When Fujifilm announced the Instax Mini 41 last week, the list price in the US wasn’t included. However, Fujifilm has now announced a price of $129.95 for the instant camera, a change that could be the first sign of the impact of tariffs on camera pricing from the camera giant. Outside the US, the camera costs £94.99 / AU$179.
While Fujifilm didn’t include a US price in the official first announcement, the previous Instax Mini 40 was listed for $99.99. The MSRP of the new version, however, is now confirmed at $129.99, about $30 higher than what the older version previously sold for in the US.
The updated price is a 30 percent increase for the Fujifilm Instax Mini 41, higher than the 10 percent current tariff level for most regions but lower than the 145 percent applied to China. While the news is a price jump from the old version, the UK list price for the camera is £94.99. Using only a currency conversion, the USD equivalent would be $127.23, so the tariffs may not be the only factor at play.
The on-again, off-again tariffs added by the Trump administration have created uncertainty in the camera industry over the cost of gear in the US. The tariffs have been temporarily lowered to 10 percent for 90 days, excluding the 145 percent tariff for China, but an announcement that a tariff for semiconductors has kept the electronics industry in a state of uncertainty.
While major brands have stayed relatively quiet on whether or not prices will change, the newest camera launches have given photographers insight into the potential impact. First, Blackmagic Design adjusted the price in the US for its newly announced cinema camera. Now, Fujifilm has tacked on another $30 to the cost of the Instax Mini 41 compared to the older version.
The price change could be a hint at how the camera market will be impacted by the US tariffs. However, as an instant film camera with a relatively low price, much remains unclear about the impact on high-end digital cameras.
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 41 is expected to begin shipping by the end of April, with a retail cost of $129.99 / £94.99 / AU$179.
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