Fujifilm Instax Square 2 review: simple doesn’t always mean easy

Physical media has been on my mind a lot lately, particularly how valuable it is to hold a printed photograph. Instant cameras, like Fujifilm’s popular Instax lineup, make that experience easy and approachable, producing a physical print shortly after you press the shutter.

That simplicity comes with trade-offs, though. I spent some time with the newly released Instax Square 2, and while I appreciated several updates, lingering frustrations remain, especially if you’re someone who likes control over your photos.

What is the Instax Square 2?

Abby Ferguson

Despite the two in the name, the Square 2 is actually Fujifilm’s fourth fully analog, square-format instant camera. What the name does correctly imply, though, is that it uses the company’s square instant film, which provides a 62mm x 62mm (2.4 x 2.4″) image area. It’s a closer experience to traditional Polaroid images than the more popular Instax Mini format, though with a smaller image area than Polaroid 600 film. 

As with its predecessor, the SQ1, and most Instax cameras, the Square 2 is designed to be very beginner-friendly. It’s a true point-and-shoot, with no exposure controls and just two settings to adjust: focus range and filter. The built-in filter is new with the Square 2, with a slider on the front of the lens to switch between warm and cool filters, or none at all. 

A small slider on the front of the lens controls the built-in filters, with a colored dot revealing which option you have selected. Abby Ferguson

There are three options for adjusting the focus range, which you change by twisting the lens. Landscape mode will keep subjects from 3 m (9.8′) to infinity in focus, Standard mode covers from 0.5m to 3 m (19.7″ to 9.8′) and Close-up mode covers from 0.3 m to 0.5 m (11.8″ to 19.7″). The SQ1 only offered a standard range (simply labeled as On) and a selfie mode, which doubled as a close-up option. The Square 2 features a 32mm F6.2 equivalent lens, which is wide enough to take selfies of small groups or capture landscapes.

Thankfully, Fujifilm switched to AA batteries in the new iteration, instead of the CR2 lithium batteries used in its predecessor, which are easier to get ahold of. That said, it requires four AA batteries, which results in an even bulkier body. Like the SQ1, it’s not something you’ll be putting in your pocket. It measures 139.0 x 119.5 x 71.0 mm (5.474 x 4.70 x 2.80″), and when the lens is twisted to the on position, it extends a fair amount. That said, it comes with a wrist strap, and at roughly 450 g (15.9 oz), I didn’t find it heavy for carrying around. 

What it’s like to use the Instax Square 2

A selection of images that I took with the Instax Square 2.Abby Ferguson

The point-and-shoot simplicity can be a bit of a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you don’t have to think about settings at all, which, even as an experienced photographer, is kind of nice sometimes. But it also means that the camera may miss the mark from time to time. 

Part of those automatic controls includes the shutter speed, which ranges from 1/2 sec to 1/400 sec, with no way to override its choice. While generally speaking, images were well-exposed, there were also instances where they were too bright or too dark. One tip for getting better exposure: pay attention to the circle in the middle of the viewfinder, which shows where the camera is metering. That does mean you may not be able to compose the way you want, but when exposure is the most important thing, putting the circle over your subject can help.

These are some of the misses, either because I misjudged the distance for focus or the exposure wasn’t quite what I wanted.Abby Ferguson

The camera also features a built-in flash that fires for every photo, though it’ll automatically adjust the brightness. If you’re a beginner or, like me, are forgetful, this could certainly be helpful, as you don’t have to remember to turn it on in dark conditions or turn it off when you don’t need it. However, that also means you may get that strong flash look even when you don’t want it or particularly need it. 

While there’s no way to control exposure or flash, the new filters do give you some creative control. Both produce a noticeable shift compared to images taken without a filter. Interestingly, the cool filter seems to introduce a slight haze, giving those images a moodier look. I’m personally more drawn to the warm filter, which adds warmth without making images overly orange or yellow.

The lack of autofocus and the use of a zone focusing system make the camera simpler and keep the price down, two ideal features for a casual camera. However, zone focusing can make it tricky to get subjects in focus. The focus distances aren’t printed on the camera, so you need to learn the ranges before heading out, something I admittedly forgot to do on my first outing.

I’m also terrible at judging distances, and between misremembering the zones and misjudging how far away my subjects were, I ended up with a fair number of out-of-focus images. This could end up being a bit of an expensive learning process with the $1.25 cost per photo. Others may fare better, but zone focusing and I aren’t a great match.

I was rather surprised by the level of detail in this image. Abby Ferguson

When the images are in focus and free of camera shake, I found them to be reasonably sharp for what the camera is. Like most Instax cameras, the Square 2’s plastic lens isn’t terribly sharp, though you can still get a pleasing level of detail in your photos. I was particularly surprised by one close-up image I took of some flowers, which is one of the sharpest Instax photos I’ve taken. 

Another important thing to keep in mind is that the viewfinder doesn’t show you exactly what the framing will be, especially in close-up mode. I had subjects completely centered in the viewfinder, only for the photo to have the subject right on the left edge of the frame. Once you figure that out, you can adjust accordingly, but it does take paying attention if you want to get a good composition. 

The Square 2 (on the left) has a bigger grip than the SQ1 (right), but it still isn’t very comfortable to hold.Abby Ferguson

While Fujifilm increased the grip size on the Square 2 compared to its predecessor, I still find the camera uncomfortable to hold. The bulky lens prevents my fingers from truly wrapping around the grip, and they even feel a bit pinched between the two. 

Not perfect, but still fun

Abby Ferguson

Despite all of my complaints, I still legitimately enjoyed using the Instax Square 2. Sure, even a tiny bit of control over the flash or EV settings would be nice, but frankly, the camera is just fun to use. It’s nice to go out sometimes and not think about settings or perfect image quality. Sometimes I just want to document the things around me with less pressure, and the Instax Square 2 allows just that. 

Even better, any time I take this camera out in public, it sparks conversations and oohs and aahs. My nieces and nephews were mesmerized as the film emerged from the top of the camera and developed, though their attention spans weren’t quite long enough to see it all the way through.

Strangers were also always curious about what it was and thought it was really neat to still be shooting with a camera that produces instant photos. It also meant that on a few occasions, I was able to give someone a print of themselves, which always feels really neat. I love talking about photography (hence my job), and having a camera that sparks conversations with people from all walks of life is pretty special, in my book.