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How to load film in an Instax Mini camera

In This Article

In This Article

If you’ve just picked up your first Instax Mini camera, such as the recently launchedInstax Mini 12, you might be wondering how to insert the film.

Inserting instant film isn’t something you want to improvise. Instant film is delicate and, at 75p a shot, you don’t want to risk damaging the cartridge and losing 10 shots. We’ve put together this guide to teach you how to safely insert an Instax cartridge.

The below steps should work for any camera that uses Instax Mini film, including theInstax Mini 12, the Instax Mini 11 and theInstax Mini 9. However, it’s always a good idea to refer to the specific instructions that come with your camera before going ahead and inserting your film.

Keep reading to learn how to load film into an Instax Mini camera.

What you’ll need:

What you’ll need:

The Short Version

Step1

Open the camera back

We’ll be using the Instax Mini 12 in these images, but these steps should work on other Instax Mini cameras.

Step2

Find the yellow sticker in the film compartment

It should be in the top-right corner.

Step3

Line the sticker up with the yellow sticker on the film and insert the cartridge

You should remove the cartridge from its foil packaging before inserting it.

Step4

Close the cover

It should lock shut with a click. Then all that’s left to do is press the shutter button to eject the black protective slide.

Troubleshooting

One Instax Mini film cartridge includes 10 photos. You can see how many shots are left by looking at the number visible through the small window on the rear of the camera.

Instax Mini prints measure 46 x 62mm, or 54 x 86mm including the frame.

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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …

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Why trust our journalism?

Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.