Digital Reporter
Lucia Edna P. de Guzman
There’s something paradoxical about being a millennial. The more things get high tech, the more we gravitate towards traditional crafts. Perhaps it’s a coping mechanism for how fast technology changed as we grew up. Here we are, the first generation to grow up on blogging and social media, going back to good old pen and paper journaling and keeping actual physical mementos. Despite this, social media plays an important role on how we think and interact. We like taking selfies. We like putting filters on our square‑shaped photographs. We like putting witty one-liner comments to accompany these photos. Hashtags. Stickers. Photos that we can share on social media. Print outs that we can give to our friends.
Fujifilm tries to bridge the gap between these paradoxes with the latest of their Instax line: portable cameras that print your photos instantly.
SQ Mini‑9 comes in pastel colors, a square retro shape and a selfie mirror. No more awkward shots of you trying to fit your face in the frame by approximation based on where the lens is and sheer luck. That small selfie mirror next to the camera lens shows you what would be included in the final print. It also comes with an automatic brightness setting that ensures softer, brighter and cuter photos.
Meanwhile, Instax SQ‑10 currently comes in just one color: sleek black. But what it lacks in cuteness it makes up for in functionality and style. A hybrid digital and Instax camera, it comes with 10 filter options, vignette control, and brightness adjustment by 19 levels using an LCD menu at the back of the camera. Prints come out in a trendy square shape, making sure that your photos stand out from other camera prints.
Clearly these cameras were made with the millennial and centennial market in mind, that’s why Fujifilm chose teen actress Liza Soberano as their brand ambassador. Ms. Soberano swears by her Instax camera, being a fan of it even before she became their endorser. And what does the stunning beauty take with her camera? Selfies? Far from it.
“I’ve always liked taking photos of beautiful unforgettable moments, places and other people,” Ms. Soberano said during the product launch at the SM Mall of Asia on August 03. “I’m very interested in taking photos other than of myself and I actually want to venture into photography in the future.” She says that she enjoys taking keepsakes of memorable shoots, gigs and vacations, and that’s why the Fujifilm Instax line is her cameras of choice. One could just imagine the photos she must have taken, from the strawberry fields of Benguet to the fashionable streets of Paris.
The SQ Mini‑9 retails for ₱3,999 while the SQ-10 retails for ₱14,999.
