After enough years of creating, it can sometimes take work to differentiate between telling your story and creating content. Simplicity can feel authentic when your smartphone can shoot in 4k with AI stabilization. This is why the Camp Snap camera quickly became part of my everyday carry after buying the original model.
Often I took it at the expense of my beloved Canon R5. This simple, budget-priced camera is light, compact, and easy to use while delivering incredible lofi shots.
The Camp Snap camera is a delightful prospect for bloggers, storytellers, travelers, and photographers. It’s cheap enough to be a toy, powerful and portable enough that you’ll find yourself grabbing it as you head out the door.
Camp Snap has released an updated version of the Camp Snap camera that makes some vital improvements to the original. But is the Camp Snap camera worth your money, or is it just a fun gimmick? Here’s everything you need to know about the Camp Snap camera.
What Is the Camp Snap Cameras and Who Is It For?
Camp Snap was built as a low-risk camera for kids to take to summer camp. With no screen, 4GB of space, and a flash, it’s a light, easy-to-use, distraction-free camera. Naturally, Camp Snap quickly found an adult audience.
It has a shutter button on top, a photo counter on the back, a slider for setting the LED flash to on/off/auto, and a viewfinder to peer through. There’s also a speaker on the back. You download your photos via a USB-C port on the bottom.
This 8-megapixel digital camera takes interesting, warm, vintage-looking shots free of modern perfection. But most importantly, it doesn’t have a screen or complicated settings to fiddle with. With Camp Snap, you only have two options until you get home: shoot or don’t shoot.
Camp Snap is perfect for kids getting into photography, adventure bloggers longing for a vintage look, and creators of all kinds. Part of its charm is how far it is from other point and shoot camera options. Even by 2002 standards, a digital camera without a screen is odd. However, that’s part of the charm.
It’s so light you’ll forget you’re carrying it, has a battery that goes forever, a quick flash, and photos you have to wait for. For a certain kind of person, that is the coolest pitch for a budget camera they’ve ever heard. A camera designed to keep you in the moment while helping you capture it.
Camp Snap Camera Specs
Lens: 8MP F/1.8 f=4.8mm (35mm equiv.)
Sensor Size: 1/3.2″ sensor
Memory: Comes with a preinstalled 4GB MicroSD card, takes 2000+ photos
Battery: Takes 500 pictures per charge. Charges in about an hour via USB-C
Flash: LED Flash
Lanyard Hooks
What is Great About the Camp Snap Camera?
1) Camp Snap is Light, Lasts Forever, and Is Fun To Throw In Your Pocket
The Camp Snap camera has become my little joy as someone who shoots with ultra high-def RAW photos all the time. Sometimes, I just want to snap life as it comes rather than worrying about settings or setting up the perfect shot. I don’t need 50MB images of every party. Sometimes simplicity is its own joy, especially in photography.
Apparently, I’m not the only person longing for the days of imperfect cameras reflecting life’s chaos. Gen Z has started to fall in love with older cameras via 35mm film and vintage digital point and shoots.
Unlike starting to shoot film or hunting down a vintage digital camera, the Camp Snap camera has an accessible price point of $65.
With a rechargeable battery, enough storage to last multiple days without uploading, and great photos in daylight, Camp Snap is like a disposable camera you never have to turn in. This isn’t a camera people will ask you about. It’s lighter than a cell phone, making it the ideal partner for a job or a trip to the mall.
For business use, I’ve found it makes an excellent camera for scouting locations without drawing attention. For adventure shooting, this was perfect. No venue ever said to leave it in my car. It fits in my fanny pack on walks. Grabbing it while hopping out of my car to explore an abandoned gas station quickly became second nature.
In both cases with Camp Snap, I take more fun experimental shots on a whim than with other gear. This thing is simply a blast to use.
2) The 8MP Sensor (Usually) Takes Great Photos
Camp Snap photos can be fantastic. Sometimes, they can be crap. But even in those cases, a bad Camp Snap photo is bad in a good way. Camp Snap has a 8MP camera with a straightforward, cheap lens.
Your best shots will be in daylight, with rich colors and a delightful grain. For film photographers, I found it most like expired Kodak 400 film.
As someone who shoots 35mm, mirrorless, and DSLR, I’ve learned to love different types of images. Heck, I even have a Canon PowerShot in rotation. The photos from the Camp Snap camera feel right out of a disposable film camera. If you’re a post-film person, consider how photos taken on old smartphones looked.
