This instant film camera is absolute fun even with Michael Kors branding
At what point does the Michael Kors brand stop meaning anything?
Perhaps when it's slapped on an instant camera. In its latest partnership, Fujifilm has released a Michael Kors-branded version of its Instax Mini 70 instant camera.
The gold and black instant camera is essentially a variant of Fujfilm's existing Stardust Gold camera with two big differences: It says Michael Kors on the front and has his signature on the back of the film door.
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No, Kors didn't actually sign each camera (that would have been so much cooler). He just licensed his name out like the billion branded products that have Coca-Cola's logo plastered all over them.
Still, the Mini 70 is a solid instant film camera, although not as as sleek as the Instax Mini 90. It's got a couple of shooting modes (macro, landscape, forced flash and high-key) and a timer.
Of note is the unique selfie mode, which is able to adjust the lens to focus as close as 11 inches for sharper selfies. Very important for perfecting your duck face. On the front is a mirror for framing your selfies.
And if an arm's length isn't long enough to squeeze in you and your friends, there's a tripod mount on the bottom for attaching it to a heavy-duty selfie stick. Or on a regular tripod with the timer function turned on.
The viewfinder is also larger than on the company's Fujifilm Instax Mini 8. You don't have to squint as hard to see directly through it.
The Mini 70 takes a pack (10 sheets in each) of mini Instax film. The Michael Kors edition comes with a pack of instant film included. Film is pretty affordable at around $8.99 for 10 sheets (in rainbow frames), $11.50 for 20 sheets, $20.48 for 30 sheets (20 white and 10 rainbow), and $35.95 for 60 sheets.
The only thing that I'm not fond of is the CR2 batteries it uses. Not exactly a common battery type. I much prefer the Mini 8's AA batteries or the Mini 90's rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
For the sake of value, let's crunch the numbers to see if the Michael Kors branding is worth it. The Mini 70 retails for $140 without any film. The Michael Kors retails for $150 with 20 sheets of film. It's roughly on par with buying a regular Mini 70 and a 20-sheet pack of film separately.
However! If you look on Amazon, you can find just the Mini 70 for anywhere between $95 to $120.
Toss in a 20-sheet pack with each one and you're looking at a camera plus film total of anywhere between $106.50 to $130.50, which definitely lands you some savings.
So, to Michael Kors or not Michael Kors? Personally, I'd say no. But if you're the biggest Michael Kors fan ever, like Mashable Deputy Tech Editor Damon Beres, this version of the Instax Mini 70 is a no-brainer.
Fujifilm Instax Michael Kores Mini 70
The Good
Every bit as excellent as the regular Mini 70
The Bad
Has Michael Kors branding slapped all over it
Uses CR2 batteries
The Bottom Line
Even without the Micael Kors branding, this special edition of the Fujifilm Mini 70 instant film camera is a win in value.
Topics Cameras Mashable Choice
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
