Amid on the ructions around Paper shoot, let’s take one and shoot it alongside current rivals the Camp Snap and the Flashback ONE35 on a trip South by South West. Sadly my Budget couldn’t afford SXSW in Texas but I headed to equally more legendary but Autumnal  Bristol followed by Manchester in the UK for a Lo-Fi Digital Shoot out.

At the time of typing these are the 3 available Lo-Fi Digital shooters on the market. They will be joined by the Retro snap which looks like a camp snap with a filter switch and the Crappy ooppps sorry I mean Cappy Camera. That looks strangely very similar to the Paper Shoot. Both kinda look like a bit like copies of the respective cameras. The cappy is far more dubious as it’s being launched by Paper Shoot’s former N.American distributor whom had been developing this in secret behind their old partner before the split.

I am not testing the newly launched 1.03 or 1.03B updated Camp Snap but I will reference it’s upgrades. Importantly although it sensor is still 8MP, it is widely seen as an improved model

But let’s ignore those clones for the mo, and focus on what is out there now.

The Lo-Fi Digital Contenders

The old boy on the bloke is the Paper Shoot 18MP. This is the current model of a series that has been around for a decade. This shares the core features with the first model of a eco friendly construction of recyclable materials. It is the Godfather of current Lo-Fi and offers swappable cases and a filter switch.

Camp Snap arrived 2 years ago. It’s the cheapest model here but offers 8MP. Intended for North American kids going on summer camp, it has developed a cult Lo-Fi following.

The Flashback ONE35 Hails from the land down under. It purports to offer a disposable film camera experience. You need to wind on the camera between shots. It syncs with you mobile which allows you to load and unload it with 27 exp virtual films (Choice of 3 currently). Once downloaded to your phone you need to send the “film” for developing in the cloud.

As I’ll discuss there has been some marked improvements which makes this more useable now than when I first tested it. I say some as there are still niggles.

Common features

All 3 lack a standard playback LCD and have next to no controls beyond the shutter button. The Paper shoot has just a couple of LED lights to to let you know if you’ve taken a shot. The other 2 have a LCD display to show the shot count. The latest Camp snap has a monchrome 4 digit LCD on the rear.

But we’re using the older 1.01 version with a vintage style 3 digit red numeric counter on rear. The Flashback has a monochrome LCD that shows you the remaining shot count on the top.

The Flashback has a Zenon Flash, the Camp Snap a LED light and the Paper Shoot has an optional ring light

They all have USB-C for charging. As we’ll see the Paper Shoot and Camp Snap also allow for data connection

The newest Camp Snap has buttons that let you adjust the time and date settings and reduce/ silence the volume. The others don’t It also has strap loops like the other 2 (my older lacks this).

They all offer no features other filter/film type selection but how they do this differs

Lets rate the cameras.

1. The Specs of our Lo-Fi Digital models

Paper Shoot 18MP

It’s an easy win for the Paper Shoot. It has the highest resolution, camera takes SDXC SD cards up to 128GB. We also know about it’s spec. There’s an equivalent to 22mm focal length with a fixed f/2.2 aperture. It can switch ISO from 100-3200 ISO and has a max shutter time of 1/30 sec. It is the only one that has a simple filter switch offering 4 colours (colour, B&W, Sepia and blue). as well as a slot for specialist sim card that lets you load in other filters. You can also shoot very short videos if you use a power-bank and do timelapse. You can also swap out the eco friendly stone paper cases. Photos have good EXIF data,

You do however need to bring your on SD card and a pair of rechargeable AAA batteries. These are inexpensive and you may see them bundled in deals. The AAA can be swapped for ordinary AAA at a push and are replaceable when they die making the camera potentially much more longer lasting. You can also use this camera as an ad hoc memory card reader for full sized SD cards ( I uploaded a couple of Nikon 1 shot for this post to my laptop using it)

Camp Snap

This has a 8MP 1/3.2″ sensor married to a 4.8mm 1:1.8 (35mm full frame equiv). It’s built in battery claims up to 500 shots on a charge. I’m using the older 1.01 model not the latest 1.03B but it specs the same. It provides EXIF data but this can be a little wonky . I got 100-800 ISO in testing and a shutter speed between 1/33- 1/770 but that was the 1.01. Mines came with a built in 4GB micro SD which could.

