That cute retro TLR-style camera that everyone is talking about? It’s under $30 for this last-minute Prime Day deal

(Image credit: Amazon)

Retro camera designs have made a huge comeback – and one retro-looking camera that I keep seeing is now under $30 during the last-minute Amazon Prime Day deals. The Chuzhao is a tiny camera made to look like old twin-lens reflex cameras, a design that has made the camera one of Amazon’s best sellers.

• Time is running out – browse the last-minute Prime Day deals on cameras

The Chuzhao isn’t a retro camera for a serious photographer like the Fujifilm X100VI is – it uses a tiny 12 megapixel 1/4-inch sensor, which makes the camera feel more like either a toy camera or a retro camera about embracing imperfections.

But, the design is likely what is propelling the little camera to the Amazon bestseller list. While it doesn’t actually have two lenses, the camera looks like a retro twin-lens reflex, including a working waist-level viewfinder.

The Chuzhao is smaller than the real TLR cameras, too, measuring just 3.5 inches tall. But that, coupled with the retro design, is probably why so many reviewers use phrases like “the cutest camera” to describe it. Reviews are mixed, though, with some praising the cute design and retro viewfinder and others saying that it “has the build quality of a McDonalds toy.”

There are some red flags – including a low trust score from Scam Advisor – but the camera’s listing on Amazon is far lower than the company’s website. There’s certainly less risk involved as the price dips to under $30 during the last few hours of Prime Day. I’m tempted to pick it up simply to decorate my office, or maybe to gift to one of the kids in my life, because it’s just that cute.

The deal is a Prime Exclusive and on Lightning Deal, so it won’t last long. But if the deal has already expired (or you don’t have a Prime membership), Walmart also has the camera discounted to a still good $35.

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