I used to take a dedicated camera while traveling, but that hasn’t been the case in the last five years. Phone cameras have gotten so good that I just don’t see the need to bring a mirrorless camera along, and that point was proven during a recent vacation to Thailand. I took the Find X9 Ultra along, and my wife got her Vivo X300 Ultra, and between these two devices, we managed to take plenty of great photos. There’s also the added versatility of external lenses, and the 200mm lens on the X300 Ultra in particular is a delight to use.
All of this is to say is that I don’t quite see the value in lugging another camera along. However, the same isn’t true of instant cameras; I have a few older Instax cameras in the house, and they’re fun to use, and are a novel way to take photos when guests show up.
That’s what makes the the Instax Mini 13 all the more interesting; the overall design of the camera hasn’t changed, but it is available in fresh colors, and it has a few new features that make it a pretty solid choice if you want an instant camera in 2026. The Instax Mini 13 costs just $95 in the U.S., and it is available in India at ₹8,499 ($88), and the pricing makes this a great starter camera if you haven’t used one previously.
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The major new addition on the Instax Mini 13 is a timer; there’s a two-second and 10-second timer, and while I don’t really see the point of the two-second timer, the latter is plenty useful. We used the timer to good effect to get everyone in the frame when relatives came over recently, and the vertical orientation works to its advantage.
I also like that there’s a selfie mirror that makes it effortless to frame subjects; if you’re in the mirror, you show up in the photo, and that makes taking group selfies hassle-free. Another positive is that you don’t need to fiddle with any settings; like most instant cameras, the Instax Mini 13 has automatic exposure and flash control, so you get well-lit photos even in low-light situations.
While I tend to shoot using the viewfinder most of the time, the Instax Mini 13 is designed to be a selfie camera, and it’s easy enough to use it as one. The image quality itself is decent, and the resultant prints look good.
The whole point of an instant camera is its ability to print out photos in real-time, and the Instax Mini 13 does a great job in this area. Fujifilm built out its instant camera offerings over the last decade, and you now have a decent choice of options available — whether you want to shoot wide-angle or need additional controls — and it’s good to see that this category is doing well. Alongside cameras, Fuji has a good selection of film styles, and that adds to the overall charm of the Instax Mini 13.
The Instax Mini 13 has a vibrant design, is easy to use, and doesn’t cost much. If you need an instant camera in 2026, this is a great choice.