There’s a weedy LED light instead of proper flash and whilst you can add a filter by flashing the firmware, I’m slightly neurotic about it

Flashback ONE35

This gives you 4.4MP images when you finally download ’em. And that’s about it on spec. The company are cagey about the actual spec and there is no EXIF. You can take up to 27 shots on a virtual roll before you transfer that to your phone. It then needs to be uploaded ton the cloud for processing which take 18hrs plus. You cannot retrieve your images from your camera or phone until they are finished processing. Yeah… The camera app allows you to load in film types but you can’t switch mid roll. But you can upload however and swap rolls midway.

Flashback claim the built in battery is good for up to 5 rolls on a full charge (135 images). In fairness it does have to power a proper Zenon Flash and as we’ll see that more than accurate.

Winner – Paper Shoot

2. Looks and build

This is a hard one to call as they each take a unique PoV.

Camp Snap looks the cheapest here but that may be intentional. I looks like one of the legion plastic fanatic lo-fi shooters like the Dubblefilm Show and its clones. The newest version has strap points which my 1.01 version lacks

That will delight many. It is plastically but feels better built than the card covered Paper Shoot

The Paper Shoot is basically a PCB with a paper stone case that doesn’t cover the sides. Paper stone is lot tougher than the first generation cardboard Paper Shoots but still wears more than the others. Of course you can swap out and some of the premium cases like the Croz feature more expensive materials like wood and/or sides.

It alone features a front based shutter button.

The Flashback is the most solid. Its chunky heavy plastic that feels well built. It has only a USB-C port and looks very much like a well built disposable. There’s a retro 80’s/90’s feel to it and comes in 4 styles basically 2 black and 2 white models

Design and Build winner Flashback

Cost & USP

I’ll use UK pounds here as UK pricing includes sales tax (VAT) and roughly works out the same as USD less sale tax.

Camp Snap comes in cheapest at a £51 headline. But irritating that excludes sales tax. One you add that on and a reasonable fiver shipping, it comes into £67.20. Camp Snap’ll big up the retro images & styling and the free 4GB mSD card. But the USP is really the price

The most expensive is the Photo shoot. That said the at £98 for the cheaper cases camera combo sets it’s hardly bonkers expensive. granted you need to bring your own SD card and batteries as well as £9 P&P. The swappable cases, filters and green credentials is what Paper Shoot pushes as USP.

Flashback likewise includes Tax in it’s £79 list porice but it’ll cost you £14 P&P from Oz. It’s USP is the entire disposable camera like experience. AS we’ll see that’s equally blessed and cursed

Winners (joint) Camp snap on Cost & Paper Shoot on USPs

Flashback’s Disposable experience

Flashback limits you to a 27 exposure virtual roll. You select aroll type when you reload the camera via a mobile phone app. That app is essential as we’ll see and the camera won’t be of any use without it as you can’t access the shots out with it.

You can select form currently 3 roll types. You get the standard colour film type which on re-using this has thankfully been improved. It’s joined by the B&W and the new experimental film type which I haven’t tested here as it’s really not that good.

Once you use up all or part of the 27 roll you can upload it via the app to your phone. This can be done by NFC or over Wi-Fi. This does not grant you access to your shots. You need to upload them over the internet to be developed a process that can take a day or 2 to be developed. The film returns to your app but then need to be downloaded from the app to your phone’s camera roll. You’ll either love the retro feel or hate it.

…but

In practice although better that’s still buggy. Using NFC while out and about on a good day it would take 2-5 minutes to upload onto my phone which was right on top of it. Use that phone too much and stops uploading and you have to start the process again (although it seems to keep some of prior failed uploads in the memory. Doing it bit by bit on one day it took me over 10 minutes to get an upload. Forget uploading for processing unless you’re on a good wi-fi or have stable good 5G. For me that meant none of the free Wi-Fi in Bristol worked. Even when on more secure higher speed networksit takes several minutes to upload your film. At least once you get it on the phone you can digitally reload the camera without having to send for processing.

