Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: the cutest — and priciest — toy camera around

Fujifilm Instax Pal 2: Two-minute review I’ve never seen my teenage son more animated about a camera than he was about the Instax Pal 2 — and he’s seen his fair share over the course of my years reviewing gear.

<![CDATA[ <article> <h2 class="article-body__section" id="section-fujifilm-instax-pal-2-two-minute-review"><span>Fujifilm Instax Pal 2: Two-minute review</span></h2><p>I’ve never seen my teenage son more animated about a camera than he was about the Instax Pal 2 — and he’s seen his fair share over the course of my years reviewing gear. </p><p>It’s tactile and sensory, with its exaggerated sound effects, clicky winding lever, joystick, dampened dial, and pop-out USB-C connector. For my son, it was like a fidget toy. And I have to confess it was for me too. </p><p>The emphasis here is on toy, mind you — he could happily fiddle with the controls for hours without taking a single photo. </p><p>Even with my Serious Camera Reviewer hat on, I’m enamored with the Pal 2; it's cute, it's dinky, and there’s enough here to keep my attention. </p><p>There's the winding lever that scrolls through the Instax mini, square and wide film formats (or no border at all); the dampened dial for the various picture effects; the joystick that you use to navigate a sub-menu with options for self-timer, flash and display modes, and which you can also press to open the main menu. </p><p>Then there’s the cut-out optical viewfinder, and a top-down, 1.3-inch screen for waist-level photography, a red playback button and clear ‘back’ button. Every control is unique, and characterful.</p><p>Fujifilm’s design department clearly knows its market — the Pal 2 is latest in a long line of quirky, retro fun models that include the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/cameras/instant-cameras/fujifilm-instax-pal-review-pocket-full-of-fun">original Pal</a>, the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/cameras/compact-cameras/fujifilm-x-half-review">X half</a> and the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/cameras/instant-cameras/i-tried-fujifilms-wacky-new-3-in-1-instax-cinema-hybrid-theres-no-other-retro-camera-like-it">Instax Mini Evo Cinema</a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="RhqWWYS6MxiTACxASPFM9c" name="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera on a wooden post next to a forest, it's propped up with its selfie aide" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RhqWWYS6MxiTACxASPFM9c-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2500" height="1406" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The camera comes with a selfie prop that angles the camera up when it's rested on a surface, and it's secured by pushing it around the lens. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tim Coleman)</span></figcaption></figure><p>In a way it’s easy to forget that this palm-sized bundle of retro fun is a camera at all; but that's what it is, and it’s one with very basic tech inside: a tiny 1/3.06-inch sensor with 10MP JPEG photos, shot through a 28mm equivalent f/2.2 lens, with an LED flash for close-up low-light shots. There's no video here, just a 10-shot Animation mode. </p><p>It’s also Wi-Fi / Bluetooth-equipped, meaning users can wirelessly connect to a smart device and use the Instax Pal app for image uploads and sharing (the Pal app wasn't updated for the Pal 2 at the time of my review), or to one of Fujifilm’s<a href="https://www.techradar.com/cameras/instant-cameras/fujifilm-instax-mini-link-3-review-a-pocket-photo-printer-delivering-instant-fun"> Instax link printers</a> for uploads or direct printing onto Instax film. There’s that pop-out USB-C for charging, too. </p><p>But — and it's a big but — it’s very expensive. The Pal 2 is not priced like the toy camera it is. </p><p>You can get four <a href="https://www.techradar.com/cameras/compact-cameras/the-viral-kodak-charmera-is-the-worst-camera-ive-ever-used-but-its-so-bad-and-so-retro-that-i-actually-love-it">Kodak Charmeras</a> for the price of one Instax Pal 2 and have some change left over. Yes, the Pal 2 is more camera than the Charmera in every way, but they are in the same novelty camera category, and the Charmera knows its place better.</p><p>Yes, my son loves the Pal 2, but it’s not in pocket-money saving territory, and it would be a stretch as a birthday gift.</p><p>It's easy to be won over by the Pal 2 — this is a retro, pocket digital camera with wireless image uploads and Instax printing. But when the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/fujifilm-instax-mini-evo">Instax Mini Evo </a>costs the same, and that camera has a larger body and screen, and can print images selected from the gallery directly,<strong> </strong>the Pal 2 feels like a stretch. If its price comes down, like the X half's did (by about 40%), then it might be a different picture. </p><h2 class="article-body__section" id="section-fujifilm-instax-pal-2-review-price-and-release-date"><span>Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: Price and release date</span></h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="4dYPp6B2U33KCd6VZN6G3c" name="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera in user's hand, looking at the top LCD screen" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4dYPp6B2U33KCd6VZN6G3c-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2500" height="1406" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The top LCD can display the picture style as if you have a film loaded, or liveview. