Kodak Mini 3 Retro Portable Instant Photo Printer
Kodak’s Mini 3 Retro is a portable instant photo printer that is designed to wireless connect to your iOS or Android device. It comes in 3 colours (black, white or yellow) and uses an internal battery that is rechargeable via Micro USB.
In this review I’ll dive into how it is to use, and how it compares to the popular Fujifilm Instax photo printers. You can easily purchase it directly from Amazon. I got the black version that comes in a piano black finish.
Disclosure: I was gifted Kodak’s Mini 3 Retro Portable Instant Photo Printer for review. They do not get to see the review or content before it is posted and no money exchanged hands. There are affliate links in the end of this post.
Getting started:
After unboxing it, I didn’t need to look at the manual to figure out how to operate it. The app was easy to find on the iOS App Store, and the UI is designed in a way where you can easily figure it out.
Overall, the printer and app is very intuitive to use. My only issue is there’s no indicator on the printer or app to display how many sheets are left. You have to hit print and it will notify you if it’s empty.
How it works:
The main difference from this and the popular Fujifilm Instax is how the prints are made. Kodak uses a 4PASS (Dye-Sub) process while Fujifilm's uses self developing film. The result is the images have more detail and more accurate in colour.
1st Pass: Yellow Channel / 2nd Pass: Magenta Channel / 3rd Pass: Cyan Channel / 4th Pass: Lamination Layer
Canon's SELPHY photo printer also uses a dye-sub process like Kodak, however reloading the sheets and ink cartridge is two separate steps. With Kodak, the sheets and ink get loaded in 1 step like loading a VHS or cassette tape. To reload the printer, open the side door and pull on the indent in the middle to remove the empty cartridge and insert a fresh one.
Prints:
One thing that this Kodak can do that the Fujifilm Instax and Canon SELPHY cannot is print to the edges. It's nice to have that versatility even though I'll usually print with borders on. If you don't want to have a tab of white space at the bottom, the Kodak sheets can fold and tear off.
When comparing the source digital image on my iPhone 12 and the print, I felt the physical copy was slightly cooler looking. If you want to try and compensate for that then maybe adding some warmth right before printing.
Value:
On Amazon it is $135 for the printer with 8 sheets preloaded but you can bundle it with an extra 60 sheets for an additional $25. It’s $30 when purchasing 60 sheets normally so I would recommend getting the bundle as you’ll go through 8 sheets really quick.
The Fujifilm Instax SP-3 which prints in a square format like this is almost double in price, $260 at Walmart Canada.
You’ll save even more money in the long run with Kodak too because prints work out to $0.50 CAD each while the Fuji Square Instax film retail for $1-1.50 CAD depending on how many you buy. You’ll need to buy Fuji install film in 100 bundles to get it for $1 a print.
overall impression of the KODAK MINI 3 RETRO:
The Kodak Mini 3 Retro photo printer is the clear winner when it comes to value and print quality. One thing I immediately noticed is the piano black finish is a finger print magnet. Scratches occur easily and are visible. If that bothers you then maybe consider getting the white version which could help minimize the visibility!
The printing time could be an issue for those who plan to use it at a live event since Kodak's Mini 3 Retro takes 1 minute to print, however the machine will be in-use for the entire duration. Fujifilm Instax takes 2-3 minutes to fully develop but it ejects from the printer in 15 seconds allowing you to print more per minute.
If you use a Fujifilm camera you could save even more time since you can print directly from their camera and not go through the step of transferring it to your phone. For my own needs, I prefer the Kodak printer because it’s worth the wait having better a quality print. And while I do own a Fujifilm camera as well, I still like to take a pass at editing on my computer.
If you aren’t a fan of the 3x3 square format, you can opt for their Mini 2 Retro which prints in a 2x3 aspect ratio. The printer is $33 cheaper but refill sheets is the same cost as the square format.
If you’re interested in picking up your own portable printer consider using the Amazon affiliate links below to support this outlet.
Buy Kodak Mini 3 Retro Photo Printer (8 sheets) $135
Buy Kodak Mini 3 Retro Photo Printer + Extra Sheets (68 sheets) $160
Buy Kodak Mini 3 Refill (60 sheets) $30
Buy Kodak Mini 2 Retro Photo Printer (8 sheets) $102
Buy Kokak Mini 2 Retro Photo Printer + Extra Sheets (68 sheets) $113
Buy Kodak Mini 2 Refill (60 sheets) $30
Tip: The price on the printers fluctuates up and down often so use an Amazon Tracker to be notified when it goes on sale.