Downloading images again needs good Wi-Fi or mobile internet.

Lots to go wrong there and if flashback ever went bust… The company say if that happens they will try to release code allowing you to get the images off your camera but….

As well as that you need to manually advance between frames. It’s not the first digital camera to require that.

Using the Lo-Fi Digital Trio

In credit the Flashback starts up the easiest. Just wind on until the winder stops. It has the lowest lag of any of the cameras here. It is also the only that offers a timer (via the app) .So it’ll be the winner then ?

Well no. As we’ll see the Camp Snap excuse the pun snaps at it’s heels. And the camp snap doesn’t get to 27 shots and force you to spend a few minutes uploading the photos to your Phone before you can reload. You don’t need to upload for processing until later. You pick a filter /film type at reload as discussed above

Camp Snap starts up pretty easy too. You hold down the the shutter button until the camera turns on. It lags more than the Flashback but not by much. It too has a flash….ahem .. LED light. You can change the filter settings by flashing the firmware !!!

Paper Shoot is less clear to boot. Hit the shutter button and after a few second it will beep and then around a second later take a shot. Later shots are faster but still the most laggy. Unlike the other 2 you never know if its active or not until you hit the shutter.

It does allow you to swap between 4 filters (more by using upgrade cards). For reference here are 4 Shots taken with the standing filters.

Both Camp Snap and Paper Shoot can either be plugged in to access images or by taking the SD/mSD card out.

Winner – Camp Snap

Finder accuracy ?

Yeah about that

They all offer smaller than final frame image of around this in size. paper shoot is probably the worst as it has a narrow almost 16:9

But the Cameras give us this

So best think of the finder as a centring spot

File size/ Compression

Let’s take that image of the building my Pixel 7 stored the pre cropped original at 10.25MP at 2.9MB. This shows some compression as although this is at 94% JPEG quality my Nikon 1 V1 averages just over a whopping 6MB per 10MP jpeg image (98% quality).

Taking the average for 30 sequential daylight photos across each of our Lo-Fi wonders we geta very interesting story. The camp Snap produces image files on average 1.84 MB in size (90% quality). That’s about what I would expect.

Now you’d assume the 18MP Paper shoot would be double that. But it averages 1.12 MB (again over 30 daylight shots). The reason may well be in that images are only 60% quality !!!

The Flashback despite putting out just 4.4MP image actually has the biggest average (of 30) image size at 1.9.2MB (90%JPEG). But they are processed heavily off camera.

And keep that in mind as we discuss the images

Although Flashback shots are bigger per MP I’m going to give this to Camp Snap. Why Paper Shoot has such high compression in an age of cheap SD cards is beyond me.

Winner – Camp Snap

Battery life

Only Camp Snap and Flashback give concrete figure. Now Flashback provided a conservative at least 5 rolls between charge. I In fact shot over 5 virtual rolls and despite all the time I spent trying to upload top my phone my camera shows it’s battery life as still having about ⅔ of a charge

Granted the flash didn’t see much use but I did spend quite a bit of time syncing to my phone. But that’s for 149 shots taken and uploaded to my phone

Camp Snap say about 500 images on a full charge. I got nearer 170 although in fairness that was 6 days of use and I tended to leave the camera on in my bag. The camera wouldn’t boot up when it ran out of juice. Not a lot of warning.

Paper shoot are cagey about battery life. The camera at around 150 shots indicated the battery was running low. It didn’t die on me however

It’s likely both the Camp and Paper were partially recharged before their end points as I synced files onto my laptop. So Flashback’s performance is even more impressive.

