Growing up, my dad had an old Kodak camera that I’d play around with on holiday, meaning the first camera I ever picked up was a Kodak — so we go way back. Recently, the American manufacturer announced its Era lineup consisting of six products, and I got the chance to test out the Mini Shot 4 Era.
This hybrid instant camera doubles as a printer, enabling you to print photos directly and quickly from your smartphone. It’s capable of producing retro prints that make certain colors pop, and it features face detection for portraits and selfies. With the added ability to add filters, frames and create borderless prints that cost just 29¢ each, it’s a fun camera.
But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. The prints aren’t of the highest quality, the camera itself feels too plasticky, and it’s uncomfortable to hold. It’s going to take more than that to earn a spot amongst the best instant cameras.
For the complete breakdown, read my full Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review.
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Specs
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Cheat sheet
- What is it? The world’s first hybrid instant camera and printer producing 4x4" prints
- Who is it for? For people who want a camera and printer in one and don’t mind the print quality being compromised
- How much does it cost? The Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era is available as a bundle only, starting at $229 / £210
- What do we like? The retro images, autofocus and face tracking capabilities, ease of use, borderless prints, and the very cheap film
- What don’t we like? Print quality is underwhelming, the build quality is plasticky, and it’s uncomfortable to hold
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Price & availability
The Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era was launched in Spring 2024 as part of the new Era lineup and is touted as the world’s first printer to create 4x4” prints. Whether you buy it directly from Kodak or Amazon, it is available as a bundle and in two colors: black or yellow. The camera with 10 sheets costs $229 / £210. The camera with 68 sheets and a set of accessories (leather case, photo holder, magnet sticker, photo frame and album, Kodak magnet, keyring and photo string) costs $349 / £259.
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Design & build quality
The Kodak MIni Shot 4 Era is anything but mini. Measuring 6.96 x 5.66 inches, this instant camera is nearly as big as the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 ($149). It’s also heavier than Fujifilm’s offering, weighing 1.81lbs. While it doesn’t feel too heavy to carry, I struggled to hold it with one hand as the right-hand side of the Mini Shot 4 Era doesn’t protrude as much as I’d like it to. Its handling pales in comparison to the Instax Wide 400, with its sculpted grip.
Unlike the Canon Ivy Cliq+ ($159) which uses Zink paper (uses heat to create an image), the Mini Shot 4 Era uses an ink cartridge. There’s a compartment on the right side of the camera that flips open and serves as the paper tray, and it’s easy to load paper. On the underside, you’ll find the slot for the ink cartridge which, again, is straightforward to use.
I tested the black model which has a leather-like finish around the lens. The body is made entirely of plastic and feels a little cheap to touch.
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Lens
The Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era has a 3.7mm fixed-focus lens. There’s no viewfinder as the camera is equipped with a 3.5-inch LCD monitor. Its f/2.8 aperture allows more light to pass through to the sensor, resulting in a shallow depth of field.
Menus on the LCD monitor are easy to navigate with the buttons. Use this to set the timer to 10 seconds, turn the flash on and off or set it to auto, and add an array of filters and borders to your print. I wish there was a way to turn off the sound each button press makes, as it can be quite annoying for those around you.
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Controls
There isn’t a lot going on in terms of controls. On the top of the Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era, you’ll find a bright red shutter button which has a nice tactile feel to it. And on the back, you have your LCD screen, power, print and navigation buttons as I mentioned before.
The shutter button sits right at the top and you need to either extend your index finger as much as possible or place your hand towards the top-end of the camera. It isn’t very ergonomic and I much prefer how the shutter button sits at a 45-degree angle on the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400.
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Image & print quality
Like many other instant cameras I’ve tested, the Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era doesn’t boast any fancy shooting capabilities. Just point and shoot and that’s it, but be prepared for shots not turning out the way you envisioned. If you want exposure compensation, double exposures and more control over the focus, consider the Fujifilm Instax mini 99 ($199) instead.
