Both retro cameras and compact cameras are trending – which makes finding a retro compact camera at a reasonable price exceedingly difficult to do. I’m often disappointed when I test out budget cameras, especially those under $100 / £100, but there’s a compact camera that I keep coming back to at this rare price point: The Camp Snap.
The Camp Snap
Cheap cameras aren’t for pixel peepers, and the original Camp Snap is no exception, but what the Camp Snap lacks in specs, it makes up for in nostalgic charm. The original Camp Snap feels like a disposable film camera, except that it’s an 8MP digital camera. The screen-free design is excellent for retro-loving adults, teens jumping on the disposable camera trend, and even parents looking for a game-free camera for kids.
While I keep coming back to the Camp Snap, there are a few things that I don’t like – you can’t change out the color profile without plugging into a computer, and there’s a noticeable delay between pressing the shutter and when the photo is actually taken. But both issues are being remedied with the new Camp Snap CS-Pro.
I just got in my Camp Snap CS-Pro sample to test, so I haven’t put the camera through all the paces yet. But it’s already fixing my biggest complaints with the original Camp Snap without a giant price jump. Beyond fixing the shutter lag and adding a dial to choose the film simulation, the CS-Pro is higher resolution (though still not for pixel peepers) and has a gorgeous classic look to it.
Neither the original Camp Snap nor the Camp Snap CS-Pro shoots video – but for retro video, there’s the Camp Snap CS-8. This is a digital dupe of a Super 8 camera, and I’m obsessed with the retro filter that adds dust and scratches. Like any cheap camcorder, there are some caveats – my main one being that the digital zoom is rather terrible. But, there are relatively few options for a retro camcorder with a price this low.
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