Fujifilm teases launch of new Instax camera with rear LCD display

Image credit: David Gallie / Shuterstock (Image credit: David Gallie; Shutterstock)

Fujifilm’s mantra of “never stop” is being reflected by a tweet the Japanese manufacturer's Instax team posted just days after the launch of the GFX 100. The tweet teases the announcement of a brand-new instant camera on June 12.

No details of the camera have been officially released bar one – the upcoming Instax will feature an LCD screen, making it “perfect for the new age”, according to Fujifilm.

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The company claims that this instant camera will usher in a “new era” of Instax snappers that boast “very special features”. Exactly what those features are is as yet unknown, but rumors of an Instax Mini LiPlay have been unearthed.

Let’s LiPlay

In April, Nokishita leaked the manual of a camera called the Instax Mini LiPlay. It showed off a hybrid instant camera with printing capabilities and an integrated rear LCD display.

According to the manual, photos taken on the Mini LiPlay get saved to the camera’s internal memory or on a microSD card. These can then be selected for printing on the LiPlay on Instax Mini instant film.

This wouldn’t be the first time an Instax camera boasts live view – the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 and the Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic have a small built-in screens.

Image: Fujifilm [via Nokishita]

Image: Fujifilm [via Nokishita] (Image credit: Fujifilm (via Nokishita))

To stand apart from the crowd, the LiPlay’s manual reveals that it has the ability to record audio via a dedicated Sound button located on the front of the camera. The audio clip is converted into a QR code which is printed onto the photo. The audio can then be played when the code is scanned using the associated LiPlay smartphone app (which is currently not available on either Apple’s App Store on the Google Play Store).

The LiPlay app, according to the leaked manual, can also be used to trigger the shutter remotely or make minor edits to the image prior to printing.

Images reveal that the LiPlay has three shortcut buttons on the left edge of the camera that allow users to choose a frame for the images, but a neat trick up the camera’s sleeve is the ability to assign custom templates to these buttons.

If these features are real, it would make the upcoming Instax a truly innovative instant camera and we can’t wait to see what the big reveal will bring on June 12.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.