A night out with instax™: Get the lowdown on our mini 41™ pre-launch event

What’s one thing that always calls for a next-level celebration? 

You guessed it: a brand-new instax™ product drop. And if we do say so ourselves — this one’s a whole mood and more. 

Yep, the new instax mini 41™ instant camera is here, and it’s giving us every reason to celebrate. 

Sleek, timeless, and ready to take on day or night, this iconic piece of kit is the only way to capture that “in-the-moment energy” in style. And at our exclusive bowling pre-launch event in Finsbury Park, London, our guests did just that.

Find out all you need to know about this mini-yet-mighty camera, and discover exactly what went down at our action-packed event.

Introducing the instax mini 41™: a camera made for being in the moment 

When you’re documenting your world, your camera should join the fun — not interrupt it. That’s where the new instax mini 41™ comes in. 

Forget fiddling with clunky controls or forcing your subjects into awkward positions; this sleek, simple-to-use camera lets you capture life as it is, in an instant. Whether you want to snap a selfie with your bestie on the fly or grab an energetic portrait in low light, the instax mini 41™ never ruins the mood. 

What else can you expect from this stylish compact camera?  

• Flawless composition, even up close. Simply switch to Close-up Mode and let the parallax correction do all the aligning for you. Perfect for those moments when you refuse to settle for “almost right”.
• Seamless functionality for speedy shooting. Turn on the camera by twisting the lens, take a snap to remove the cover, then shoot away. Nothing’s gonna stop you from staying in the creative flow.
• Smartphone compatibility for easy uploads. Scan your prints into our instax Up!™ app, add fun backgrounds and filters, and share to socials, fast. Because why wait to show off your best shots?
• Timeless analogue aesthetic with a vibrant twist. A textured, dual-toned charcoal body with a hint of vibrant orange for some extra heat. This is a nod to nostalgia, done right.

mini 40™ vs. mini 41™ — what’s changed?

Love the instax mini 40™? You’re in luck. 

The mini 41™ delivers all the same effortless fun with some exciting new features. Here’s what’s changed:

First up, let’s talk design. The mini 41™ swaps the mini 40™’s vintage faux leather finish for a sleek, textured body with a metallic top. A little more modern, but still every bit as stylish. 

Then there’s Close-up Mode. Thanks to the parallax correction, what you see in the viewfinder now aligns perfectly with what’s printed. We’ve made sure the focus mark shifts a few crucial millimetres to the left to give you beautifully centred snaps, every single time.

And let’s not forget the new-and-improved automatic exposure. Thanks to a few subtle tweaks, the mini 41™ uses automatic light adjustment to adapt to your surroundings, even in Close-Up Mode. Whether you’re zooming in on those all-important details or shooting from a distance, your pics will have just the right light to make them pop. 

Fancy a full spec breakdown? Explore all the finer details using our handy instax™ product comparison tool.

The mini 41™ in action: behind-the-scenes at our bowling pre-launch party

Thought we’d hype up a new camera without showing you it in action? Never. 

To properly welcome the mini 41™ (and road test it IRL), we threw a legendary bowling party — and our guests have the receipts to prove it.

Here’s the lowdown on the teams, the ’fits, the celebration dances and, of course, all the energy-packed action shots, printed in real time.

The atmosphere

As soon as our guests arrived at the venue, the energy was sky-high. Our suitably stylish bowling captains, streetwear-collector-turned-creator @Sagxr and certified London style queen @Kajalxo, were hyped up with cameras in hand, ready to hit the lanes.

All guests were repping bespoke instax™ old-school bowling jerseys, with half of our players bringing style in yellow stripes and the rest rocking their stripes in rich burgundy.

— If you’re wondering, yep, we’re slightly tempted to make this our official work uniform… can you blame us?

The bowling

Bowling was serious. So were the angles.

Between the slices of pizza and all the unfiltered laughter, guests got their game faces on. And, of course, the instax mini 41™ was the real MVP. We had neon-lit action shots, bowling-ball power poses, and stylish selfies all printed onto our iconic instax™ mini Contact Sheet Instant Film and classic white border film. Timeless.

The Bowling Hall of Fame 

As the night rolled on, the Bowling Hall of Fame became the centrepiece of the action, with guests showcasing their mini 41™ skills in a series of fun categories:

Victory Vibes: The ultimate celebration moments. Yes, someone actually did a backflip, and we caught it in all its glory. Speechless.

Strike a Pose: From power stances to runway-worthy angles, this category was all about working the camera. And before you ask, everyone understood the assignment. 

Bowling in Style: Who rocked their custom jersey the best? Let's just say everyone brought their A-game.

Game Face On: The most intense, focused expressions caught on film. Intriguing. Hilarious. Definitely not serious. 

Comeback King/Queen: The ultimate underdog moments that had us cheering the loudest. A few of our guests went from gutter to glory, and *no one* saw it coming.

Psst… wanna create your own Hall of Fame board? Why not set one up as a surprise at your event, then digitise it using the instax Up!™? Simply print your snaps, add fun captions, and scan in to arrange and edit. 

Because if it’s not on the board, did it even happen?

What our guests had to say about the night…

“Competitive, stylish, and picture-perfect.”

“Friendly, trendy, and full of energy.”

And the winners? Congratulations to Kajal’s team for that flawless win. You made it look waaay too easy.

Get your hands on the instax mini 41™

From fast-paced lane action to non-stop laughter and flowing conversation, the mini 41™ delivered, capturing every moment of our pre-launch without ever slowing down the fun. 

Hit play on our event video to see how we served up strikes, style, and effortless shots.

Why not try it for yourself? Grab the mini 41™  now, and enjoy life’s best moments, uninterrupted.