Camp Snap CS-PRO review: this screen-free digicam is better than the original, and still very affordable

Home / Reviews / Reviews / Camp Snap CS-PRO review: this screen-free digicam is better than the original, and still very affordable

Amateur Photographer verdict

If cheap compacts don’t float your boat, the CS-PRO won’t change that. But with new features and improvements and a two-figure price, Camp Snap has delivered an enticing update to its winning formula.

Pros

Resolution and operability upgrade over original
Stylishly Fuji-like design
Very easy to use
Battery lasts well

Cons

Not many filters available by default
Xenon flash is overpowered
Small sensor limits image quality

The first Camp Snap came out of nowhere to become one of the most popular compact cameras of recent years. The premise was simple – an ultra-cheap digital point-and-shoot with no LCD screen, meaning you couldn’t see the photos you’d captured until you downloaded them from the camera.

Sounds gimmicky, arguably was. But the price was right ($65 / £68) and the retro looks of the camera proved a hit. The Camp Snap has sold like gangbusters – the makers don’t release official numbers, but market estimates have put it at more than million units. Now, the manufacturers are hoping for another hit with the Camp Snap CS-PRO.

Essentially, it’s the same deal – a screen-free digital compact camera for a two-figure price. However, Camp Snap has upgraded a number of components to make it a more sophisticated offering. The sensor resolution has jumped from 8MP to 16MP, though it’s still the same 1/3.06-inch type found in most compacts of this ilk. The middling LED flash of the original is now a turbo-charged Xenon flash, and a top dial has been added with a selection of vintage retro-style image filters. An improved processor also promises to fix one of the most niggling issues with the original Camp Snap – the shutter lag.

Sounds like a good time to me. So, I took the CS-PRO out for a spin to see how it performs.

Photograph of the Camp Snap CS-PRO digital compact camera, held in one hand, lens facing — The CS-PRO is incredibly light, as it’s all plastic. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

Camp Snap CS-PRO at a glance:

16MP CMOS Sensor
Fixed focus f/2.2 lens, 22.5mm equivalent, 37mm filter thread
Optical viewfinder
Top dial with four digital filters
No screen / screen-free
USB type-C Rechargeable battery (rated to
Xenon flash
4GB MicroSD card included
$99 / £75

Camp Snap CS-PRO: Features

If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, Fujifilm should be blushing. You’ve likely clocked already that the CS-PRO looks a lot like a Fujifilm X100, down to the silver/black styling and top-plate dial. Of course, in terms of how they function and who they’re targeting, the two cameras could hardly be more different – the X100VI is a $1,599 premium compact; the CS-PRO costs less than a decent lunch for four people.

Photograph of the Camp Snap CS-PRO digital compact camera on a table facing forwards, lens visible — The design will be familiar to anyone who has been anywhere near a Fujifilm camera. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

The CS-PRO pairs a 16MP CMOS sensor with a fixed-focus lens offering an aperture of f/2.2 and an equivalent focal length of 22.5mm. The lens even has a 37mm filter thread, though honestly I’m hard-pressed to imagine many people bothering to use it. The lens is recessed (and cheap) enough not to really need protection from a UV, the camera’s image quality is not going to be significantly impacted by a polariser, and the lack of selectable shutter speeds limits the usefulness of NDs. But hey, it’s there.

Photograph of the Camp Snap CS-PRO digital compact camera held at an angle facing down, with textured lens ring visible — That textured ring does nothing. It doesn’t even move. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

The dial on the top toggles power and cycles between four selectable looks: STD (standard), VTG1 (a retro-styled filter), VTG2 (another one of those) and B&W (take a guess). On the rear there’s no standard preview screen, of course, but there is a small LED that provides a running shot counter. Shutter speeds are auto-selected, running between 1/1000sec and 1/30sec, and aperture is fixed at f/2.2.

Photograph of the Camp Snap CS-PRO digital compact camera top plate showing mode dial and shutter button — This dial allows you to select your filter – though you won’t see what the effects look like until you download the shots. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

Composition is accomplished via a small but functional optical viewfinder on the top left of the camera. On the front is the powerful Xenon flash, and a sliding switch that toggles it between off, auto and forced. At the bottom, there’s a screw thread for mounting the camera to a tripod, a USB-C port for charging, and a plate that can be unscrewed to access the 4GB SD card if desired.

