What To Know
- I recall my dad used to use either the 8mm or the Super 8 camcorder from the 1960s to the early 1970s, before video recorders and camcorders came into play.
- It is for people who want the unique “Super 8 aesthetic” without having to buy and use real film, for parents who want a camera their kids can use without being distracted by a screen, and for anyone who is tired of their smartphone making it hard to tell the difference between living life and capturing it.
I recall my dad used to use either the 8mm or the Super 8 camcorder from the 1960s to the early 1970s, before video recorders and camcorders came into play. Those were analog devices that had a handle, similar to a director’s scope, and the film needed to be developed by a studio. My dad had many of those reels then, which, sadly, can no longer be found. Until someone had to recreate the 8mm experience all over again with the CS8.
There had been attempts to resurrect the Super 8 videography experience with digital devices, as far as I vaguely recall. But they were either experimental designs or prototypes, or there may have been devices that went to market but never really made it. Their high prices were the showstopper.
The Camp Snap CS8 removes all these pricing obstacles, at less than US$200. And it fits right in with the retro-seeking modern generation that is reviving and digging out grandparents’ devices, repairing and using them.
Tribute to the old days
The CS8, which pays a clear and charming tribute to the classic Super 8 camcorder, also “features” no digital screen for playback, despite it being a 100% digital recording device. You will experience what we old-time photographers and videographers were used to with analog film, where there was no way of knowing what we shot and if they were any good. Surprise!
You take videos with a 2.7k sensor, save them to the SD card, and that’s that. You cannot delete, review, or edit your clips right after they happen. You can only see the results when you connect the camera to your computer with a USB-C cable. It is a purposeful friction that attempts to bring back the ideology of videography as memory, rather than just files.
The CS8 does not just embrace simplicity; it also offers features that modern creatives and digital rebels love, all wrapped up in a great tactile experience. There are no menus or complicated settings, just simple dials and a trigger on the handle. It is refreshing to see something like those features again. The classic analog meters for battery life and memory are direct and simple, giving you clear, useful information in a charming, old-fashioned way.
The CS8 has “film-style filters” that are “baked in” when you press the trigger. The CS8 comes with three filters that give your footage a unique, nostalgic feel right out of the box. The VTG 2 (Vintage 2) filter gives your footage warm, rich tones; the VTG 1 filter gives it the soft, faded colors of a ’90s home video; and the Analog filter gives it the beautifully imperfect, textured grain look of 8mm film.
The CS8 is not forgetting that creators show and tell in different picture frames. Before shooting with the camera, you can choose your aspect ratio, making it instantly useful for any platform, such as the vertical 9:16 format for Instagram Reels or TikTok, a wide YouTube look, or the classic “square TV” aspect ratio to create a vintage feel. You do not need to do color grading for your content; just point, shoot, and wait.
Bring back the dreaming and creating
The Camp Snap CS8 costs enough to be an affordable creative partner and is distinct enough for creators to remember it is not a smartphone replacement. It is for people who want the unique “Super 8 aesthetic” without having to buy and use real film, for parents who want a camera their kids can use without being distracted by a screen, and for anyone who is tired of their smartphone making it hard to tell the difference between living life and capturing it.
It can be charged, takes short, clear clips with one pull of the trigger, records monaural sound, and is very simple to use. And no, you cannot use external wired or wireless microphones—the CS8 is clearly “what you see is what you get.”
Think different, shoot classic, and be surprised with the Camp Snap CS8.
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