Fujifilm instax Square SQ40

The Instax Square SQ40 is a wonderfully simple instant camera that swaps out the SQ1’s vibrant finish for a more classic faux leather style.

The SQ40 is an analogue instant camera that uses Fujifilm's instax Square film. It’s based on the SQ1’s innards, but swaps the pastel colours for a more serious vintage-styled look with a grippy rubber finish. Like the SQ1 though, it remains a pure point-and-shoot with no control beyond two focusing ranges, and under very bright or dim conditions, you’ll often suffer from over or underexposed prints. If you desire an instax Square camera with more control, try tracking-down the discontinued instax SQ6, or maybe even splurging on a third party SLR with interchangeable lenses like those from NONS. If you’re more price-conscious, the cheapest analogue instax cameras remain the Minis and my choice in that series is the recent Mini 12. But once you start buying cartridges, the running costs won’t be hugely different from the Squares, so choose the shape you prefer. Meanwhile those who never want a wasted print and like the idea of making instax photos from their larger cameras should get an instax Link printer, available in any of the three print formats. Ultimately I love the instax square format, so enjoyed my results from the SQ40, and unless you adore the pastel-colours of the SQ1, I’d personally spend the small extra for the grippier feel and classier-looking finish. That said, if you find a great deal on the SQ1, it’s well worth considering as it’s essentially the same camera, just with a different finish.