Growing up in the 80’s (yeah I just revealed my age, sue me, I’m old) instant gratification was virtually nonexistent. Cartoons only came on Saturdays, to buy music you had to go to an actual store and give people money, and if you wanted a picture you had to ship your analog film off to a lab and pray that everything came back alright. The only exception to this experience were Polaroid cameras which allowed you to shoot directly onto special contact film that developed magically right before your eyes while you gave yourself carpal tunnel syndrome in your wrist waving it around to hasten the process.
Surprisingly, Polaroid is still alive and kicking with revamped cameras for the digital age but what if you want that same instant gratification experience with a little more bang for your buck?
Enter the Fujifilm Instaxshare SP-2 Printer. No, it can’t take photos (and no you don’t shake it to get results) but this specialized printer does what it does pretty well.
Paired with a smartphone, you can set up your own photo development studio anywhere. The device prints onto Fujifilm’s Instax instant film. There’s no ink. The printer does its magic using OLEDs to expose the image.
It’s faster than its predecessor and sharper as well. Each photo takes about 10 seconds to print and a few minutes to develop at 70 cents a pop. The cost actually goes down if you buy the film in bulk. The jury is out as to whether shaking it will hasten the process however.
The Instaxshare SP-2 uses a rechargeable battery via a USB port and printing to the device requires Wi-Fi and a special app developed by Fuji. You can print directly from your phone or you can print photos from social media sites like Facebook and Instagram complete with likes and time stamps.
The price point of $200 may be off putting to some with cheaper options on the market but overall the speed and the quality of this second-generation device seem to make up for it.
