Fujifilm Instax Mini 13 vs Instax Mini 12 — 3 key upgrades in the latest cheap Instax, including a self-timer

• The Instax Mini 13 arrives around three years after the Instax Mini 12
• It keeps the same low price of around $94 / £79 / AU$139, with shipping expected from June 25
• The key upgrade is a handy new self-timer mode

Fujifilm has quietly unveiled the Instax Mini 13 — the latest model in its long-running series of budget instant cameras. It looks like a modest refresh of the Instax Mini 12, which has occupied the top spot in my best instant camera guide for three years, thanks to its excellent value and easy handling.

The Instax Mini 13 comes three years after the Mini 12, and Fujifilm has stuck with a winning formula — and, thankfully, a winning price. The Instax Mini 13 will cost $94 / £79 / AU$139 when shipping starts, which is expected to be on June 25.

Like the previous version, the Mini 13 has a playful design and comes in a variety in pastel colorways, which for this model are Candy Pink, Frost Blue (see above), Clay White, Lagoon Green and Dreamy Purple.

The Minis are fully analog instant cameras, shooting onto Instax Mini paper and equipped with automatic exposure, a built-in flash, a close-up mode and a selfie mirror. So how exactly do the two cameras differ? And what new features does the Mini 13 bring to the table?

Calling the new Mini a minor upgrade is fair, and the improvements are mainly around making selfies even easier. Let's take a look at what's new.

Me, myself and I

You'll notice from the images of the Mini 13 and Mini 12 above that Fujifilm has tinkered with the camera's design. The Mini 13 has a puffer jacket-like exterior, versus the bubble-like exterior of the Mini 12. Both have a smooth finish, and if the Mini 13 is anything like its predecessor, I suspect I'll find that the finish could do with being a little grippier. The new version is a fraction heavier and bigger, but those differences are negligible.

The key new feature is a self-timer mode, which makes taking selfies much easier, especially if you want to go hands-free for larger group shots. There's a 2-second or 10-second timer option, selected by twisting the lever that surrounds the shutter button.

The shutter button now has an LED trim too, which illuminates to indicate when the timer is active, and which looks like a really neat feature for such a low-cost camera.

There's still no tripod thread, meaning no easy way to support the camera for hands-free selfies. However, Fujifilm supplies the Mini 13 with a matching strap, which features an Instax-branded wedge on the end, which can be used to prop the camera up on surfaces and for micro adjustments to the angle of the camera (see below).

We again get a mirror next to the lens as an aid for composing selfies, plus a 0.3m close-up mode which will get you the best results for handheld selfies. Fujifilm says parallax correction for this mode makes composing close-up shots through the viewfinder easier.

That's just about all you need to know. In summary, the Mini 13 adds a useful timer mode with LED guide, but is otherwise very much the excellent budget instant camera the Mini 12 was and still is.

I would have preferred to see a switch to USB charging, but alas the Mini 13, like the Mini 12, requires 2x AA batteries. Perhaps the best news is that the price is unchanged, and potentially even lower than the Instax Mini 12, depending on where you live in. As such, I expect the Mini 13 to quickly become one of the best-selling instant cameras.

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