If you thought the compact camera revival couldn’t get any more retro, Camp Snap has just proved otherwise. The new Camp Snap 110D is now available to preorder directly from Camp Snap for $74.99 in the US, while photographers in the UK can pick one up for just £57.
First orders are expected to begin shipping at the end of October, and considering how popular Camp Snap’s wonderfully simple screen-free cameras have already become, I have a feeling this little 110-inspired model could prove particularly difficult to ignore.
US Pre-order
UK Pre-order
The Camp Snap 110D takes its inspiration from the tiny 110 film cameras that became hugely popular during the 1970s, right down to that unmistakably long and slim body. Rather than loading a cartridge of film, however, everything inside is digital. You get an 8MP Sony sensor paired with a fixed 26mm-equivalent lens, while images are saved as straightforward JPEG files to a pre-installed 4GB microSD card that can hold around 2,000 photographs. It is essentially the point-and-shoot simplicity of an old pocket film camera without having to buy or process a single roll of film.
Perhaps more importantly, there is still no rear screen. That has always been one of the biggest attractions of Camp Snap cameras, because you take the photograph and move on rather than immediately checking whether you captured the perfect shot. It brings back a little of that anticipation that made disposable and film cameras so enjoyable, while still giving you the convenience of transferring everything digitally afterwards. A USB-C connection handles both charging and image transfer to a smartphone, tablet or computer, with Camp Snap rating the rechargeable battery for around 500 photographs per charge.
Camp Snap has also built five different looks directly into the 110D, including Standard, Vintage 1, Vintage 2, Analog and Black & White, which can be selected on the camera without reaching for an app. There is even support for creating your own filters, while the built-in dual-tone flash can provide either a cooler 6,500K or warmer 3,000K light. For something designed to be incredibly simple, there is actually a surprising amount of creative control hiding underneath that retro exterior.
Another important improvement is speed. Camp Snap says this is its fastest shutter-button design yet, with a near-instant response intended to make the 110D feel much snappier than some of its previous screen-free cameras.
Its QuickDraw battery-saving system also allows the camera to automatically fall asleep when it isn't being used, but pressing the shutter wakes it ready to shoot without having to fiddle with a power button. That makes far more sense for a camera like this, which will probably spend most of its life sitting in a pocket until something worth photographing suddenly appears.
And that, I suspect, is exactly why the Camp Snap 110D is going to be popular. It isn't trying to compete with the latest mirrorless camera or even your smartphone on outright image quality; instead, it takes photography back to being uncomplicated, spontaneous, and fun.
The 110-inspired body gives it bags of nostalgic appeal, the screen-free experience makes every photograph slightly more exciting, and at $74.99 in the US or £57 in the UK, it remains inexpensive enough to be the sort of camera you actually take everywhere. For anyone missing the days when a camera was simply something you pointed at your friends and pressed the shutter, the Camp Snap 110D might be one of the most charming preorders of the year.
