Camp Snap returns with another ultra-cheap screen-free compact camera — and this is the new feature I’m most excited about | Tech Radar

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Camp Snap returns with another ultra-cheap screen-free compact camera — and this is the new feature I’m most excited about

Adding a vintage filter button to this screen-free compact is definitely a smart move.

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The Camp Snap 2 is the latest screen-free digital compact camera, designed to provide a simple experience and film-like feel

It adds a new filter button, similar to the dial on the CS-PRO but with even more options for giving images a vintage look

The shutter has also been upgraded for faster responsiveness and instant quick-draw shooting

Camp Snap, producer of affordable retro-styled digital cameras, has announced the successor to its mega-viral original Camp Snap camera — the Camp Snap 2.

The original Camp Snap came somewhat out of nowhere to become an unexpected hit. An ultra-affordable compact camera with a tiny sensor and no screen, meaning you couldn’t see your images until after you’d shot them, it proved hugely appealing to consumers looking for a simpler photography experience that evoked some of the feel of shooting film without the ongoing expense.

Since then, we’ve also seen the Camp Snap CS-8, a video camera aping Super 8 camcorders, and the CS-Pro, a slightly upgraded Fujifilm X100-styled version of the original Camp Snap with a higher-resolution sensor and filter dial. But now, we have the mainline sequel to the original camera that started it all: the Camp Snap 2.

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So, what’s new? At first glance, not much — this is still a screen-free digital compact with a small 1/3.2-inch sensor that has a resolution of 8MP. Once again this is paired with a fixed-focus wide-angle lens (26mm equivalent), in a camera with fixed exposure settings, a small optical viewfinder and an LED flash. All these things were true of the original Camp Snap.

However, once you dig in a bit further, there are a few upgrades that I really like the sound of. And with the price still tantalizingly low (

69.95 at launch, equivalent to about £52 / AU

97), I think it’s quite possible that Camp Snap is going to have another hit on its hands. I have the camera on my desk now and will be testing it out fully over the next few weeks — but here’s a quick rundown of the key new features.

The Camp Snap 2 adds a new filter-toggle button, similar to the dial on the CS-Pro but with even more options: six filters by default rather than four. You get: Standard, Vintage 1–3, Analog, and Black & White. I’ll be interested to see exactly what ‘Analog’ means (I suspect it’s going to be grainy). This button comes locked by default as part of the ‘Camp Lock’ feature-set designed to make the camera suitable for children; this is also why the memory card door is screwed in.

Sample images taken with the Camp Snap 2.(Image credit: Camp Snap)

Elsewhere, the shutter has also been upgraded. Shutter lag was a common complaint about the original Camp Snap, and the manufacturer promises that the button has been redesigned for an instantly responsive shooting experience. Also, Camp Snap says that while the camera will power-off after a period of inactivity to save battery, you can still quickly draw it and shoot to get the next shot without needing to power-up first.

This, I really like the sound of. One of my gripes with a lot of film-style digital compacts — I discussed it in my Rewind Pix review — is that auto power-off functionality means they don’t recreate the always-on readiness of analog compacts. If the Camp Snap 2 has fixed this issue, I’ll be very pleased.

Camp Snap says this new version is even lighter than the original Camp Snap, to the tune of a 15% weight reduction (it weighs a slender 108g). It now has a screw thread on the bottom for tripod mounting, and a 30.5mm filter thread on the lens for attaching screw-on filters.

The CS-Pro also has a filter thread, and in my review I was a bit dismissive of the idea that a Camp Snap user would bother to attach a screw-on lens filter. Naturally, someone immediately popped up in the comments to prove me wrong and explain how they bought a cheap mist filter and it really helped enhance the lo-fi filmic look of their images. So, that’s taught me to be a bit more open-minded about how people are using these cameras.

Furthermore, in the release material for the CS2, Camp Snap also not so subtly hints that it’s working on producing its own filters for the cameras. I’m interested to see what comes out.

The Camp Snap 2 is available now in a range of colorways, priced $69.95. I have the natty Sunbeam Yellow version with me now, and I’m looking forward to putting it through its paces for a full review coming soon.

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Writer, photographer and editor Jon Stapley is an expert in all things cameras and digital art.

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