By GoTrendSA 
Fujifilm South Africa has just dropped the newest camera in its best-selling Instax Mini line, the Mini 13, and it arrives alongside an AI-powered update to the Instax UP! app and a cheerful new film. The through-line is Fujifilm doubling down on the mix that made Instax a hit in the first place: proper analogue instant prints, with a dash of digital convenience on the side. The Mini 13 lands at select retailers from R1,749.
A familiar formula, gently refined
Slotting in as the successor to the much-loved Mini 12 from 2023, the Mini 13 keeps things gloriously simple. Load a film cartridge, twist the lens ring to “On,” and you are shooting. That same twist powers it down or flicks into the popular Close-Up Mode, so there is very little to learn. The design gets a playful refresh too, with a soft, sculpted shape and a metallic silver logo across the front.
The more useful changes are in the details. There are now dual self-timers: a 10-second option to sprint into a group shot, and a two-second setting that makes blur-free selfies far easier. A new wedge-shaped accessory on the hand-strap lets you prop the camera up at an angle for hands-free group photos. Rounding out the feature set are a Selfie Mirror, Auto Exposure adjustment, automatic flash control for bright or low-light scenes, and Parallax Correction, which lines up the viewfinder with the lens in Close-Up Mode so your close-range shots, from 0.3m to 0.5m, actually come out centred.
Colours and pricing
The Mini 13 comes in five shades: Candy Pink, Clay White, Frost Blue, Dreamy Purple and Lagoon Green, at a recommended R1,749 including VAT. If you would rather start with everything in one box, there is a bundle at R2,199 that adds a case and a pack of Mini film.
A smarter app and a sweeter film
On the digital side, the Instax UP! app, which lets you scan and store your physical prints, has been given an AI upgrade that better separates the photo from its background for cleaner, sharper digital archives. And to mark the occasion, Fujifilm is launching Instax Mini Sprinkles film, which frames your shots in a colourful border reminiscent of rainbow sprinkles.