change reality. If you want to shoot Instax Wide, the Instax Wide 400 is a camera you can do that with. I think it ever-so-slightly edges out the 300, but pick up whichever camera you can get cheaper.
In the meantime, I’ll just be here, dreaming of the day Fuji releases the a great camera for Instax Wide…
If you want to pick up a Fuji Instax Wide 400 of your own, you can find it on Amazon along with film. Using these affiliate links costs you nothing and helps me keep this site on without annoying ads. Thank you!
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