There’s grain, there are imperfections, and occasionally blurs from movement. But what’s most remarkable is just how often the photos look perfect for what they are. It is not ideal for a magazine spread but is perfect for reliving a memory.
No screen means you’ll end up with more group shots where everyone looks in the wrong direction. Sometimes, you’ll miss someone walking into an image’s edge.
Frankly, that rules. Content creation informs creativity, often teaching the importance of perfection and performance before the joy of just making stuff. The Camp Snap camera is all the randomness of a point-and-shoot disposable camera without the frustration of only having 35 shots.
Are they good? Yes, and sometimes no. That’s what makes them great.
3) Camp Snap V103 is Durable and Adds Time and Date Features
The latest update to the Camp Snap has dramatically improved its build quality. It’s heavier than the previous model, making it sit better in your hand while still being pocketable. The case feels more sturdy, so you shouldn’t worry about drops.
Keep it from falling down the stairs, and you’re golden. There are newly added hooks for attaching a strap to help keep it in your hands. One of the reasons Camp Snap is so durable is its lack of internal moving parts.
With a standard camera, a drop can break the lens or knock a shutter out of alignment. The Camp Snap is simply a sensor, a lens, wires, and a flash. There are no moving parts to break unless you really target the shutter or flash switches.
Along with the lanyard hooks, Camp Snap has also added buttons to change the time and date for your photos. The controls are hidden under a panel on the bottom next to the memory card. That way, if you give this to a kid, they won’t accidentally throw the memory card away. It’s a compact but functional design that only gives you options if you want them.
4) New Sensor is Faster and Sharper Than Before
If you’re on the fence about upgrading, we can report the new sensor takes slightly better photos than previous models. You’re still going to struggle on the brightest days and the darkest nights.
However, there is a noticeable upgrade in sharpness all around. Particularly during low light situations where there’s a lot of ambient light. You’ll love shooting neon with this thing.
Most importantly, the sensor is much faster than the V102 model. Camp Snap in the past has had a bit of lag, making capturing sudden movements a crap shoot. V103 is much faster, making it a more fun street photography option than before.
5) Just $65 For a Good Working Camera That Isn’t Dropshipped
Many cameras in the wave of “vintage” inspired digitals flooding Instagram and TikTok are just rebranded crap from Temu. Camp Snap is the company’s design, updated over time. Having used the V102 and the V103, the differences are apparent. The newer model is a little heavier, with a more rugged case and a faster shutter.
However, even the older Camp Snap cameras were well built, with a mind towards durability. This new model is a noticeable upgrade in build quality, but Camp Snap is still charging just $65 for the camera.
The price point makes Camp Snap an attractive option, whether you’re a curious adult or shopping for a kid.
If it gets lost or stolen, at $65, that’s not the end of the world. That makes it perfect for little people still learning responsibility. However, I’ve found affordability means I’m less precious with it as an adult. God forbid, if I destroy this thing; I can afford another. It also makes upgrading to the newest model more of an impulse buy. After all, you can always give your old one to a kid you know.
6) Camp Snap is a Genuinely Great Camera for Kids TooI
While this review is written from an adult use perspective, this really is an incredible camera for kids. Or really, anyone who wants to learn the basics of photography.
There’s no risk of wasting film, just a million chances to learn. New photographers will learn a lot about low light, how flash (or the lack of a flash) impacts photos, and composition using Camp Snap.
In particular the option to set the flash to on, off, or auto is incredible on a camera this inexpensive. It encourages creative thought as someone uses it more and remembers what they liked about their past photos.
And, unlike a smartphone, you can still mess things up. The photos will sometimes be imperfect. That forces you to learn how to get the results you want with different methods and experimentation.
Where Does The Camp Snap Camera Need Work?
1) The Flash Sucks But That Can Be Good For You
The Camp Snap is no big deal to bring hiking or to a local fight club. However, if that fight club is in a dark basement, you better hope there’s some stage lighting. Otherwise, you’ll be left using the LED flash to brighten up your photos.
If there is any downside to the Camp Snap camera, it’s the flash. The included LED flash is feeble and overly cold. Often, I find myself only using it for group shots at night. If you’re shooting at something at night, look for ambient light.
