The cutest camera she's shot

Digital Camera World's Hillary K. Grigonis calls the Instax Pal 2 the cutest camera she has ever used. Shooting it is a joy, even though a phone takes clearer pictures.

“The Instax Pal 2 is the cutest camera that I've ever shot with.”

41 grams, palm sized

The Pal 2 weighs 41g, under 2 oz, and measures roughly 37 x 42 x 42mm. It disappears into a closed hand yet still carries real viewfinders and controls.

Nothing like the first Pal

The bubble-shaped original is gone. The Pal 2 reads as a cross between a retro compact and a keychain camera, sharing only the tiny size and the missing printer.

Priced under its siblings

It sells for $169.95 / CA$219.95, below the Instax LiPlay+ and Mini Evo. That still puts it well above keychain cams like the Kodak Charmera it will be compared to.

A real optical viewfinder

There is an actual optical finder on the back, rare at this size. It is not accurate though, showing less than the sensor captures at the edges of the frame.

A lever that feels like film

On the top right, a toggle recalls a film wind lever. It switches between Instax framing options or drops into burst mode for short photo animations.

“The top of the camera is oozing with retro goodness.”

Dial for film looks

On the opposite side sits a rotating dial that cycles film simulations, with a button on top for the menu. Physical controls on a camera this small are the whole point.

The screen is on top

A small LCD sits between the lever and dial, showing the film mode by default with live view available. Mounted up top, it turns the camera into a waist-level finder.

Two ways to shoot

Optical finder to the eye, or screen down at the waist. Having both shooting styles, each one retro in its own way, is the best thing about the design.

“the Pal 2 has not one but two shooting styles, and both feel very retro”

USB pops out the bottom

A toggle underneath ejects a built-in USB plug, so the camera goes straight into a phone or laptop like a thumb drive. It charges from a USB-C block too, no cord to pack.

Strap instead of keychain

The keychain loop from the original is gone, replaced by a slot for a wrist strap that comes in the box. The silver-and-black finish echoes the Mini Evo.

Storage beats battery

MicroSD is supported, and built-in memory holds about 100 shots. The battery gives out first: around 70 frames in, the red indicator appeared.

10MP from a tiny sensor

The sensor is a 1/3.06-inch type, but it resolves 10MP. That is a real edge over much cheaper micro cams like the 1.6MP Kodak Charmera.

Images that look painted

Zoom in and the files look more like oil paintings than photographs. Fine at 1080 pixels on Instagram, and enough for an Instax Wide 2 print, not for a wall hanging.

“Look too close, and the images feel more like oil paintings than photographs.”

Low light falls apart

The small sensor picks up grain and mushy detail far sooner than cameras with even a 1/2.3-inch chip. This is a daylight camera.

It loves to overexpose

Outdoors, scenes mixing sun and shadow blow out the highlights on their own. Exposure compensation is buried in the menu, and it saved plenty of shots.

Six film looks, twelve total

Built-in profiles cover standard Pure, black and white, lens flare, soft diffusion, muted tones and a cool cast. The app swaps in six more. No double exposure, unlike the Evo.

Frames and animations

The camera can add a digital border sized for frameless, Mini, Square and Wide Instax. The app does this later anyway, so that top lever would be better spent on exposure.

Shutter lag is the catch

There is a real delay between the press and the frame. Pets and kids become a challenge, and no amount of retro charm makes that less annoying.

Printing costs extra

Despite the Instax name, nothing prints without a separate printer. The Pal 2 does link straight to one without a phone, and real film beats any built-in preset.