While the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 delivered gorgeous shots in bright conditions, the Mini Shot 4 Era is a little finicky. The four photos above were all taken in the same half an hour on a cloudy evening. The camera is inspired by classic 35mm film so you get retro looking shots, but the print quality isn’t as good as Fujifilm and Polaroid offer. The images don’t look as sharp.
There’s also a green hue on the boat in the first photo above. At first I thought it was the water’s reflection but that wasn’t the case upon closer examination. But the camera does a good job at making colors pop. In the second image of the seagull, most of the tones are muted, which allows the red flower to pop. Pay no attention to the dotted line at the top as I put the paper in the wrong way — a word of advice to always check before you hit print.
You can choose from an array of filters to apply to your images either while you’re shooting or before printing, and I’ve loved using the monochrome filter. All three photos above were shot using this. The finer details in the building, like the balcony railings, still look a little distorted but not too much that they detract from the image.
The photo of the swan is my favorite, as the bubbles on the water’s surface are clearly visible, adding context to the print. Also, in the photo of the river Avon flowing through Bath, UK, the camera captured the reflections of the swans and trees in the distance. But the ducks towards the far end on the right-hand side of the print are hard to decipher.
The Mini Shot 4 Era features face detection, which works well when photographing people. In the photo of my partner above, the camera has tried its best to capture the scene in low-light. I say that because all the food is out of focus but her face isn’t.
This feature is also handy for taking selfies, which works well in conjunction with the selfie mirror. You’ll need to use both hands to take a selfie as the camera is bulky and the placement of the shutter button makes it difficult to shoot with one hand.
It takes under a minute for the Mini Shot 4 Era to print, and it sounds a lot like a scanner. The paper itself feels flimsy and I wish it was thicker.
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: App
Using the Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era to print from your smartphone is easy as pie. Download the Kodak Photo Printer app on either iOS or Android and open it. The camera should pop up on the list of Bluetooth devices, and once you’ve paired it for the first time, it’ll automatically detect it going forward.
You can then select any image you want to print from your phone. You can also select multiple shots at once and the Mini Shot 4 Era will print them one after the other.
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Film cost & yield
The Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era uses Kodak 4PASS 4x4 cartridge and paper. One cartridge will print 10 photos. The camera laminates the photos and Kodak claims the prints are water resistant. A pack of 120 sheets with six cartridges will cost you $35 / £35, which is fantastic value for money. Canon Zink paper, on the other hand, costs $29 / £26 for just 50 sheets. Kodak’s film is the cheapest I’ve come across.
For context, a Polaroid Go Color film generally costs about $19 / £18 per double film pack (16 pieces of film), while Instax Wide film costs $18 / £16 per double film pack (20 pieces of film). With Kodak 4PASS 4x4 film, you’re paying just under 29¢. Wow!
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Battery life
The Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era is equipped with a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. It takes up to 90 minutes for the camera to go from zero to 100% using a 30W USB-A to USB-C charger. I was relieved to see a charging port on Kodak’s offering as disposable batteries are one of my pet peeves — the Fujifilm Instax Wide 400 uses them.
A single charge will last you about 25 prints but this may vary depending on usage conditions. The Polaroid Go Gen 2 ($79), which also uses a rechargeable battery, dies after approximately 18 shots, so the Mini Shot 4 Era’s battery life is much appreciated.
Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era review: Verdict
While there are a few things I wish the Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era did better, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. Kodak’s latest camera is easy to shoot with as the controls are straightforward, and the companion app lets you quickly edit and print photos via Bluetooth. The control scheme is straightforward too so you don’t need to be a photography expert to use the Mini Shot 4 Era. I also love how affordable the film is. 29¢ per print? Sign me up!
The Mini Shot 4 Era also features face detection which is handy for portraits and selfies. However, the camera isn’t ergonomically-friendly, so it’s difficult to hold it and it’s hard to reach the shutter button. It’s also got an all-plastic body which feels cheap. The prints feel flimsy and the quality is slightly underwhelming.
Overall, the Mini Shot 4 Era is good value for money and even with its drawbacks, it’s a hybrid instant camera worth considering for your next adventure.
