I’m obsessed with retro cameras. This gadget looks like a roll of film, but it's actually an APS-C sensor that allows old cameras to shoot digital – and even 4K video!

I’m Back wants to give old film cameras the ability to shoot digital with a film roll-shaped APS-C sensor.

The company crafting digital “rolls” to convert old film cameras to digital is working on a larger, APS-C sensor conversion kit.

The start-up I’m Back has made a number of different attempts to convert old film cameras into digital shooters – but it looks like the start-up’s latest attempt is going to house its biggest sensor yet.

In a cryptic Kickster page, the Switzerland-based I’m Back GmbH has revealed that it's working on an APS-C sensor kit to convert old 35mm film cameras into digital shooters. The gadget creates a digital camera from a real vintage camera, but unlike the earlier attempts is screen-free and doesn’t add anything to the outside of the camera beyond a remote.

I’ve used a number of “retro” screen-free digital cameras made to feel like old film, but options like the Camp Snap and Flashback One35 are made with smaller sensors to mimic more of the disposable camera aesthetic than an interchangeable lens film camera. Converting a real film camera using a large, APS-C sensor could capitalize on that retro trend while delivering the image quality that comes with a larger sensor.

I’m Back has built sensors that look like rolls of film before – the company’s website still sells its earlier 20MP film roll, though there are just a few left, and the company's social media indicates it won't get restocked. But the company’s previous attempt used a Micro Four Thirds sensor. According to a “Launching Soon” page on Kickstarter, I’m Back is, well, back – but with a larger APS-C sensor “roll.”

Along with a larger sensor than previous attempts, the company says the upcoming digital sensor roll won’t have an external display or anything attached to the outside of the camera. The roll-like sensor slots inside the camera body, while a small remote will be used to synchronize the shutter. The company’s previous Micro Four Thirds option required adding a grip-like block to the bottom of the camera, as well as adding the roll to the inside.

The upcoming device will allow film cameras to shoot RAW and JPEG – and even 4K videos. The company's Instagram even hints that it will be compatible with underwater film cameras.

“I’m Back Roll does not aim to replace analog photography or compete with modern digital cameras,” writes founder Samuel Mello Medeiros. “Its purpose is to offer a new possibility: bringing historic cameras back to life and allowing them to continue telling new stories.”

The company’s previous digital conversion roll received mixed reviews and feedback. But, the original Kickstarter received a lot of attention, suggesting there’s a market for such a device, if done right. This early on, a number of questions remain, like price, full specs, and just how well the idea translates into a real-life project. But, based on the initial interest in the company’s previous attempts, it may be a project to watch.

I’m obsessed with old film cameras, but I’m a bit wary this early in the gadget’s development. The previous attempts don't seem to have taken off, and to be fair, other companies' attempts to convert old cameras haven't really gone to the mass market either. The larger sensor and operation all inside the camera is intriguing, however, and I hope it lives up to all the inevitable hype. In the meantime, I’ll stick to converting old film lenses to use on a mirrorless camera.

Photographers interested in the upcoming launch can follow the Kickstarter page for notifications.

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