This Teeny-Tiny Retro-Inspired Camera Is So Darn Cute

The new Haru Mini Retro Camera, released this week in Japan, is downright adorable. It may not necessarily take good-looking photos, but it will absolutely look good doing it.

Available now in Japan for just 5800 yen, or around $38, the Haru Mini Retro Camera is designed to look like a proper camera, albeit shrunken way down. The Haru Mini Retro Camera even ships with a fairly traditional camera neck strap, despite being small enough to easily fit in just about any pocket or even on a keychain, like the Kodak Charmera. In a press release, the maker, Hansmare, says users can “carry it around like a real camera.”

It is technically a real camera, though. The cute toy camera has a 20-megapixel sensor, albeit a very small one, and can capture both still photos and video. Photographers can quickly transfer their photos to their phone or a computer using the built-in USB-C port, which also enables the Haru Mini Retro Camera to serve as a webcam. The camera also charges via this same USB-C port.

The Haru Mini Retro weighs just 67 grams (2.4 ounces / less than 1/25 of a Noct) and is 52 millimeters (two inches) wide and 40 millimeters (1.6 inches) tall. It records 20-megapixel photos and 2K-resolution video to a microSD card, which is included with the camera. The mini camera features a 1.47-inch rear display for framing shots and reviewing images. The little viewfinder “prism” on top is just for show. As are most of the controls, for that matter.

Toy cameras like this are always interesting. On the one hand, the sample photos don’t look very good, despite the manufacturer describing them as “beautiful” and “high quality.” They aren’t. It’s a teeny-tiny, cheap image sensor behind a similarly cheap, small lens. However, the camera is cute and costs under $40 — although it would surely cost more after import costs for those outside Japan. Cute and fun have value to a lot of people, as evidenced by the absolute smash hit that is the Kodak Charmera. For many, a camera’s appeal goes far beyond its specs and performance.

The Haru Mini Retro Camera may not have the cultural cache of something like the Kodak Charmera, but it is undeniably cute. That has to be worth something to someone.

Image credits: Hansmare