Have you ever bought a toy blind box, where you don’t know which collectible figure is inside? That trendy sales tactic has now arrived in the tech world. A new product, the Kodak Charmera, is a tiny digital camera that is sold in blind packaging, meaning you won’t know which color you get until you open the box.
The camera is the result of a collaboration between Kodak and Reto. It is a modern, digital remake of the disposable Kodak Fling film camera from 1987. This new version comes in seven different retro styles and colors.
The new Kodak Charmera is a very small and lightweight device, measuring just over 2.2 inches and weighing only 30 grams. It features a 1.6-megapixel sensor and a plastic lens, with an aperture of f/2.4 and 35mm equivalent. It can shoot both still photos and 1080p @30fps video, saving them to a microSD card of up to 128GB capacity. However, its specs are intentionally basic.
The image and video quality is not going to rival a modern smartphone. The photos are reportedly low resolution. To help mask these limitations, the camera includes optional digital photo frame effects and color filters, including red, yellow, blue, and gray. These filters appear to help soften the overly sharpened look of the pictures.
The Kodak Charmera seems designed not as a primary camera, but as a fun, collectible gadget for those who enjoy the surprise of a blind box and a dose of retro style.
Consumers have two buying options. JG Superstore and Henry’s Cameras and are selling the Kodak Charmera for Php2,000 a piece. Or, for those who want to be sure they get every color, they can buy the entire set of seven cameras for around Php12,000.
Kodak Philippines is still on its blind pre-order phase, but it doesn’t guarantee everyone who sign up to get a unit.