The AGFA Realipix Square S delivers instant pictures in the popular square format and can be used as a mobile printer thanks to the app. Whether the traditional brand can keep up with the industry kings Instax and Polaroid, we now clarify.
Note: the Realipix Square S was kindly made available to us by gtcompany.fr However, this has no influence on our review.
In short:
- Digital instant camera (10 Megapixel)
- Android & iOS App
- Printing from smartphone
- Image size: 3 x 3 inches
- LCD display
- Built-in lithium-ion battery
- Cost per picture: approx. 60 cents
An AGFA instant camera?
For the older ones among us, the AGFA brand is still very much present. As a manufacturer of analogue films and VHS cassettes, AGFA was ubiquitous before the digital age. In the meantime, it has become rather quiet around the brand. With the Realipix Square S there is now an instant camera from the traditional camera maker.
Design and controls of the Realipix Square S
Visually, the Square S attempts the balancing act between classic and modern. The camera looks simple and reminds us of cameras from the 70s thanks to its angular design. The “Retro” lettering on the front of the camera is probably meant to strengthen this impression. Ergonomic is a different story, but we still like the exterior of the camera very much. On the top of the camera, there is a red shutter button as well as the on/off switch and two function LEDs. The image eject is on the left side, and on the right the camera has an eyelet for the included strap, as well as a micro-USB port for charging and a reset button.
Since the camera doesn’t have an optical viewfinder, you’re left with the LCD display on the back for shooting. However, this is sufficient for snapshots. Five buttons below the display serve as controls. A small selfie mirror next to the lens helps with the obligatory selfie.
Operation and photo quality
After switching on, the camera is ready for use after a few seconds. If you now take a photo, you can then decide whether the photo should be printed or discarded. Important fact: the camera does NOT save the photos. As soon as the camera is switched off or a new picture is taken, the old picture is lost. Waiting for a long time is not an option either, because the camera switches itself off after a few minutes (in our test, sometimes very unexpectedly).
Before taking a picture, you have the option to make the following settings:
- Border or Borderless: the photo can be taken with or without a (white) border.
- Color or monochrome: switch to black and white mode if desired
- Filters to choose from: normal, sketch, sepia, aqua 1 and aqua 2
- Flash: on, off or automatic
- Self-timer: 5 or 10 seconds are possible
- Selfie mode
- Language: there are only two Asian languages to choose from, as well as English
The available settings offer possibilities for creative people without making the camera unnecessarily complicated to use. For settings for exposure time, etc. you look in vain. Practical is the quick change to monochrome, here analog instant cameras like the popular Instax Mini 11 need a separate film. Also the possibility to switch the flash on and off is not a matter of course with the competition.
Once you have taken a print-ready photo with the desired settings, it is advisable to turn the camera off. The picture is moved in and out several times. Here, the so-called 4-pass printing is used, in which several layers are created one after the other.
The image quality
As usual, these printed images are quite different from those of a classic Polaroid such as the Polaroid Now. The photos actually look more like they came from a printer. However, if you expect razor-sharp pictures, you should rather think about buying a professional photo printer. Slight blurring is normal with the AGFA Realipix Square S, but whether this is an instant camera charm or a flaw is a matter of taste. For the quick snapshot at parties or on the road, however, the pictures are more than sufficient.
The app
At the latest with the app, it becomes clear that AGFA probably uses Kodak technology for the Realipix. In the German part of the manual (which is unfortunately a bit thin), instead of referring to the AGFA Photo Realipix app, it even refers to the Kodak Instant Printer app. On closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is probably the same app in a different colour scheme.
Thanks to the app, the Square S becomes a mobile printer.
You select the desired photo on the mobile phone via the app, and it is printed on the camera via Bluetooth. Of course, the photos can also be edited with all kinds of filters, backgrounds and captions. Thanks to the app, photos can now also be saved on the smartphone. The app has a remote shutter release, handy for family photos, but the photos are also saved on the phone in the process. How useful this is, everyone must decide for themselves, after all, modern smartphones usually offer much better image quality. Of course, photos can also be taken directly via the app with the smartphone and printed immediately. Another practical feature: the app shows the battery status of the camera.
Tech specs
- Aspect ratio: 1:1
- Image size: 7.6 x 7.6 cm
- Film: AGFAPHOTO All-in-One Square Cartridge
- Dimensions: 4.1 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
- Weight: approx. 13. oz
- Battery: built-in lithium ion
- 4-pass printing technology
- Megapixel: 10
- LCD display
- App for Android & iOS via Bluetooth
- Scope of delivery: camera incl. 8 photos, operating instructions, hand strap, micro USB cable
CONCLUSION
The AGFA Realipix Square S occupies a niche: the cheaper printing technology compared to classic Polaroid cameras and the classic square image format. The target group here is certainly not the professional photographer, the pictures are anything but perfect and great adjustment options are sought in vain. Point-and-shoot is the order of the day. With the black-and-white mode, the deactivatable flash and of course the functions of the app, the camera offers quite a few possibilities. A fun camera after all. A cheaper alternative is the Kodak Printomatic (portrait format pictures), for analogue square photos you might also take a look at the Instax SQ1.
VIDEO: The Realipix Square S
