This New Screen-Free Video Camera Gives Retro Film Enthusiasts the Best of Both Digital and Analog Worlds
Camp Snap is known for its vintage-inspired point-and-shoot gear — we tested out the company's latest CS-8 camera at Disneyland to see how our videos compared to archive footage from the 1960s.
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Danielle Directo-Meston
E-Commerce Editor
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The Camp Snap CS-8 digital video camera Danielle Directo-Meston/THR
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“Dumb” tech is coming for your digital camcorder. Camp Snap is bringing its screen-free approach to video with the new CS-8 digital camera, a Super 8-inspired device that we had a chance to test out — at the Happiest Place on Earth, of all places — before its official release this fall.
Regularly $199, A/V enthusiasts can pre-order the CS-8 and save 25 percent before it ships in mid-September. (It’ll arrive just in time to gift to your favorite filmmakers this holiday.) The rechargeable camera is designed to make it easy for beginners and pros alike to choose the look, feel and format of their footage: one dial lets you choose from five nostalgic filters and another offers four aspect ratios. (Purists will want to look elsewhere if they want to tinker with exposure or swap out lenses, but that’s not what the CS-8 is all about anyway.)
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The video camera’s video resolution shoots up to 4K, depending on the aspect ratio you choose: 4:3, 16:9 (widescreen), 1:1 (square) and 9:16 (for Reels or TikTok). Your filter options are black and white, grainy analog, standard, VTG1 (which gives Y2K feels) and VTG2 (faded sepia). Unlike the earliest Super 8 cameras (sound with film arrived in 1973), the CS-8 records mono audio with a built-in speaker. It includes a 4GB SD card that holds about five hours of footage, while two analog meters keep track of your battery life and storage. It includes a USB-C cable for charging the battery and connecting the device to a computer to download files.
As far as video specs, the CS-8 shoots in encoded H.264 (MP4) at a frame rate of about 30 fps, keeping file sizes manageable. (A four-minute video in 9:16 is about 520 MB.) It doesn’t take photos, but tech-savvy users can pull stills via a video editor or screenshot their favorite scene from a phone.
Camp Snap
Camp Snap CS-8 Digital Video Camera
$149 $199 25% off
The Camp CS-8 is ready to use out of the box — no need to fiddle with film; no lens to click into place. Turn it on with the On/Off dial, select your aspect ratio and filter and pull and hold the trigger to record. You’ll have to use your free hand to zoom in or out with the T and W buttons, offering an analog-esque experience. The camera’s rubber eyecup and a padded back cushion offers stability and comfort, and the sturdy plastic handle has an ergonomic, hefty grip. Peer through the viewfinder and you’ll see the time, a battery life indicator and the selected filter. A loop on the handle lets you attach a lanyard for keeping the camera on your wrist or neck.
Camp sent The Hollywood Reporter shopping editors a sample unit, which we promptly took to Disneyland for a magical test run. The CS-8 gave our 2025 theme park footage a decidedly mid-century home movie feel — without needing to process or digitize film. The Mad Tea Party’s spinning pastel teacups looked like they flew straight out of our family’s 1966 Disneyland archive videos shot on 8mm film. One might confuse our river scenes from the Mark Twain Riverboat with ones scanned from our ’60s reels, were it not for the guests in logo T-shirts and frayed denim shorts. (See our CS-8 footage below of the House of Mouse’s barbershop quartet, the Dapper Dans.)
At just over 1 pound, the CS-8 clocks in at about twice as heavy as your pocket-sized super computer-camera-calculator. (Our iPhone 16 Pro clocks in at 7.5 ounces, sans the case.) Don’t expect one-handed operation or the instant gratification of video playback — but that’s exactly the point. In our hands-on testing, we loved that the video camera kept us immersed in our filmmaking and in the experience in front of us.
Another bonus? Without a built-in screen, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, there’s no way to post online in real time. You’ll have to connect the camera to a laptop or desktop computer and download your video files from the SD card to your hard drive or cloud storage. The CS-8 lets you point, shoot and enjoy the moment — plain and simple.
For a limited time, the Camp Snap CS-8 is available for pre-order for $149 (or $50 off the full price); buy it online at campsnapphoto.com.
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