Photograph of the Camp Snap CS-PRO digital compact camera showing bottom plate with tripod thread and covered USB-C port and micro SD slot — Though there’s no handgrip, the camera is slim enough to hold securely. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

Build-wise, the CS-PRO feels extremely light and insubstantial. It’s all plastic – at this price – it’d never be anything else – and there’s no handgrip to speak of. Some cheap compacts add a few metal weights into the interior of the body to simulate the heft of a more premium camera, but not so with the CS-PRO. This makes it extremely easy to take everywhere with you, slipping into a bag or pocket. It doesn’t come with any kind of pouch, though the makers offer a bespoke carrying bag for an extra $19 / £16.

And, well, that’s it! It’s a very simple camera, with no Wi-Fi or other fancy features. There are no selectable settings, and the textured ring around the lens is not concealing an aperture or control ring – it’s just for show.

Camp Snap CS-PRO: In use

If you weren’t charmed by the original Camp Snap, the CS-PRO is unlikely to convert you. While the extra features do make a difference, it is at heart, still a cheap compact with a small sensor. While the extra MP of resolution adds a bit of sharpness, images still have the scuzzy feel of a mid-noughties digital compact – which for some, will be desirable.

Sample image of Camp Snap CS-PRO, showing sheep standing on a sunlit hillside. Colours are bright and vivid — This is just the Standard ‘STD’ setting, and colours still have a pleasing level of pop. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

Still, in good light, images are quite charming. There’s a good pop of colour, with none of the washed-out drabness that used to plague cheap compacts. Direct light can easily cause colour fringing in the lens, and the dynamic range is limited to the point that blown-out highlights and muddy shadows are a common sight. But if you wanted technical perfection, buddy, you knocked on the wrong door – and honestly, I liked a lot of the images the CS-PRO gave me.

Sample image of Camp Snap CS-PRO, showing runners in the Hackney Half marathon, colours are more muted. — The wide lens means you can reliably fit a lot into the frame. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

The filter dial is a bit rudimentary – could we not have scrounged up more than four modes? But the VTG1 and VTG2 modes are enjoyable, pumping up the saturation and warmth to give images a feel that’s quite different from the standard mode. When the sun’s going down, they can do wonders. The B+W mode is quite attractive too, delivering a decent level of contrast for images with impact. To be fair, it’s also worth noting, though I haven’t tried this yet, that firmware updates allow you to build your own filters and trade them with the community.

Setting: STD. Photo credit: Jon Stapley
Setting: VTG1. Photo credit: Jon Stapley
Setting: VTG2. Photo credit: Jon Stapley
Setting: B+W. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

Good news: the infamous shutter delay is a thing of the past, with the new processor ensuring that the CS-PRO can keep up with your finger. It plays a recorded stock shutter release sound through some tinny speakers when you take a picture, which isn’t exactly to my taste, but isn’t hurting anybody.

Let’s talk about flash. It is certainly cool that the CS-PRO sports a real Xenon flash, especially in light of the piddly LED flash on the previous Camp Snap. However, one could make a case that they’ve over-corrected. The Xenon flash is a monster. Put it to full power and it doesn’t just overexpose; it blasts out the kind of light that melted the Nazis at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I think in the vast majority of situations, you’re going to be much better off with the thankfully more sensible Auto mode, activated by setting the switch to the centre.

Flash off. Photo credit: Jon Stapley
Flash set to auto. Photo credit: Jon Stapley
Flash set to forced. It’s a little much. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

Ultimately, you’re always going to be creatively limited with a camera like this. You can’t change the shutter speed, you can’t change the focal length, you’re stuck with fixed focus. However, all this also makes the CS-PRO an incredibly easy camera to operate, one so simple that even a child can do so (it’s a great family camera for this reason).

Sample image from Camp Snap CS-PRO, showing man standing on rural hilltop. There's some black banding visible in the upper right — The camera will sometimes throw some surprises at you – I’m not sure what that dark banding in the upper right is. Photo credit: Jon Stapley

Camp Snap CS-PRO: Verdict

It’s all about price. You could say that the CS-PRO isn’t much of an advancement over the original Camp Snap, and you’d be right, but the fact that Camp Snap has cannily kept the price to two figures makes me confident that it’ll once again find an audience. It also makes me happy to recommend the camera, if you like the look and sound of it based on this review. Give it a try! You’ve not got that much to lose.

It’s a nice-looking camera, even if it does feel pretty cheap once you get your hands on it. It’s so easy to use, and it’s perfectly capable of producing punchy images with plenty of colour and pop. And sometimes when it does show its limitations, with colour fringing or blown-out highlights, it just adds to the retro-styled vibe the camera is going for.

With no screen to chimp at, and no technical settings to worry about, shooting with the Camp Snap CS-PRO is a refreshingly low-key experience. It’s at its best when you just sit back and vibe, and if that sounds like a good time to you, there might be a place in your bag for the CS-PRO.