Camp Snap 2 Review: They Did the Right Thing

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It brings me immense joy to know that Camp Snap has been so successful with what they’ve built that the brand has a new iteration of the camera that made them famous. Years ago, I was one of the first journalists to review the original Camp Snap and hop onto the idea that cameras should be fun again. Now, everyone is doing it. And with the Camp Snap 2, things got a bit more serious — and that’s a word that I’m still exploring. The camera still isn’t all that serious at all. But if anything, it just feels more premium. And ultimately, they stayed true to who they are while actually fixing the problems people complained about: unlike a whole slew of other companies.

So what’s new with the Camp Snap 2? Here’s what the final press fact sheet noted:

A t-shirt with The Camera Sutra illustrations, folded above brown pants, with a vintage camera on top. — Camp Snap 2 product image

6 Filters. On-Camera Toggle. No Apps Required. Our most community-driven request from Version 1! Now, there are 6 interchangeable filters built right into the device: Standard, Vintage 1–3, Analog, and Black & White. Use the filter toggle button right on the camera. No apps required.
Camp Lock™ — Kid-Friendly Lock Settings.The filter button comes locked out of the box and can stay locked for younger photographers and campers, or be unlocked anytime by holding the button for 10 seconds. A lockable memory/settings door with a screw prevents access to the memory card or date & time settings, while the new pull-tab door design allows you to remove the screw permanently if desired.

Near Instant Shutter Button Response. Our fastest shutter button design ever. Enjoy a near-instant, snappier response time with the super satisfying click of our re-invented shutter button.
Quick Draw Battery Saving Technology. Lets you capture the moment almost instantly, anytime, hassle-free, without the need to toggle power on and off. Just switch it on and use it normally; if inactive, your camera automatically falls asleep to save battery. When you’re ready for the next shot, simply draw your camera and press the shutter button to get the shot. No power-on switch or boot-up required.
15% Slimmer, Pocketable & Handbag-Friendly Design. Designed 15% slimmer than the V1 camp snap camera, it slides easily into a pocket, backpack, or bag.
30.5mm Filter Thread for Optional Screw-On Photo Filters. With a standard 30.5mm filter thread, your camera works with widely available third-party screw-in lens filters sold separately, and not by Camp Snap… yet 😉 Experiment with wide-angle, macro, dreamy diffusion, star filters, color effects, and other image-altering awesomeness.

Tripod Compatible Mount. Standard 1/4″-20 thread works with most tripods and compatible accessories.

Additionally, there are new colors:

Strawberry Splash [NEW]
Blue Rush [NEW]
Twisted Lime [NEW]
Tangerine Drift [NEW]
Stealth Black
Chestnut Brown
Arctic White
Forest Green
Sunbeam Yellow

A hand holding a phone with a message being typed, near a desk, printer, and incense box.

A person holding a phone with a message draft; cluttered desk and window in the background, black and white.

Person holding a phone, typing This is V2, with incense, books, and headphones on a desk nearby.

A person holds a phone, typing This is v in a note app near a window with books and a cat figurine.

A person holds a phone typing This is A with a keyboard on screen, near a window and stacked books.

A hand holds a red smartphone with the screen displaying the text “This is standard.”.

I really wanted the jelly-style variants, but Camp Snap could only send me one of the normal ones.

Now, let me get back to the statement I closed the introductory paragraph with: they fixed the problems people complained about. Folks said it felt like a toy and that sometimes there was shutter lag: that has been fixed and every single button feels a whole lot more premium when you push it down. There are also various effects filters you can swap through, which only the Camp Snap Pro could do before unless you went for the CS8. There’s even better battery life, you can use it with a tripod, and you can even attach a lens filter to it. By all means, Camp Snap did everything that people wanted except make the MicroSD card slot easily removable. And in this case, I can understand why: it’s because this camera is still meant for kids . That’s evident with the child-locking features of the camera.