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tim Coleman)</span></figcaption></figure><ul><li><strong>Announced in September 2026</strong></li><li><strong>Priced at $169.95 / £149.99 / AU$249</strong></li><li><strong>Available in two colorways; black with silver trim, or white with silver trim</strong></li></ul><p>The<strong> </strong>Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 costs $169.95 / £149.99 / AU$249 and is available in two colorways: black with silver trim, or white with silver trim. It comes with a small rubber selfie stand, which fixes in place by slotting around the lens, and a wrist strap. </p><div data-widget-type="review" data-model-name="Instax Pal 2"></div><h2 class="article-body__section" id="section-fujifilm-instax-pal-2-review-specs"><span>Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: specs</span></h2><div ><table><caption>Fujifilm Instax Pal 2</caption><tbody><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Type: </p></td><td ><p>Digital compact camera</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Lens</p></td><td ><p>28mm f/2.2</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Sensor</p></td><td ><p>1/3.06-inch CMOS</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Photo resolution: </p></td><td ><p>10MP</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Video resolution: </p></td><td ><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Storage:</p></td><td ><p>Internal memory up to 100 shots, microSD card slot</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Screen:</p></td><td ><p>1.3-inch LCD, 170k dots</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Connectivity:</p></td><td ><p>USB-C</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Dimensions: </p></td><td ><p>37 x 42 x 92.3mm (excluding projecting parts)</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Weight: </p></td><td ><p>3oz / 87g</p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-fujifilm-instax-pal-2-review-design"><span>Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: Design</span></h3><figure role="gallery"><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FXPTZS8V2oXMBX3Tv5LJhb-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera in user's hand" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4dYPp6B2U33KCd6VZN6G3c-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera in user's hand, looking at the top LCD screen" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3CVuqpoCyQBKpLz4UcE6Ub-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera in user's hand, rear of the camera" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure></figure><ul><li><strong>Weighs just 3oz / 87g, fits in a pocket</strong></li><li><strong>Cool retro look and multi-sensory controls</strong></li><li><strong>Twin displays: LCD and cutout optical viewfinder</strong></li></ul><p>It might share the name as the original Pal, but the two cameras bear little resemblance to each other. The original Pal’s golf ball-like exterior is cast aside in favor of retro-style, mini Fujifilm camera-like body. </p><p>Fujifilm has packed a lot of controls and features into the tiny, palm-sized body, including a cut-out viewfinder, 1.3-inch top LCD, winding lever, on/off dial, a joystick set within another dial, playback and back buttons, a pop-out USB-C, and a tiny selfie mirror, tripod mount, microSD card slot, and LED flash. </p><p>Each control has its own distinct character, and it took me no time at all to memorize each one, meaning I could instinctively locate them.</p><figure role="gallery"><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dzj8MssGYzSYxKSWdA8nWb-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera on a marbled white surface" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wuSDBqxpiRS8tqBjXsWhRb-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera on a marbled white surface, close up of the on/off switch" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aZnXY5mMcZoRxKMLMcSobb-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera on a marbled white surface, close up of the viewfinder" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vjfgwjvr4qqY3wnZM8xLHb-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera on a marbled white surface, close up of the wind lever" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rGvnyh3FkVVzFy7xmwcPeb-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera on a marbled white surface, close up of the joystick" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Zova54hppLxcd9kUbFdRPb-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera on a marbled white surface, close up of the underside USB-C" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KMgTjyM4TbRBoxEkQbDmLb-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera on a marbled white surface, close up of the USB-C which is extended" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure></figure><p>For the most part, I only found myself scrolling through the Instax film types (glorified aspect ratios) using the winding lever, and using the six picture styles, and the flash settings, self-timer and display mode options in the sub-menu. There’s little else to experiment with, besides perhaps exposure compensation, which is buried in the menu. </p><p>You can choose whether to display the selected picture style on the LCD display (kind of like a film roll), or the live view, when composing images. I'd hardly say composition is critical though, because the lens is a wide-angle 28mm optic, meaning you can blindly point the Pal 2 in the direction of your subject and it will be in the shot. </p><p>There’s plenty to like about the design of the Instax Pal 2. It’s a highly enjoyable camera to play around with, and it earned plenty of admiring comments from other tech journalists when I was attending another event.