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instantphoto.eu              Fuji Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic
  
 

The Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is one of the most advanced cameras of the Mini series. It's features:

Film Fujifilm Instant Color Film "Instax Mini"
Picture size 62 x 46mm
Lens Move in/out type lens, 2 components, 2 elements, f=60mm, 1:12.7
Viewfinder Real image finder, 0.37x , with target spot and parallax adjustment for makro mode
Focusing Motor-driven 3-range switching: 0.3 - ∞ (macro mode 0.3 - 0.6m, normal mode 0.6m - ∞, landscape mode 3m - ∞)
Shutter Release

 Programmed electronic shutter release, 1.8 - 1/400 sec. shutter speed  (macro mode: aperture automatically fixed at F22, bulb mode: maximum 10-second shutter open time)
Exposure control Automatic, Interlocking range (ISO 800): LV5.0 - LV15.5, Compensation (Lighten-Darken Control): ± 2/3 EV, +1 EV
Film Feeding Out Automatic
Flash
 Automatic electronic flash (with brightness adjustment function), forced firing mode (with brightness adjustment function), flash off mode, red eye reduction mode
LCD Exposure counter (number of unexposed films), Macro mode, Brightness control, Self timer, Flash ON/OFF, Mode button(Party/Kids/Landscape/Double exposure/Bulb)
Power Supply NP-45A lithium-ion battery.charge capacity: 10 film packs (based on our test conditions)
Others Tripod socket
Dimensions & Weight 113.4 x 91.9 x 57.2 mm(W x H x D)/294g (without batteries, strap and film pack)



Mine is a bit scruffy at the back, it has been carried around a lot. The faux leather colour is only sprayed onto the black plastic, it wears off and the black ground material shows. The 90 is quite near to the 50 models, it has some more features and a more "classic" look.

Some photos:

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Fuji Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. Main power switch and portrait mode shutter button at the front, next to the viewer and flash.

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Front

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Back with control panel. One LCD shows the number of photos left, the other the battery charge and the shooting mode, landscape setting on the photo. The camera always starts as default with automatic flash and "normal" mode (0.6 - 3m) distance setting. All other modes have to be set manually.

Below the screens are several distinct setting buttons:

Macro mode, sets shooting range to 0.3 - 0.6m, adjusts the finder and sets aperture to F22, so be prepared for longer expoure times or use flash.
Lighten/Darken, there is a 3rd L+ setting
Self timer, sets a 10s delay, there is a 2x setting, which takes a first photo after 7s and a second one 3s later.
Flash modes, forced flash, red eye reduction and flash off.
Mode setting: there are several:
Party mode, sets longer exposure times or more flash to light the background as well.
Kids mode, sets shorter exposure times to get moving subjects in focus.
Landscape mode, sets distance from 3m to infinity and aperture to F16.
Double exposure, lets you get 2 different pictures as an overlay on one frame.
Bulb mode, allows exposure times as long as 10s and sets flash off. This definitely needs a tripod.

If the camera is in normal mode, one press on the mode setting button lets all settings blink. Push a second time or more often to move through the settings, until you reach the desired one. If you wait about 2s, the blinking setting is set and stops blinking. To cycle to a new settings you have to press again, it blinks, and while it blinks you can move on. Or, still while it blinks, you can turn the dented ring around the lens, to cycle. It's a 2-way ring, so you can cycle forward and backwards. There is an error in some of the manuals published by Fujifilm. They say that you can use the ring to change mode while looking through the viewfinder (which would be great!). Some big sellers have taken this information to their websites. It's not correct. If you don't press the mode button first (which would be difficult with your eye in front of the finder), the ring does not work. And there is no information about the setting in the finder. So how would you know where you are? BTW: the blinking only lasts less than 2s. So be quick.

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Left Side. Shuter button for landscape mode.

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Bottom with tripod Mount.

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Top with ejection slot.

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Closed.

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Battery compartment. Takes a Li-45 rechargeable battery, quite common and cheap.

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With a very useful simili-leather bag

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Bag closed.

For the moment this is one of the best cameras for Fuji Instax Mini Film. It's technically the same camera as the Leica Sofort. With a wide range of settings it can be adapted to most situations to give nice results. But even in automatic mode it mostly gets it right. A very nice find.

Some photos taken with this camera. Scan 400 DPI with no post-treatment. The settings - if any -  are noted on the rim of the photo.

To be fair: the pictures shown here are more than life size. If you hold them in your hand and look at them, they seem sharper. So one about life size first:

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_2a.jpg
About life size.

And now the 400 DPI scans:

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_2.jpg
View from my atelier over the roofs of Cologne. Early morning with clouds.

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_3.jpg
Same early morning view towards Cologne Cathedal.

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_4.jpg
My Cologne veranda.

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_5.jpg
My Cologne house. Sunny.

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_6.jpg
Cologne city main threspassing road. Sunny and very bright.

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_7.jpg
Cologne, parc next to St. Pantaleon. Sunny and very bright.

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_8.jpg
Sign at 50cm, macro mode. The camera has parallax correction.

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_9.jpg
Cologne, St. Pantaleon (under renovation). Sunny and very bright.

https://www.subcompactcam.com/scans/instant/220705neo/06.07.22_NEO_10.jpg
Cologne, new tax offices (1950s), a dark cloud passing the moment of the photo.

This camera gets it right in nearly every situation, so I'm pleased with it.

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