Last week, third-party lens maker Viltrox announced a tiny pancake lens – but if the rumors are any indication, that’s not the only tiny product on the horizon. Photos of a tiny Viltrox keychain camera have leaked online from a regular rumour reporter on Chinese social media.
I’ve heard a few dubious rumors popping up recently hinting that Viltrox was working on a camera. I had my doubts, but the newly leaked photos are not at all what I was expecting.
If the photos leaked by the Independent Photographers’ Association on Weibo are true, then Vilrox could soon offer a tiny keychain camera with a retro design.
The leaked photos look quite similar to the viral Kodak Charmera keychain camera, with the same rectangular shape, keychain ring, and retro stripes. The camera has “1839” printed on it, like some of the original Kodak Charmera designs that have 1987 printed on it, the year of the Kodak Fling that first inspired the Charmera.
The leak didn’t contain any specifications, but with the word “toy” printed on the box, it’s clear the rumored Viltrox camera isn’t made for serious shooters.
If I had to guess, I would venture that the Viltrox toy camera may not even be something headed to stores. The Google-translated caption with the photos indicates that the camera is made for a Dragon Boat Festival gift box.
For now, the Viltrox toy camera is just an unconfirmed leak – but it raises questions about the keychain camera craze. Since the Kodak Charmera went viral and sold out in a matter of hours last year, copies have popped up everywhere, from fast food swag to gas station rewards programs.
Now, the Kodak licensee Reto Productions has made a second set of blink box designs, this time on a Y2K theme.
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