As a long-time camera nerd, I’m always obsessing over tech specs – which is why I was surprised when I actually fell in love with the low-tech Camp Snap, a screen-free digital compact camera for unplugging.
But now Camp Snap is moving beyond compacts. The Camp Snap CS-8 is a digital camcorder inspired by the retro Super 8 film cameras – and I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about a camcorder launch.
The Camp Snap CS-8 has digital guts, but the design and even the way it shoots are inspired by Super 8 – the pre-VHS camcorder of the Sixties and Seventies.
Like a retro Super 8, the CS-8 has a large body with retro styling and a handle. Super 8 cameras recorded whenever the trigger was depressed, and the CS-8 is the same way.
Like the original Camp Snap compact camera, the CS-8 is screen-free, but that doesn‘t mean users are shooting totally blind. There’s a viewfinder built in. A retro gauge at the side indicates the battery level, and there’s a dial to change the aspect ratio, including 1:1 for Instagram, 16:9 for a more cinematic look and 9:16 for Reels and TikTok.
Camp Snap says that the CS-8 will also offer different vintage digital filters, including sepia, grainy analog, washed-out retro tones, black and white, and a standard film look.
The Camp Snap CS-8 feels decidedly low-tech – but that’s exactly why I’m excited. I’m more of a photographer than a videographer, but I’m always taking videos with my iPhone. The trouble is, I don’t have the time to really make them look good, so I’m really hoping the CS-8 delivers dreamy retro vibes straight out of the camera.
I used a compact camera on my last vacation more than my mirrorless camera or iPhone – and the feeling of unplugging was liberating. That’s the other reason that I’m hoping the CS-8 is as fantastically retro as it looks – I want to take short videos of my kids growing up, without the distraction of a screen.
Camp Snap has previously teased the CS-8, but now the camera is coming out in a matter of days. The company launched a limited 30-unit pre-release on social media that quickly sold out, but the company says pre-orders will begin on July 31, with a list price of $199 (which is roughly £147 / AU$302).
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