When Kodak announced a tiny retro-inspired keychain camera earlier this month, the internet quickly became obsessed – selling out of the first two rounds of pre-orders in a matter of days. But since the mid-September launch of the Kodak Charmera, Google data reveals a spike in searches for keychain cameras overall.
While Google data shows a sharp uptick in searches for keychain cameras since mid-September, the Charmera isn’t the only model that Googlers are looking for. Searches in the US also spiked for the Instax Pal, a golf ball-sized 4MP digital camera whose viewfinder doubles as a keychain clip.
When GoPro announced the Lit Hero earlier this week, shots of the tiny action camera also showed off the new camera dangling from a keychain. While the built-in mounting brackets on the GoPro Hero13 Black could theoretically also be used to attach the flagship action cam to a set of keys, the Lit Hero is only around the size of an AirPods case (which, yes, is commonly stored on a keychain).
GoPro’s sample shots taken from the camera also seem to ooze those retro digicam vibes, considering the built-in light and lower 12MP resolution.
The question is, are keychain cameras just a temporary trend driven by searchers that missed the $30 / £30 pre-orders of the Kodak Charmera, or is the keychain camera trend going to have staying power?
I think much of the hype of the Charmera – and subsequent hype over keychain cameras – is the desire to have a camera that can come anywhere, but that isn't a camera phone. Phone images are becoming increasingly over-processed, using computational photography to eke out more quality from a sensor that also has to fit with a computer inside pockets.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Y2K-era compact cameras – in wacky colors with single-digit megapixels and direct flash – are trending at the same time that the cameras we already have in our pockets are becoming increasingly reliant on AI to edge towards more technically perfect images.
There are really two opposite drivers for the compact camera trend: the craving for better quality than a smartphone, through a larger sensor and brighter lens, and the craving for that nostalgic, retro look of early digital cameras.
The keychain camera trend obviously slots in the latter category, with the Charmera’s 1.6MP and the Instax Pal’s 4.5MP bordering more on old-school looks than the modern advantages of working with a dedicated high-end compact camera like the Fujifilm X100VI or the Ricoh GRIV.
Another question that will inevitably arise with a $30 / £30 camera is just how long such a cheap camera will last, especially when actually used as a keychain and treated to the usual jostling that a pair of keys is typically subject to.
Placing a camera next to the metal scratch-inducing sticks known as keys also doesn’t really sound like the best of ideas. GoPro’s reputation as a durable underwater action cam makes me lean towards the Lit Hero if I did ever want to put a camera on my keys, particularly with the lens cover that can be replaced if it does get scratched.
But then there’s the screen to worry about scratching up as well, where the Instax Pal and Charmera don’t have screens at all.
Another hurdle that suggests the keychain camera trend may be a short one is that there are really limited options – at least when trying to avoid the no-name brand listings for keychain cameras that pepper Amazon.
There’s the Charmera, the Instax Pal and the Lit Hero that come to mind. After all, camera makers are still trying to catch up with the resurgence in compacts, let alone this new trend.
Will the keychain camera trend be short-lived, or a more lasting extension of the compact camera trend? It’s too early to tell. The uptick in searches for keychain cameras could all be due to the newness of the Charmera. Increased US searches for the Instax Pal could all stem from Walmart’s $29 price on a camera that typically costs more than $100.
And of course, we’re heading into the holiday shopping season – and keychain cameras seem like an excellent stocking stuffer idea.
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