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-fujifilm-instax-pal-2-review-performance"><span>Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: Performance</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1280px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:75.00%;"><img id="xhNLLt2azJAbw9f2PVxMV" name="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: gif of a man pulling baseball cap down over his face" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xhNLLt2azJAbw9f2PVxMV-1920-80.gif" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1280" height="960" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Animation mode takes up to 10 photos consecutive and compile them into an animation </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tim Coleman)</span></figcaption></figure><ul><li><strong>Wide-angle 28mm f/2.2 lens</strong></li><li><strong>10MP JPEGs, plus a 10-shot animation mode</strong></li><li><strong>Bluetooth / Wi-Fi equipped for wireless image uploads and printing</strong></li></ul><p>The charming, tactile and dinky design is the major appeal of the Instax Pal 2 — you’re not buying it for its technically impressive images and high-speed performance. </p><p>Take the JPEG-only photos (up to 10MP, depending on the aspect ratio) from the tiny 1/3.06-inch sensor and 28mm f/2.2 lens. There's no getting away from the fact they're lo-fi images; they're Better than the Charmera’s, but no match for your phone’s. </p><p>Don’t expect much detail in highlights, either — they blow out with the camera’s exposure metering left to its own devices, although ±2EV exposure compensation is buried in the camera’s main menu, so it is possibly to go for dark, moody photos too. </p><p>The six color profiles are all towards the vintage end of the scale, with options for Soft, Muted, Cool, Flare, Mono and Pure (see below). If you want a punchy, vivid setting, you’re out of luck. The picture style and aspect ratio used at the time of shooting, whether that’s mini, square, wide or no border, are locked in. </p><p>Technically this is a photo-only camera, but if you turn the winding lever clockwise (instead of counter clockwise for the Instax film borders), you can enter a burst-shooting 'animation' mode that takes up to 10 photos in a sequence and then pieces them into a single stop motion-like clip (see above). </p><figure role="gallery"><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kLzjmF9pBvRV98HAzrX8Vo-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: man sitting at a table with laptop in front of him" /><figcaption>'Flare' picture style<small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/y4EKt3kgCkykDWwMv3kUMo-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: man sat at a table with laptop in front of him" /><figcaption>'Mono' picture style<small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xhbsJ7yCf3JbkZytmNFqXo-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: man sat at a table with laptop in front of him" /><figcaption>'Pure' picture style<small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZQuLCLzdLn4r3cevXGQHXo-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: man sat at a table with laptop in front of him" /><figcaption>'Cool' picture style<small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iuGThGQZbm2jQrsHc2hJK-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: man sat at a table with laptop in front of him" /><figcaption>'Muted' picture style<small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/V3gZrxEcmRPt8YsMpcYsTn-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: man sat at a table with laptop in front of him" /><figcaption>'Soft' picture style<small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure></figure><p>There’s a built-in battery that's recharged through USB-C — and you’ll need to do that regularly, because battery life is poor. A combination of me playing around with the camera settings and taking around 50-75 images saw battery life depleted by three quarters, so you’ll struggle to get through a full day of shooting. </p><p>Shutter lag — the time between pressing the shutter button and the camera actually taking the photo — can get really frustrating, and it’s made worse with the LED flash active. You'll need to hold the camera steady after pressing the shutter, and hope that your subject stays still, otherwise you'll miss the shot </p><p>I had the flash mostly set to auto, and it mostly only fired in low light — this isn’t a flash-on for every photo setup, as is the case with some Instax mini cameras. </p><p>As with any wide-angle camera, but especially so with the Pal 2's small picture size, it pays to have your subject close and filling the frame to maximize the impact of the photo — this isn’t a camera for taking landscape images, in which detail will be lost. </p><p>A curiosity is that the camera limits users to 100 shots between connections to the Pal app, whether that's shooting onto the internal memory or the microSD card. This isn't an issue when shooting onto the internal memory, since there's only space for 100 shots, but I found it a frustrating and unnecessary restriction when shooting to the card. </p><p>The original Instax Pal app is also designed for the Pal 2, but at the time of writing there wasn't an update for the app, so I haven't been able to try it out with the latest camera yet. I'll update this review once I've tried wireless uploads and printing.