Camp Snap has been at the forefront of the retro camera revival trend, taking decades-old designs and giving them a snappy modern makeover while keeping them functionally simple. The latest from the brand is the CS-8 Micro, a charm-sized take on its viral CS-8 camcorder. And if you look at the price, you might even do a double take over whether it’s a real camera at all.
The CS-8 Micro is priced at $39.99, and it will be available starting November 17 from the brand’s official website, Target, and Urban Outfitters in the US. The tiny retro camcorder is so small and light that the company pitches it as an accessory you can hook onto a keychain or backpack, or simply toss in your bag without noticing its heft or size.
And here’s the fun part. When you place an order for a CS-8 Micro, it arrives in a mystery box, so buyers don’t know which color they’re getting until they open it. In addition to peppy color options like hot pink, lilac, orange, and lime, the CS-8 Micro also comes in a rare Classic Black and an ultra-rare Glow in the Dark option, with odds of roughly 1 in 24 and 1 in 48, respectively.
The camcorder weighs just 1.5 ounces and measures about 3 inches, but despite its diminutive form factor, it can record video with audio, imitating the look of classic 8mm film. The built-in LCD screen lets users frame their shots, though there’s no playback, so you’ll only see your footage once you transfer it. A 4GB memory card comes preinstalled, and a USB-C port lets users transfer their captured footage.
As far as technical specifications go, the CS-8 Micro records 720p HD clips that imitate the look of film. There are a total of five filters, which include a true-to-life STD look, a faded ’90s style with the VTG 1 preset, a golden film glow with the VTG 2 option, a grainy 8mm style with the ANA profile, and a classic black-and-white look.
You simply press once to start recording and again to stop, and interestingly, it also lets you go all the way up to 8x digital zoom. There’s no accompanying app or Wi-Fi support. Footage is saved on the microSD card, and you can only transfer it using a USB-C cable. You can swap out the supplied 4GB microSD card for a higher-capacity card of up to 256GB.
The built-in 500mAh battery lasts about 30 to 45 minutes of video capture, which is recorded at 24fps and drops to 18fps when the ANA filter is applied. The company notes that the bundled 4GB microSD card is enough to capture about 45 to 60 minutes of HD video.
