It’s not every day that we come across a camera that is not only designed to look nostalgic but also promises to deliver images that feel more like a warm memory than a hyper-realistic representation of the world – i.e., what your modern smartphones do. Manual NYC’s pitch doesn’t get any more straightforward: the Holo V2 is not intended to deliver clinical images but instead to capture life’s moments – imperfections and all. Challenge accepted.
Heading into this review, I knew that this camera was more about the experience of having a camera that isn’t your phone ready to go at a moment’s notice. By Manual NYC’s own description, the Holo is “a camera for presence, not perfection.” Which depending on where you stand in terms of expectations, that could mean it’s apologizing in advance for its lack of clinical preciseness, or that this is a camera that’s more about having fun in the moment and not worrying about a polished look.
The Holo V2: Vibes Only?
Digicams by their nature are not typically high-tech beasts with the latest and greatest technology crammed into their shells. The Holo V2 by Manual NYC is not different in that sense – there’s a tiny sensor that claims to be capable of delivering 20-megapixel image files. The camera’s shell reads that there’s a 3x optical zoom lens that goes up to 16x digital zoom – which can feel like a chore to work with, and lastly, there isn’t anything remotely weather-resistant in the camera’s design. This camera brings a ton of fun and its unique, throwback clear, plastic design reminds me of the old Nintendo Gameboy Color shells that were popular as a kid. And I genuinely love that about the Holo camera.
Honestly, more cameras should be made in this spirit. The Holo V2 has been criticized as being a “scamera” on Reddit – meaning a camera that doesn’t produce images that are good enough for any “serious” application or appreciation. As if the only images that are worthy of being viewed must come from a camera that has lots of megapickles and other marketing jargon. Maybe they mean, it’s a camera that unapologetically markets itself to women.
In either case, they are dead wrong.
The Holo in the Real-World
The Holo camera is designed so that it can easily fit in a pants’ pocket, a light jacket or a bulky winter coat. Or a woman’s small purse – the kind that were staples in the clubs when I used to be a DJ. There isn’t a touchscreen, any lenses that might protrude or otherwise get in the way or even weigh you down. It’s meant to be carried with you, maybe even if you don’t take a single frame during that outing. Best of all, there is no instant sharing of the images (and video) you make with the Holo – you pull out the camera, snap a few shots among friends, and then you go back to your moment. No need to stop what you’re doing to sync to your phone – that’s tomorrow’s problem. To get your images out of the camera, you’ll need to connect to a computer with a USB-C cable, or use the included MicroSD card reader to connect to your phone (also USB-C).
During my review period, I took this camera out to just about every and any event that I happened to be headed to. Even when I would consider, and reconsider, carrying a “proper” camera, the Holo was often good enough. It even produced the lead image of an article published on this site. I highlight this image because it’s cropped in, it was taken in conditions that are objectively tough for cameras like this – LED lighting causes lots of banding and flickering on this camera. But with a little work, it will not just make a great image for social media, it’s capable of capturing a great image.
To recap on what I mentioned earlier in this review, the camera has a zoom feature. It does, and like most fixed-lens digital zooms, that means that you are cropping an image in camera. Thankfully, the camera can keep its 5152×3864 maximum resolution – even when zoomed in to the maximum 16x. My biggest gripe with the zoom isn’t necessarily the quality but the convoluted way to access it – a long press of the “burst mode” and “Delete” buttons. This will lead to you initializing burst mode when you don’t want it and getting the image deletion dialog screen when trying to zoom out. The camera’s fixed 18mm (in full-frame equivalent) does a solid job of handling a variety of situations, but yes, there are limitations that come from a plastic lens attached to a tiny sensor. Still, I feel there’s character in a lot of these images.
Below are some unedited images taken with the Holo by Manual NYC:
Below are a handful of edited images – mostly rotation and crop:
We Need More fun in Photography
The more I think about my time with the Holo V2, the more I’m inclined to believe that many internet camera guys (yes, it’s mostly guys) don’t have enough fun in their lives. If you’re looking for a camera that is only about clinical perfection, then you shouldn’t be looking into digicams of any stripe, much less one that costs less than $100. No, this is a camera that seems designed for fun – a night out, hanging out with friends, bar hopping in your mid 20s (or 30s, or 40s, and so on).
It’s a camera that seems to have captured the right blend of nostalgia in those of us who remember that old Gameboy Color aesthetic, and Gen Z/Gen Alpha who pine for the 90s vibe in all they consume. The Holo is a camera that unapologetically avoids “curation” in favor of “authentic,” even if flawed.
You check out the Holo V2 on Manual NYC’s website for $95.