</p><figure role="gallery"><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iKMiNWEFgEH8Lg26PYnKsn-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: pink-haired lady in black top on a wooden walkway in a forest" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cr3UsgQZyUAX4KMfHfQS6o-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: woman leaning against a classic car, there's a bright orange studio backdrop" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RMAu3QGWn7XjK89y2HQK6o-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: man walking along a pedestrian crossing in Shanghai, China" /><figcaption>Flare picture style<small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wn5dEXnYeJcsBSmkakSHEn-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: skyscraper in Shanghai, China" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VfjThWTEyAycNBJXdjvZ-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: woman walking through an arch of an old style town, the floor is lined with snow" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2LApR4C2LAQy8K4gbzwMRn-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: female model in white dress next to a forest lined lake" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/er35FKJWikMuLDj294VqG-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: man in boat in China, he's cleaning the lake" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2SwuNmEzTTdoJDupcRoYYo-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: two trees next to a body of water" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8KbVS8bY5yjbcXrduoY2Bo-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: two people walking through an arch that's lit up at night" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/n9CUR8szV8vHxajaHoJzhn-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: selfie of a man seated in an airplane, his face is brightly illuminated by sunlight" /><figcaption>With bright daylight, the camera will 'overexpose' without manual intervention<small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WftYLS2iHveFzZ4dkf8vQm-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: man's eye illuminated by a small shaft of light" /><figcaption>So I dialled in -2EV exposure compensation, which is buried in the camera's menu, for a moody effect<small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZFYM6HfFYKGuXUDdKiKxWo-1920-80.jpg" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 sample gallery: lady walking along a wooden walkway in a forest" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-should-i-buy-the-fujifilm-instax-pal-2"><span>Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Pal 2?</span></h3><h2 id="buy-it-if">Buy it if...</h2><div class="product"><p><strong>You love fun, tactile, cute cameras</strong><br>The Pal 2 got lots of admiring looks during my test period, and the multi-sensory controls are super-fun.<a class="view-deal button" href="" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="39284ec0-bb2c-11f1-9a92-65ef6589410b" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="You love fun, tactile, cute camerasThe Pal 2 got lots of admiring looks during my test period, and the multi-sensory controls are super-fun." data-dimension48="You love fun, tactile, cute camerasThe Pal 2 got lots of admiring looks during my test period, and the multi-sensory controls are super-fun." data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><div class="product"><p><strong>You want an Instax-like experience, but control over what you print</strong><br>As a digital-only camera, you choose which photos you'd like to print through the app, or via direct wireless connection with a mini Link Instax printer. <a class="view-deal button" href="" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="39284f42-bb2c-11f1-95e5-418f3d254d90" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="You want an Instax-like experience, but control over what you printAs a digital-only camera, you choose which photos you'd like to print through the app, or via direct wireless connection with a mini Link Instax printer." data-dimension48="You want an Instax-like experience, but control over what you printAs a digital-only camera, you choose which photos you'd like to print through the app, or via direct wireless connection with a mini Link Instax printer." data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><h2 id="don-39-t-buy-it-if">Don't buy it if...