Winner Flashback

Results

So this is a tight race, tighter than you might think

Credit to the boys and girls from down under the Flashback image quality is much improved on the classic film type and yes it does look even more like a disposable film camera image and a more usable one at that. It remains the weakest by technical standard here

In this we’ll also have some shots for comparison taken on both my aging CX sensor (1″) Nikon 1 V1 and my Google Pixel 7 (primary 1/31″ and secondary ultra wide of 1/2.3″

None of our test cameras match on resolution so you would expect by pixel count for the Paper shoot to capture more details

Dull day – the Pub shot

Dull daylight shot. The Nikon test image below looks wide but the 10mm lens is equivalent to the a 27mm lens full frame and all 3 of our test cameras had a viewfinder view of pretty much 1/3 of the image width

If the Paper shoot is to be believed it exposes by 2 EV stops more and the images do look lighter. That said we get a nice Retro feel on the shot.

Camp Snap produces the best technical image of all 3 of our lo-fiers here. I’d argue it’s better exposed than the Nikon. It does produce a more vibrant image. It is less typical film look than the others but I’m shooting the standard firmware not the vintage option. I’d also argue this looks a bit like Ektar as it’s slightly red bias

Now Flashback does lag technically here. It’s soft and a bit fussy but it does look like a disposable shot. And I’m pleased to see they’ve sort out the standard colour film type. This does look like a cheap disposable image not great one but if that’s your thang…

The Camp Snap does the best across the whole frame with only a very little softness creeping in. There just smidge more softness and vignetting at the corners with the Paper Shoot but I guess that adds to the looks. But the flashback which really softens more so on the left as viewed on landscape shots like here.

Let’s Crop in

If we close crop the images things become quite telling. I’ll not crop the poor couple at the table but go left to the window on the left. Well start with the NIkon 1 V1. It’s not perfect but a real comparative example on a bigger sensor camera with a proper prime lens and an insane AF system

Now the Camp Snap does pretty well here. Foer cheap plastic camera it capture a lot of the details the Nikon did but there’s a little more noise and a faux film grainy-ness. Sharpening/chromatic aberration ghosting is much more evident

The Flashback as you’d expect is lower resolution and is processed to give a disposable camera feel. You may feel this crop delivers on that or is just a blurry mess. But I will give you there is a definite disposable film camera feel here

And the Paper Shoot….

Despite touting more than twice the pixels of the Camp Snap and 6 more than the V1, this wasn’t great. Yes it’s better than the flashback but it really shows that 60% quality is telling when you crop in

And this is seen across all the shots

Bright shot – Clifton Observatory

Okay I was going for the Bridge but the day we went the sun was on the wrong side and everything was a bit washed out as this Paper Shoot shot shows

But the observatory was nice and spot on for some standard good light shots. Here’s what the Nikon 1 V1 took

Paper Shoot gave me this. It looks good on screen and small print size but goes a tad mushy if you zoom in too much. There a obvious soft vignette effect and tones are muted, giving a film feel

The Camp Snap once again is the best clinically. The only critique is its a little vibrant and less film like than the other two. But for online use or small prints you’d honestly struggle to spot the difference with the Nikon shots

Flashback ONE 35 was the least clinically good again but it certainly does have that cheap film cameras feel here again.

Lo-Fi Digital in Lo Light (aka forget the Flashback without flash)

This was a dusk shot taken on the Paper Shoot, It’s much brighter than it actually was bit good effort. It’s noticeably more grainy and softer but not bad. Likewise whilst my Camp Snap bugs out at 800ISO it copes alright as well

The Flashback is struggling however. It’s not geared for lo-light and given it’s M.O. that’s no surprise. Really it can’t cope.

But give it a little more light and you can get some interesting shots. Here’s a side by side of the globe installation at Bristol Cathedral with the Paper Shoot both taken on B&W settings

Obviously the Paper shoot captures a way better image but…

Both the Paper shoot and Camp Snap tended to brighten there images which you might like for photos of people but can be an issue if you wanna capture lighting. That said when you push the Paper Shoot it Can manage

And Blooming ?

