If you enjoy coffee and cameras, this might be for you.
Starbucks – yes, the coffee people – has launched a camera with an interesting feature.
It's no secret that retro compact cameras are having a real moment right now. Models like the Fujifilm X100VI have proven the appetite for things which look old – but in fact pack in modern technology – is there in spades.
One brand I never expected to get in on the action was Starbucks, but that's exactly what they've done. Yes, Starbucks – the coffee chain best known for pumpkin spiced lattes – has launched a dual-sensor camera.
That sports one in the usual place – at the front, pointing outwards from behind the lens. But it also hides one on the rear of the device, mounted centrally where you might expect to find a viewfinder.
It's that feature which is probably the most intriguing to me. In this day and age, with so many looking to shoot or record themselves for content, traditional cameras can be somewhat awkward.
Here, though, you can simply frame up the rear sensor with a view of the LCD panel below, ensuring you get the shot you want first time. Sadly, that's about where the good stuff ends.
You might think those dials on the top offer some control, but no – they're just for show. And one look at the rudimentary menu system in use suggests its hardly going to be a monster in terms of computational photography, either. You do get nine "Y2K photo frame overlays" according to Yanko Design.
The model comes in two different colourways – rose gold and red, or silver and green – both of which have a certain festive edge. Priced at 198 yuan (approx. £21 / €24 / US$28 / AU$42) this is certainly not going to have your high end shot-snappers quaking in their boots.
There is also a caveat you may have worked out – the model is currently only available in China. Still, for any serious photographers, you're probably not missing much. And for any serious Starbucks fans, there's always a nice mug instead.
