The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ1 Camera Review | A Party Favorite

Caleb Babcock @cameracaleb

October 18, 2024

Boasting a beautiful blood orange color swatch to add to its evermore playful nature and immediate gratification, the SQ1 is a fan favorite.

9MomentScore

The world’s most intuitive instant film camera for modern digital users. Comes in a beautiful blood orange color swatch to add to its evermore playful nature and immediate gratification. Make more memories in a bigger square. Like Instagram, but real life.

To Know:

Fujifilm’s Instax brand might be the most popular instant film camera of choice, right next to the famous Polaroid. It's become THE camera to use for parties, wedding receptions, and small gatherings as an immediate, personable gift to give your beloved company. On the SQ1, Fujifilm has removed multiple manual controls found on the previous model, the SQ6, and created a point-and-shoot instant camera that's incredibly simple to use. Although the controls are more limited, the improved auto-exposure system in the new Instax Square SQ1 delivers better-looking instant photos than the previous model.

What We Love:

It's Just Really Fun

With high quality grain and a durable protective square shell, we love taking this thing out on adventures for an old-fashioned whirlwind.

The Simplicity

This camera is the perfect testament to new film users; simple shoot and share with the touch of a button.

Better Exposure

Optimized for better exposure, the SQ1 is now made for darker scenarios with improved flash capabilities.

The Details:

Brand: Fujifilm
Product Type: Instant Camera

Best For: People who want a fun, simple way to share instant photos at parties, gatherings, etc.

Like Instagram, but real life.

The Instax SQ1 is the second Instax analog camera that utilizes square film, after the SQ6. For comparison, the two bodies of the SQ1 and SQ6 share a relatively identical boxy outer shell, though the SQ1 is slightly thicker for better handheld operation. I personally dig the fun colors, too, when compared to the metallic options of the SQ6. This blood-orange color is delightful and really seals Instax’s playful branding. Fujifilm decided to remove the on/off switch and powered retractable lens mechanism of the SQ6 for a manual process on its new camera, mirroring the traditions of an old film camera. To power on, simply rotate the outer part of the lens. I dig this feature, as it mirrors some of my analog cameras back at home, which truly add charm to the camera’s overall user experience.

What’s truly incredible about this camera is how easy it is to use, and I can’t say that enough. The SQ6 was already pretty simple to use, but Fujifilm made the Fujifilm Instax SQ1 totally fool-proof. With an all-automatic system, there’s no way you’re screwing up a photo under any setting. Instead of selecting a particular mode — selfie, macro, or landscape — the SQ1 now streamlines this process by having you rotate the lens once for normal shooting and turn it again for selfies or macro photography. And much like the SQ6, this bad boy exposure shots automatically, always. The flash will always be enabled, as it's designed to read each setting for easy use.

To frame shots, there’s a small viewfinder to like any ‘ole camera. For selfies, there’s a small mirror on the front to check out your position(s). The film cartridge is easy to load, and there's a counter that shows you how much film is left.

Overall, it’s a nostalgic product made for fun, playful outings that doubles as a gift to friends and family. It holds precious memories for years to come and preserves a way to share with good company should you choose immediately.

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In Detail

Although Fujifilm’s Instant film technology hasn't taken a drastic change, the company did aim to tweak its auto-exposure technicalities to a new and improved picture-taking experience while using the same Instax film. You can see subtle differences in images taken with an older SQ6 and the SQ1 — colors are deeper, richer, and more vibrant while still maintaining a sense of quality and detail. The photos are no longer over-exposed, which is a huge plus. I always remembered looking at people’s Instax uploaded to Instagram wondering why every frame was blown out. The Instax Square SQ1 also shoots surprisingly decent photos in low light, making it the perfect go-to camera for nights out with friends or family.