However, as a photographer, the crappy flash is a quirk I’ve come to adore. Shooting with Camp Snap at night is an exercise in learning to trust your eye and enjoy the randomness of photography.
Your photos without the flash in low light require a steady hand and lots of ambient lighting. The reward will be grainy yet character-filled shots you’ll love forever, alongside a bunch of blurry junk you’ll delete. Using the flash in low light often delivers overly washed-out portraits, but that’s part of the joy.
After all, the imperfection of a lived-in moment is part of what makes it lived in. Camp Snap photos look alive, even in the messy moments.
2) Colors Get Washed Out When The Sun Is Blasting
While we really like the new sensor, Camp Snap still struggles during the brightest parts of the day. This mostly takes the form of washed out highlights. Still, it can be frustrating to get 3/4ths of a perfect photo only to discover the sky is a white blob. However, if you like playing with light, knowing this limitation in advance can produce interesting experiments.
Just don’t be surprised if you take this out under the bright sun on a sandy beach and end up with washed out photos.
3) Camp Snap’s Sounds Are Loud and Annoying (But You Can Turn Them Off)
Out of the box, the Camp Snap camera makes sounds. It makes a click when you turn it on or off and take a photo. The sound makes sense since this is a camera for kids without a screen.
It’s an easy-to-understand sensory way of signaling to kids that they have taken a photo. However, as an adult, it’s a loud clicking sound. It’s baseline setting is louder than any standard camera.
I’m of two minds with this. As someone who likes to do street photography, I don’t want a loud, artificial sound every time I take a photo. It can draw attention, and I can’t prove to people that I didn’t take their picture without a screen. I can even see how adults could find the signal sound useful.
Thankfully, Camp Snap has a built-in way to control the volume.
How Do You Turn The Shutter Sound Off on the Camp Snap Camera?
- Take the bottom panel off the camera.
- Hold the “Mode” button until it brings up the year on the screen.
- Cycle through the year, month, date, and time
- After you cycle through the date options, you’ll get to a final screen. This screen shows numbers one through three. This is where you set the camera sound level. Three is the loudest and zero is mute. Enjoy quiet shooting.
How do you update the Camp Snap Camera Firmware to Change Filters?
You can download Camp Snap firmware directly from their website. Make sure you’re updating the firmware for the correct camera. V103 and V102 use slightly different hardware. You can find the V103 firmware here. Currently, there are three options: standard filter, black and white filter, or vintage film filter.
What Kind of Creator Is The Camp Snap Camera V103 For?
Camp Snap is perfect for beginners looking to explore the basics of photography without burning film or having an iPhone do half the work. It’s inexpensive enough you can throw it around, but powerful enough to be an every day camera. Kids and novaces alike will fall in love.
It’s also great for photographers with incredible gear who want a simple, light, lo-fi option to carry around day to day. While this won’t replace your Mirrorless camera, it might become a regular oddity you keep in your bag.
You never know when it’s noisy darks and glowing warm lights will produce magic. It’s all the fun of a 35mm disposable camera with none of the developing or scanning costs.
Should Creators Buy The Camp Snap V103?
Photographers often convince ourselves it’s a good idea to take our favorite camera everywhere. We want the best possible shots from every moment.
However, using Camp Snap has made me reconsider what I consider the best possible shot. It turns out that sometimes, a fine shot that feels alive is better than a perfect shot that feels sterile.
At $65, the Camp Snap is an affordable tool that’s easy to recommend for creators.
It’s a way to leave your house with a camera that forces you to get lost in the wonder of shooting. At its best, you’ll get wonderfully warm photos that capture the texture of your adventures. When it goes sideways and delivers a blurry mess, you’ll laugh and learn more about digital lowlight photography.
But the absolute joy here is not worrying. It’s the thrill of shooting a shot you can’t immediately see. We’re so used to grids, filters, guides, and fixable live photos that just taking a picture and praying feels revolutionary. And unlike film, you can now get this sensation without blowing hundreds of dollars on development costs.
Ultimately, $65 is a bar tab for the holidays. It’s a new video game or a tank of gas.
Is the Camp Snap perfect? No. But that’s part of why you’re going to love it. This is an adventure in photography. But it’s an adventure that will take photos you’ll cherish forever and want to share. Whether you’re making memories or content, this is a simple investment you won’t regret.
