Who is this for: This toy camera is for anyone who wants to go back to basics with the joys of delayed gratification, with the conveniences of digital media. It makes for a great gift given its less than P5,000 price point.
In the fast-paced world of digital, there’s some consensus that we need to slow down and reminisce about the good old days. Photography is one of them. Say hello to Camp Snap, a toy camera that kids will love as much as their parents who grew up with disposable cameras.
A shot of nostalgia
It doesn’t have a screen so you can’t view your photos immediately. The lens doesn’t have zoom so you will have to move your body to manually zoom in and out. It doesn’t have any dial to adjust your shutter speed or aperture so you will need to rely on imagination, creativity and the rules of photography and composition to get the perfect shot. If this sounds odd to you, then you were probably born after the ‘Kodak years’ when everybody owned a 1.3MP Sony Cybershot. However, if you were hit by a wave of nostalgia, then you’re going to love this toy camera.
For anyone who has owned a Kodak disposable camera from the 80’s and 90’s, the Camp Snap camera is the spiritual successor that removes the “disposable” part. In the past, people would throw away these cameras after developing the roll of film inside from those one hour photo kiosks (if you know what these are then I hope you’ve taken your maintenance meds today). Instead, this is a more sustainable way to shoot in an age of digital photography as all you need to do is delete photos from the SD card when you run out of space.
Build quality
The Camp Snap camera is made of light plastic and I believe can survive some wear and tear if you drop it. It’s super light at just shy of 100 grams and is highly pocketable as it resembles a classic rangefinder. It comes in 12 fun colors, some of which are limited edition runs. I got Sunbeam Yellow.
The front of the camera houses the flash and a f/1.8 35mm (effective) fixed focus lens that can store photos at 8MP. The flash itself is reminiscent of a disposable camera and isn’t really that great (during that time none of them were to be honest) but if you are looking to create a “deer in headlights” look then by all means the flash is really more of a creative tool. The back of the camera houses a digital photo counter and the flash control. You can store up to 2000 photos with the 4GB card that comes with the camera but a full charge allows you to shoot roughly 500 photos. In real world use, my 8-year old was able to get almost 300 shots in with the flash turned on. The flash control on the other hand switches from ON, OFF, and AUTO. I keep it mostly off to conserve battery. The perforations on the lower left side of the camera are for the speakers that make an audible snapping sound when you turn the camera on and take photos.
The top of the camera houses the shutter button. A long press turns the device on and off. Turning it off this way consumes one shot, which is part of the jankiness I love with these toy cameras. Alternatively you can also turn the camera off by simply leaving it alone. It powers down after about a minute or two of idleness.
The bottom of the camera houses the USB-C charging port (data cable included) and a panel that can be unscrewed to reveal the 4GB microSD card and three buttons that allow you to adjust shutter volume and date / time. Frankly, you don’t need to even open this panel (hence the Philips screw) but for those who prefer to transfer photos via card readers, go ahead. From experience, it’s much easier to transfer photos via USB-C.
Speaking of photos, here are some shots that my family took.
Less on technicals: Capturing moments, telling stories
I’d like to dwell a bit on the photography bit – this is pretty much a camera that is meant to document fun moments in our daily lives. Shooting at night won’t get you the best results but that is part of the charm. In our 200 photo reel, we got one or two gems that I’m sharing here. One of them is a self-portrait of my son that really captures the essence of composition and wonder.
And that’s the thing — back in the day it would be considered a boon to get just one good photo after shooting dozens of rolls of film. After seeing this shot, it brought back a feeling I haven’t experienced in a long time: satisfaction from delayed gratification.
For composition, you can’t go up too close for shots despite the seemingly portrait setup so it doesn’t do too well with close-up food photography or full-face in frame shots. This is pretty much a camera that gives you a fun “90’s look” with your subjects (overexposed with flash) and a scenic background. For clearer and more focused shots, natural light or well-lit areas like malls is really key.
The lack of dials, buttons, and a screen allows the photographer to focus on the subject at hand: taking photos based on the rules of composition, capturing “moments” more than a technically superb photo. It is the return to an age where imperfections such as over or underexposing and blurred shots have some merit as the focus was more about telling stories.
Verdict
Camp Snap is a wonderful toy camera that can introduce photography to the young and is a great nostalgia trip for the young at heart. It’s affordable at P4,499 and can make for a great gift for hobbyists and yes, even pro photographers who want something they can keep handy in their pocket.