There are some side issues. Blooming is noticeable Flashback suggesting it may have a CCD. It also has a much smaller dynamic range than it’s rivals

It’s much less and feels more like an optical issue on the other two cameras. We know the iCatch sensor on the Camp Snap is CMOS and given the lower levels of blooming on the Paper Shoot, one assume the current model is too

But both the Camp and Paper could do lo-light so much better. The below comparison is of a display at the Waking the tiger interactive exhibition in near dark. Both cameras are on their limits. The camp snap image has had it’s quality and size reduced. Both camera max their respective ISO (800 for the Camp 3200 for the Paper and are at around 1/30

Flash Shots

So in fairness this gives the Flashback an edge. It’s flash was reasonable bright and seem to adjust. It could do back lit shots well enough. Camp Snap’s LED light was only good in near darkness

The Flash shots on the Flashback were much better and a rare example where it technically out classes it rival.

The Paper Shoot just isn’t in this game out of the box.

And More……

I’ll come to my thoughts in a moments but here’s some more shots in Gallery fashion on each of the cameras. Click on image to bring up full copies

Paper Shoot

The paper Shoot may not be the strongest clinically here despite having the biggest sensor and highest price tag but does a good job of replicating a film like effect and the one with the easiest filter options which you can upgrade

Camp Snap

I again stress this isn’t the new improved model. The Camp Snap is by far the clinically best of the bunch despite being the cheapest. It’s LED light can be used in a pinch. It maybe isn’t too film like for some until the light drops. The image below have been slightly compressed to appear here.

Flashback ONE35

Much improved but still issues with the app et al. The Flashback does what it says on the tin. It gives you images you’d expect from a cheap disposable with a similar experience (except for mind-numbing waiting for photos to transfer). Images again compressed slightly

Final Thought on the Lo-Fi Digital Shoot out

This was tougher than I though and all 3 may suit you if you’re a lo-fi shooter.

3rd Place IMHO – Flashback ONE35

For a completely immersive film like experience the Flashback is almost there. The Camera behaves like a disposable compact and given tweaks the images do look very similar to what you’d get from cheap disposable film camera. The classic colour is much improved. And it remains the only camera with a flash. It’s better built and lasted longer on test without charging.

The app is also improved but still niggly and whilst I get the whole film like experience. I still can’t shake the feeling what happens when flashback is no more. But all that said much improved and although coming third here it put up a good stand

2nd Place IMHO – Photo Shoot

Once this sailed the lo-fi digital seas comparatively unchallenged. It still puts up a very strong fight. It’s a tough call between our winner and this. This does provide a better film look, better lo-light performance and the filter options. You can swap cases. But the actual image quality lags behind our winner technically and is disappointing given the headline 18MP and cost. Why did they set JPEG quality to 60% in a climate of cheap SD cards ? It’s also the most expensive by some margin, Twice the cost of our winner. And you need to pay more to get the LED light

But in the end it is narrowly defeated

1st Place Lo-Fi Digital Camp Snap

This was much tougher and the 2 others gave our Camp Snap a run. It really comes down to what you value most between this and the Paper Shoot (and I get some of you will be screaming the Flashback does what it says on the tin best). But bear with me

The Camp Snap is delightfully simple and cheap. It takes the best clinical quality images of the 3 . In fact for web and small prints you might struggle to notice a difference to my Aging Nikon 1 V1 on the sample shots. Has a LED light for a flash which at a pinch is something in lo light. It become more film like at lower light levels and whilst it can’t match the 3200 ISO of Paper Shoot it does okay in the Dusk. It’s plastic but well made and the only one of the 3 that doesn’t run the risk of getting your fingers in they way. and this is just the old model.

It is close and if you need something that looks like film in all circumstance and with a filter switch then Paper Shoot is here you should go. But This is cheap, does good slightly retro images

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More info & Alternatives

I’ve listed links to my earlier reviews at the top. You can get these on Paper Shoot, Camp Snap and Flashback respective websites and a few other online sellers

There is one alternative, allegedly still out there although I’ve never seen new stock in some years. It is still listed on its maker’s store page. It is a camera that has film like features such as needing to be wound on and swappable digital film cartridges. That of course was the Yashica Y35 a camera admittedly over priced and over hyped but actually better than you might think. The end of this year will bring the Crappy…. opps I mean Cappy camera and the Retro Snap. It remains to be seen if these are just clones of their rivals