</h2><div class="product"><p><strong>You just want a cheap toy camera</strong><br>At over four times the price of the Kodak Charmera, the Pal 2 is one expensive toy. <a class="view-deal button" href="" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="39285050-bb2c-11f1-a62a-9b01dc9ce3a6" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="You just want a cheap toy cameraAt over four times the price of the Kodak Charmera, the Pal 2 is one expensive toy." data-dimension48="You just want a cheap toy cameraAt over four times the price of the Kodak Charmera, the Pal 2 is one expensive toy." data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><div class="product"><p><strong>You need a responsive camera</strong><br>For me, shutter lag was the major drawback of the Pal 2 — there were many occasions when I missed a moment, or the camera shot a photo after I'd moved the camera. <a class="view-deal button" href="" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="392850d2-bb2c-11f1-a075-05ea972e35e9" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="You need a responsive cameraFor me, shutter lag was the major drawback of the Pal 2 — there were many occasions when I missed a moment, or the camera shot a photo after I'd moved the camera." data-dimension48="You need a responsive cameraFor me, shutter lag was the major drawback of the Pal 2 — there were many occasions when I missed a moment, or the camera shot a photo after I'd moved the camera." data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-fujifilm-instax-pal-2-review-also-consider"><span>Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: also consider</span></h3><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="392851a4-bb2c-11f1-a4d3-abfa33c33f7c" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Read our Kodak Charmera review" data-dimension48="Read our Kodak Charmera review" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:720px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:128.89%;"><img id="bq8qZeGw8FdQg7GKUQuPnd" name="Kodak Charmera" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bq8qZeGw8FdQg7GKUQuPnd-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="720" height="928" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Kodak Charmera</strong></p><p>If you simply want a tiny lo-fi camera, and really don’t care about picture quality or app connectivity, the Charmera is a much more affordable alternative.</p><p><strong>Read our </strong><a href="https://www.techradar.com/cameras/compact-cameras/the-viral-kodak-charmera-is-the-worst-camera-ive-ever-used-but-its-so-bad-and-so-retro-that-i-actually-love-it" data-dimension112="392851a4-bb2c-11f1-a4d3-abfa33c33f7c" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Read our Kodak Charmera review" data-dimension48="Read our Kodak Charmera review" data-dimension25=""><strong>Kodak Charmera review</strong></a><a class="view-deal button" href="" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="392851a4-bb2c-11f1-a4d3-abfa33c33f7c" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Read our Kodak Charmera review" data-dimension48="Read our Kodak Charmera review" data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="39285208-bb2c-11f1-8a72-a5d850e63a36" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Fujifilm Instax Mini evo" data-dimension48="See our Instax Mini Evo review" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="bES2rULQAakzJKEqwFhLuh" name="Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo.jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bES2rULQAakzJKEqwFhLuh-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="500" height="500" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo</strong></p><p>Also retro-styled, the Mini Evo is a digital camera with instant printer built in, and is all-round larger, including its screen. It's a similar price to the Instax Pal 2, and so it feels like better value, but it’s not pocketable in the same way. </p><p><strong>See our </strong><a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/fujifilm-instax-mini-evo" data-dimension112="39285208-bb2c-11f1-8a72-a5d850e63a36" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Fujifilm Instax Mini evo" data-dimension48="See our Instax Mini Evo review" data-dimension25=""><strong>Instax Mini Evo review</strong></a><a class="view-deal button" href="" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="39285208-bb2c-11f1-8a72-a5d850e63a36" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Fujifilm Instax Mini evo" data-dimension48="See our Instax Mini Evo review" data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><h2 class="article-body__section" id="section-how-i-tested-the-fujifilm-instax-pal-2"><span>How I tested the Fujifilm Instax Pal 2</span></h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="sqqueJSMMNByqu2Bb3oi4b" name="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2" alt="Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 digital camera on a wooden post next to a forest" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sqqueJSMMNByqu2Bb3oi4b-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2500" height="1406" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tim Coleman)</span></figcaption></figure><ul><li><strong>Fujifilm loaned me the black and silver version of the Instax Pal 2 for three weeks </strong></li><li><strong>I kept the camera with me at all times, and took it to China for a work trip</strong></li><li><strong>I've shot around 150 photos using the various picture styles and aspect ratios (Instax borders)</strong></li></ul><p>Instax loaned me the black-with-silver-trim version of the Pal 2 for a few weeks, during which time I’ve kept it on me as an everyday camera, and taken it to China on a work trip. </p><p>I’ve used the various picture effects, aspect ratios (Instax film types), the self-timer and the LED flash, and tried the 10-frame animation mode. </p><p>At the time of my review, the Instax Pal app wasn't updated for use with the Pal 2 (on Android, at least). I'll update this review once I've paired the camera with the app and used it properly. </p><ul><li><em>First reviewed: September 2026</em></li><li><a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/how-we-test">Read more about how we test</a></li></ul> </article> ]]>