Changing the color pallette of Fuji Instax film.

I purchased my Fuji Instax Mini 50s about a month ago. With my love affair of Polaroid camera's. And the availability and price of Instax film I couldn't go wrong. The only problem was, well the Instax Camera's look like ugly plastic toys. While I have no problem with toy camera's. These just felt and looked like they were something else entirely. Cheap because of office big wigs trying to squeeze out more profit. Not cheap because that was all they had or knew. As such is the case with the Holga and original Diana.

So when I saw the 50s model online in September I fell in love. However I fell in hate with the price tag. Seeing models go for as much as $190! Way to much for what would be a toy to bring to parties and events. And maybe slip some photography in there every once and a while. But as luck would have it, my local photo store started to carry them. And for about $100 less that what they had been commanding just months before. I knew I had to pick one up. Which by the way a full review of that camera will come at some point here.

But as I fired through my first, my second, my third pack of film there w

as something wrong. I wasn't feeling the joy that I did every time I took a Polaroid. There was no magic to the image. It looked (dare I say) too good. The tones were decent, the colors were correct, the soul of instant film had been sucked away with Instax.

But determined not to let my money or time go to waste. I knew that something could be done with this yet! After reading about how the Polaroid film worked vs the Instax film some things were made clear. Polaroid exposes from the front with a mirror, Instax from the back. Polaroid developed the red layer first, Instax the Blue. And the first color to start creating the image will have the most prominent display on the final product. Which is what would give Polaroids the funky red/green tones while Fuji's daylight dyes would strike through. What better way to get rid of those with some color shifts! Now where is where it gets fun!

My first trial was with an 85a warming filter that slipped onto the front of my camera, shown here:


Boy howdy did that do it! Check out these sample pictures!



More recently however I have been experimenting with other colored filters. Using a flash gel pack I bought a Pro Photo Supply in Portland, OR. Here is with a light green filter.


I hope that this helps you guys in any way when getting different qualities from your Instax Mini shots. I certainly enjoy them a lot more!