Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 Smartphone Printer Review

What is Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2?

As mentioned, Instax Share SP-2 is basically a pocket-sized printer that can wirelessly print images shot from a smartphone. This particular printer can print good quality credit-card sized instant photos in just 10 seconds. The portable printer is priced at Rs. 13,499 and is available across Fujifilm's offline and online retailers in India.

How to setup and print instant photos

Setting up the Instax Share SP-2 is quite an easy job. You only need to install the companion app- Instax Share from Google Play Store (Apps store for iOS) that helps you connect the smartphone wirelessly with the portable printer. The portable printer houses Instax Mini format prints, which measures 54 x 86mm. It is very important to understand that you should not open the lid that houses the films until the entire pack has run out of film strips. The light can expose and damage the films inside the pack and these are quite costly.

The printer comes with a rechargeable battery and you can use any microUSB charging cable to recharge the in-built battery unit. On one full charge, the printer can deliver up to 100 shots, which means 10 packs of Instax Mini film.

Picture size and quality

Coming on to the most important aspect, the Instax Share SP-2 delivers prints at 800 x 600 dots, with 318 dpi. The prints don't look as vibrant as they appear on your phone's screen but they still have good contrast levels and ample details. This is because Fujifilm has installed a new laser exposure system in the portable printer, which keeps a check on the image printing quality and also keeps the entire printing process noise free. The portable printer takes about 10 seconds; however, the image takes a while to fully develop on the film. Be patient and you will see some good results.

Add filters to your films

Fujifilm has also added some attractive filters and templates in the companion application to make printing more fun. The custom filter allows you to adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation of the image before you give the print command. You can also create collages with the help of ‘Collage template' and can even split one image into two Instax photos by using ‘Split template'. It is worth mentioning that the Instax companion app also connects to your Instagram and Facebook accounts. This makes it possible to take prints of the images uploaded in the social networking platforms on-the-go.

Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 Competition

Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 fights the recently unveiled HP Sprocket Plus portable printer. Compared to Instax Share SP-2, HP Sprocket is priced at Rs. 8,999 and is touted as world's thinnest smartphone photo printer. HP's portable printer uses HP ZINK paper to print the photos, which are bigger in size when compared to film strips used in Instax Share SP-2. However, images developed on Instax films show better contrast and look comparatively better and livelier. As far as film strips are concerned, HP ZINK paper retails at Rs. 799 for a pack of 20 papers, whereas you would need to spend Rs. 1,017 on a pack of Instax films that also offers 20 film strips.

Verdict

Portable smartphone printers like Instax Share SP-2 can be very good products for anyone who wants to create instant photos shot from smartphones. These allow you to print instant photos easily anywhere and anytime. If you travel a lot and want to keep instant records of your travel stories, these devices can come really handy. As far as ‘Instant Photography' products are concerned, the market has very little to offer. You can go for HP Sprocket Plus if you are tight on budget and also wants to save on expenses made on extra film strips; however, if you want better results, Instax Share SP-2 is the right option.