With film photography and the use of analogue cameras back on the rise, it’s no surprise that Fujifilm are one of the front runners in photographic equipment. With 90 years of experience under their belt, their wealth of knowledge of not just photography but customer habits makes them stand out from the rest – even more so when you delve into their Instax range!

Instax is a range of instant cameras and film by Fujifilm. The Instax range was launched on 10^th November 1998, with the release of the Instax Mini 10 and Instax Mini film. In the 25 years since the initial launch, the company has released around 40 different cameras/printers, along with a variety of films, including monochrome.

Amongst this plethora of cameras is the traditional mini style, as well as square and wide format cameras. Bluetooth printers are now an Instax staple, allowing users to print directly from their smartphone.

With the declining popularity for Polaroid in the 1990s, the launch of the Instax Mini 10 paved the way for a new generation of instant cameras.

Following Polaroid successfully suing Kodak for patent violations in the 70s (with rulings still taking place into the 90s), Fujifilm had to be extra careful with what they were manufacturing. Ultimately, they struck up a deal with Polaroid and agreed to not sell their products in North America. Despite legally being able to do so earlier, it wasn’t until Polaroid announced its discontinuation of film that Fujifilm began selling Instax in North America.

In 2004, around 100,000 Instax cameras were sold. Despite the falling competition from Polaroid and Kodak, Fujifilm were not seeing the success they had hoped for – instant cameras just weren’t popular. It wasn’t until a few years later that sales skyrocketed – a decade after the initial launch.

In 2019, Instax sold 10 million cameras. An impressive jump from 15 years previous. Now 5 years later, Instax continues to offer high quality photographic equipment and innovation. From its original launch of the instant camera in 1998, to now having a range including instant, digital and hybrid cameras, as well as printers. It’s safe to say, Instax is going nowhere any time soon!

1998: The Instax Mini 10 is released, Fujifilm’s first instant Instax camera

1999: One year later, Instax releases the Wide 100, a wide format camera with a larger landscape print.

2014: The first printer is released, the Share SP-1, allowing users to print photos directly from their smartphone.

2017: The Instax Square SQ10 is released, the first square format camera (also hybrid!).

2019: Instax releases the Mini LiPlay, the first hybrid instant and digital camera in the mini range.

2023: The Instax Pal is released, a pocket-sized camera that links to your printer.

Now, in 2024, Dupli are proud to be official suppliers to PHOTO by Fujifilm, offering a diverse range of Instax products.