This is much better than what other brands do. And as a journalist that’s been reviewing camera gear for 20 years, I can say the following with total authority and confidence:

Sony didn’t listen to the community when they wanted weather resistance in the RX1R series
Ricoh never listens to requests for full-frame sensors or weather resistance
OM System didn’t give photographers what they wanted with a new Pen successor

Camp Snap is a different company though: they’re based in America and the products are made in China. The mentality here is far different and embraces community support through making presets and so much more.

A vintage camera on brown pants with a black t-shirt, all laid out on a green surface.

A camera base with a tripod mount rests on a black shirt with white comic-style text and drawings.

A black film camera rests on a black graphic T-shirt with white text and illustrations.

Close-up of a camera on a black t-shirt with white print, resting on brown pants.

A Camp Snap camera rests on a black and white graphic t-shirt and a brown jacket.

The camera is still insanely fun, instantly recognizable, can’t be taken seriously, and I feel like the image quality has improved both in low light and in general. In low light, you still need to use the flash. But the camera does a fine job when you combine it with the presets.

So how is the Camp Snap 2? I think most people will be really happy with it. Though at the same time, it arguably makes the Camp Snap Pro useless now since it can do essentially the same things but has a different form factor.

That would mean that with the Camp Snap Pro 2, I’d want other things like metal body construction, maybe some weather resistance, a glass lens, a bigger sensor, and a better processor to give me images like an older Canon point and shoot camera.

Here are image samples from the Camp Snap 2.

Open doorway of a store showing parked cars and houses across the sunny street outside.

Three cars parked on a residential street in front of tree-shaded houses on a sunny day.

Tall tree with textured bark and trailing white vines, seen from below against a blue sky with green leaves.

Pink house with brick steps, potted flowers, and a small garden with blooming bushes by the sidewalk.

Sidewalk shaded by trees runs beside a chain-link fence and a street with cars and buildings in the background.

Citi Bikes parked at a bike station, tree in foreground, Dunkin’ store visible across the street.

A yellow BARN truck rental ad is seen behind a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.

A tree shades parked cars in front of a tan brick apartment building with graffiti on the wall.

Cars parked in a row along both sides of a paved lot between apartments on a sunny day.

Tree branches and leaves silhouetted against a cloudy sky, with street signs and traffic lights in the background.

A gray car is parked on a street in front of yellow residential buildings with fire escapes.

An elderly person with a cane carries bags, walking on a city sidewalk beside a busy street in sunlight.

Three men sit at a bar; two laugh, one looks serious. Colorful art hangs on the orange wall behind them.

Four smiling men sit together at a wooden table in a cozy bar, one making a peace sign.

Man laughing at a table in a warmly lit room with a colorful painting on the wall behind him.

A man in a white shirt sits at a table, smiling with one eye closed, in front of a brick wall.

Crowded subway car with people standing and holding onto poles, some looking at phones, others facing each other.

A group of people sit and talk at a wooden table in a casual, decorated restaurant.

A large decorative elephant statue stands in a narrow, brightly-lit hallway with neon lights overhead.

A cozy cafe interior with wooden furniture, potted plants, and shelves of books and decor.

Two people work in a restaurant kitchen with food trays, a fridge, and a handwritten sign on display.

Two men drink at an outdoor bar; one wears a New York Knicks jersey, the other a Mets hat and green jacket.

Four men stand talking on a city sidewalk outside a store with large advertisement posters in the windows.

A man in a Knicks jersey smiles at his phone while talking to two people on a city street corner.

Two men stand outside a brick building; one looks surprised, the other holds a phone and looks at the camera.

A gas station with cars parked under an awning, a Canadian flag, and a large brick building in the background.

Black and white city street scene with two people walking past shops and tall buildings in sunlight.

People standing outside in sunlight, talking; one person wears an orange shirt and sunglasses.

A group of people gathers outdoors on a city street, some standing and some sitting at tables in the sunlight.

Older man in a hat leans against a pole on a city street corner, arms crossed and eyes closed.

A woman walks on a sunlit city sidewalk, pulling a rolling bag, with people and benches in the background.

An older man with a long white beard wearing a Jets shirt stands on a city street corner near a red brick building.

Small fluffy white dog on a leash sits on a sunlit sidewalk, surrounded by shadows and people’s feet.