Canon introduces two Zoemini instant cameras

Canon has announced two instant cameras to compete with Fujifilm’s Instax devices. The cameras will be marketed in Europe under the Zoemini name and, like Canon’s Zoemini mobile printer, use Zink Zero Ink technology.

Both the Zoemini C and the more advanced Zoemini S offer space for ten sheets of Zinc film of 5×7.6 cm. In addition to printing the photos directly from the camera, the user can also export them to the accompanying smartphone app. Both devices have an optical viewfinder and a USB cable to charge the battery, according to manufacturer Canon.

The Zoemini S, the most comprehensive model, is equipped with an 8-megapixel sensor, a micro-SD card slot and a small selfie mirror, surrounded by LEDs, to take self-portraits. The device will be on the market in April in the colors white, rose gold and matte black. The suggested retail price of the instant camera is 160 euros, including ten self-adhesive sheets of Zinc film.

The slightly cheaper Zoemini C has a 5 megapixel sensor on board and also comes with a micro-SD card slot and a selfie mirror. However, this model has to do without the ring of LED lights. The price is 119 euros and this device will also be on the market in April, in the colors pink, yellow, green and blue.

The question is whether Canon can still break pots with its new instant cameras. Fujifilm’s lead is considerable in this segment and, moreover, the entire compact camera market has been under heavy pressure for several years now due to the advance of good smartphone cameras. The Verge also notes that the quality of Zink Zero Ink prints is significantly lower, both in color and in resolution, than the technology used by competitor Fujifilm for its Instax cameras.