When screen-free camera maker Camp Snap launched its first retro camcorder, it grabbed the attention of celebrities and creators for its old-school looks. Now, Camp Snap is shrinking the CS-8 in half. The Camp Snap 8 Mini packs the same viral retro video quality into a design that’s less than half the size of the original.
The Camp Snap 8 Mini – or the CS-8 Mini for short – packs the same 2.7K resolution from a 1/2.7-inch sensor. Like the original, there’s no traditional screen – just an electronic viewfinder to preview the shots – and there are no apps or Wi-Fi connection either. Camp Snap is also keeping the same five film-inspired presets, as well as the 8x digital zoom.
But what’s changing is the size. The CS-8 is inspired by old Super 8 camcorders, including their bulky design and trigger-style recording. But the Mini shrinks that down to a camera that weighs .58 lbs / 262g. The Mini measures 6 inches (152mm) on the longest side, sitting around two inches (50mm) thick and 5.6 inches (141mm) wide.
The original grabbed the attention of nostalgic adults for its old-school-looking footage that feels like a home movie, including finding its way into the hands of celebrities from Taylor Swift to the US Men's Hockey Team. But there’s a new audience that the CS-8 Mini is directed for: Kids.
Camp Snap says the smaller size is made for the smaller hands of kids, as well as being more travel-friendly. Camp Snap got its start as a company building screen-free cameras to send with kids to summer camps, but the screen-free design immediately felt nostalgic to adults, sparking the launch of more grown-up cameras like the Camp Snap CS-Pro and the CS-8.
The CS-8 Mini keeps the trigger-style shooting of the original and the retro dials, including one to adjust the aspect ratio. The meters for battery life and memory card space remaining also remain but were reimagined to fit on the smaller design.
The Mini also trades the retro black-and-white for four bright color options in blue, green, orange, and pink.
I’ve gifted my kids Camp Snap cameras for still photos, and one of the things my 7-year-old misses compared to a traditional kid camera is the ability to take videos. But one of my biggest complaints about the original CS-8 is that it's a bit too bulky for packing on a trip – so I have to wonder if the Mini might also find a home in some adult hands.
Camp Snap just teased two upcoming cameras – and the Mini is only one of them, so it looks like another launch is also on the horizon.
The Camp Snap CS-8 Mini lists for $149.99 – about $50 less than the original. That converts to about £111 / AU$214 / CA$209. The first sales are opening at Camp Snap's online store and Target.
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