Fujifilms Instax Pal 2 out-charms the Kodak Charmera, but misses the point of these novelty cameras

Date:
Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:38:24 +0000

Description:
This retro compact camera's design is nothing like the original Instax Pal
it takes aim at the Kodak Charmera and features twin displays, but it can't match the Charmera's low price tag.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Instax Pal 2 unveiled with new design that sings Kodak Charmera It's more camera, mind you, and costs from $170 / 144.99 / AU$249 There are two colorways at launch; black (with silver trim) or white Instax has clearly taken note of the Kodak Charmera digital keychain camera's viral popularity and wants a piece of the action. Enter:
the new Instax Pal 2. Its new look is a major departure from the original
golf ball-like Instax Pal so much so that this camera could have had an entirely new name and is instead all retro vibes.

There's plenty going on in the tiny 1.5oz/ 41g body, mind you; twin displays (a top down 1-inch LCD screen, and a simple cutout optical viewfinder), a
wind lever that adds an Instax frame around your photos, a film simulation dial with five picture styles (each with six unique effects), plus a slide
out USB-C port for charging / connecting directing to a smartphone to upload your snaps. Instax says there's enough built-in memory to store 100 photos which are 10.7MP and captured through a tiny 1/3.06-inch sensor plus a micro SD card slot. The digital-only camera is also equipped with Bluetooth for wireless smartphone connection and printing, with direct support for Instax Link printers (a new Wide Link 2 printer was announced at the same time as
the camera). Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Today's best Instax Pal 2 deals 144.99 View 144.99 View No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices The Pal 2
has a built in USB-C that extends out of the camera, and can be used for a direct connection to a smartphone for image uploads (Image credit: Fujifilm Instax) Should toys be this expensive? The Instax Pal 2 carries on from where the Instax Mini Evo Cinema left off: it's majorly quirky and packed with charm. However, it feels like too much camera, with too high a price tag, to hit the sort of sales heights of the Charmera, or even the screen-less Camp Snap cameras .

The Instax Pal 2 is easy on the eye, but sadly less so on the wallet it
comes in at $170 / 149.99 / AU$249 (while the Charmera is a mere $35 / 35 / AU$55 ). You can choose from two colorways: black with silver trim
(pictured), or white. You may like Fujifilm Instax Mini 13 review: still the selfie king, now with a self-timer Kodaks vibrant new 35mm film camera has an iconic sliding lens cover design and costs just $35 The best instant cameras, based on real-world testing

I'm yet to play with the Instax Pal 2, but I'm sure it'll put a smile on my face when I do. Even without testing it out, however, I get the feeling that it misses the point of these tiny toy cameras. So far, something a little less, that costs a whole lot less, has been the recipe for success. instax
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/cameras/compact-cameras/fujifilms-instax-pal-2-out-c harms-the-kodak-charmera-but-misses-the-point-of-these-novelty-cameras


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