This Screen-Free Digital Camera Shoots (Almost) Like Film
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I originally got the Camp Snap camera a couple of months ago for my 9-year-old to take to a sleepaway camp that bans devices with screens, but it turns out I’m the one who actually loves using it.
Before I had kids, one of my hobbies was taking film photos (mostly with a Pentax Spotmatic and medium-format Bronica SQ-A). The Camp Snap is the first digital camera I’ve ever used that captures some of what I love about that analog technology. It’s as light and pocket-sized as a disposable camera, but digital, rechargeable, and simple to use. A switch on the back toggles it on and can also turn on the flash, and there’s just a single button to operate the shutter. Since there’s no screen, you use the viewfinder to frame your shots, but you have to take into account that the actual lens is a bit off-center and guesstimate where to center the frame. Then you can see the photos only once you’ve connected the camera to a computer.
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The pictures you make are a combination of intention and serendipity. You have to think a little to frame your shot, but because there are no settings to fiddle with (unlike with all my manual cameras), you don’t have to worry about aperture or shutter speed. Because you don’t get to see the result until later, you don’t bother taking a zillion versions of the same shot to get just the right one. And — for me at least — that means you stay more present in the moment and the phone stays in your pocket. (I’ve noticed, too, that my daughter is less likely to get sucked into looking at everything through the Camp Snap, which is not the case if I hand her a phone to take pictures.)
Before I landed on the Camp Snap, I had considered getting my daughter disposable cameras, but I kept getting stuck on the “disposable” part — it feels like a lot of plastic to throw out after you take your 27 exposures. And at the same time, it’s also fairly inconvenient and costly to have to develop the film and store the negatives.
On the other hand, digital point-and-shoots felt like a little too much camera: We have an old Sony Cyber-shot and Panasonic Lumix in a drawer somewhere, but we weren’t sure the screens on those were allowed; they’re a little heavy; and the Sony at least seemed like it might be complicated enough to operate that my daughter wouldn’t even bother using it. The screens and settings on these cameras end up just becoming more of a distraction for her (and me).
The Camp Snap gives you the best of both options. And because of that, it makes taking photos more fun.
I could tell you that the camera has a 8MP 1/3.2-inch sensor and f/1.8 aperture, but the specs are completely beside the point with the Camp Snap: All you need to know is that it takes good enough photos for viewing on a laptop or smartphone ordigital picture frame. They’re not “good” photos; in bright light, images can look blown out, and you have to get used to holding the camera still enough in darker environments to get unblurry images (especially if you’re like my 9-year-old and have mostly used an iPhone or iPad to take pictures). But that’s true of all film-based disposables as well and a part of the Camp Snap’s charm. The camera comes with a preinstalled filter (you can download others, including a no-filter setting, and even make your own) that gives the images the nostalgic feel of film snapshots, but somehow without the cheap effect of those old Instagram filters.
It’s not unlike using a Holga or Lomo film camera. But if you, like me, are already struggling to deal with physical media, the benefit is that there’s no expensive film to buy and develop or negatives to store. I’m also not one to play around much with lenses and camera accessories or with post-processing techniques, but the Camp Snap can be a fun starting point for experimentation — not just with filters but with physical mods (r/campsnapcamerais a good source for ideas).
The camera comes with a 4GB memory card, which can hold 2,000 photos, but we’re finding that we take just a few at a time. And that’s all we need.
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