These lifesize 35mm rolls of film are actually digital compact cameras!

the eight different SnapRoll cameras with their boxes
(Image credit: Escura)

It’s a bird, it’s a roll of film, it’s a… digital camera? That’s right, the Escura SnapRoll might look like a roll of film for 35mm cameras, but it’s actually a working compact camera. Could have fooled me! Not only is it a 1:1 scale reproduction of a roll of 35mm film, but it comes in one of seven authentic-looking retro designs (including a Mystery Version) and a matching 1:1 box.

However, you won’t know which design you get until you open the packaging. You also have a 1:36 chance of finding the Mystery Version, which is based on Escura’s own ‘Showa’ film style. The mystery variant in question is said to feature a transparent shell, revealing the device’s internals, while mimicking the ‘Showa’ film style.

Rather remarkably, Escura has managed to squeeze a 1.3-inch LCD screen onto the device, without ruining the aesthetic by making it appear as a single cell of film. The camera itself is able to capture both photos and video, as well as double as a mini digital photo frame.

This tiny retro camera is built around a 2MP CMOS sensor and a fixed 3.2mm f/2.8 lens. It’s an automatic device with a 1/125 sec shutter speed, and shoots both JPEG stills and AVI video (720x720 / 30p).

It has a USB-C connector for charging, can house a microSD card up to 64GB (which is sold separately), and weighs just 22g. The Escura SnapRoll is listed at $45 and is available via the Escura shop.

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Mike Harris
How To Editor

Mike studied photography at college, honing his Adobe Photoshop skills and learning to work in the studio and darkroom. After a few years writing for various publications, he headed to the ‘Big Smoke’ to work on Wex Photo Video’s award-winning content team, before transitioning back to print as Technique Editor (later Deputy Editor) on N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine.

With bylines in Digital Camera, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Practical Photography, Digital Photographer, iMore, and TechRadar, he’s a fountain of photography and consumer tech knowledge, making him a top tutor for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and more. His expertise extends to everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...

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