The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is an excellent little camera, but it’s not without its problems, and it can stop working. It’s easy to assume you need new batteries, but what if you already inserted new batteries and it’s still not working? There could be a few causes and possible solutions.
The most likely cause of your Instax Mini 11 not working, even with new batteries, is that the batteries weren’t inserted correctly or you used the wrong ones. Battery quality is also vital. You can try to reset the camera, but if that doesn’t work, it’s probably a camera malfunction.
As great as the Instax Mini 11 is, nothing on earth keeps working forever. Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why your camera may not be working and how you can fix each problem.
Why Is Instax Mini 11 Not Working With New Batteries?
When the Instax Mini 11 stops working, the obvious solution is to replace the batteries. If that didn’t fix the problem, however, one of these could be the culprit:
1. Did You Insert The Batteries Correctly?
It might seem obvious, but it’s easy to make an honest mistake. Flipping the batteries the wrong way around, for example, will cause the camera not to work. The camera has a useful indication inside the battery caddy to show you the correct battery orientation.
Where you see the plus symbol inside the caddy, insert the battery so that the battery’s positive pole (the side with the bump) goes in that position. The batteries have opposite positions, so one battery’s positive side is next to the other one’s negative pole.
But even if you installed them correctly, two other things can also go wrong. For example, sometimes, one of the batteries just didn’t go far enough to make proper contact. Open the caddy and press down firmly on both batteries to ensure that both poles make adequate contact and that the batteries are all the way in.
It’s also possible that a piece of plastic, paper, or glue is stuck to one of the batteries’ contacts. Take them out and check that the contacts are clear on both sides.
2. Did You Use The Wrong Type Of Batteries?
The Instax Mini 11 has particular battery requirements. We will look at this more closely in a moment, but if you didn’t insert the correct battery type, your camera might not work.
3. You Might Have A Software Malfunction
All modern electronic devices use some form of a computer system, and these systems are prone to software failures. The Instax Mini 11 is no exception. Sometimes, the camera might malfunction, and you could assume it’s the batteries, while it’s an entirely different problem altogether. In this case, you could try to reset the camera—more on that in a moment.
4. The Camera Could Be Malfunctioning
The last possibility is that your camera is malfunctioning; unfortunately, it’s bad news. The best you can do is to take it to the supplier or retail outlet where you bought it and hope it’s still under warranty. Too many electronic and mechanical things could go wrong inside the device, and a professional will know what to look for and how to fix it.
What Battery Type Is Used In Instax Mini 11?
The Instax Mini 11 has several very particular battery requirements. The camera could stop working if you don’t use the correct type of battery. It might give you a flashing LED warning or simply refuse to come on entirely. So how do you ensure that you use the correct battery type?
1. The Instax Mini 11 uses two AA (LR6) batteries. Mixing this part up is difficult since other batteries won’t fit comfortably in the battery caddy.
2. Instax specifies that they must be alkaline batteries. There are no guarantees with any other type of battery. For example, rechargeable batteries could work, but they don’t offer the exact 1.5V output that alkaline batteries do, which could cause the camera not to work. Some people have used them successfully, but you can’t be sure, so it’s best to stick with alkaline.
3. Use high-quality batteries. It’s interesting how many problems occur because people use cheap, bottom-of-the-range batteries that don’t consistently deliver the promised output or last as long as they should. A camera requires a lot of battery power, so buying a well-known and reliable battery brand is best.
Best Batteries For Instax Mini 11
To make things easier, here are some of the best batteries to use in your Instax Mini 11:
It’s hard to beat a reliable name like Energizer. They offer a reliable 1.5V output and tend to last longer than other comparable batteries.
Duracell is well-known as a battery brand with good quality and reliable performance, but without charging a premium. These batteries also have PowerBoost, which means added ingredients to make them last longer, so you can take more photos with your Instax Mini 11.
How To Reset The Instax Mini 11
Resetting the Instax Mini 11 is a valuable way to fix many common camera problems, so much so that Instax even recommends you do this as you replace the batteries, thereby ensuring the camera gets a reset every 100 photos or so.
Resetting the camera won’t erase or clear anything, and it should cause no problems that weren’t there before. So unlike resetting something like a smartphone, it’s a simple and safe procedure. To reset your Instax Mini 11, simply follow these steps:
- Keep your camera in the ON position. Ensure that it doesn’t turn itself off automatically, which the Instax will do after five minutes of no activity.
- Open the cover to the battery caddy.
- Remove both batteries.
- It’s not necessary, but sometimes it’s a good idea to keep the batteries out for between 10 and 30 seconds.
- Replace the batteries.
- Turn the camera back on. It will now be reset.
Conclusion
The Instax Mini 11 isn’t the most complex device on earth, and even though it can stop working, its simplicity ensures that most problems can easily be solved. If you check that you have the correct batteries, insert them correctly, and try resetting your camera, most issues should be resolved quickly and easily.
