Need a cheap camera gift idea? My top pick is a personalized Camp Snap retro compact

• The original Camp Snap screen-free compact can now be personalized
• You pick the colorway, text color and up to 10 custom characters
• It costs $85 / £66, up from $70 / £52 for the original

It's retro, it's cheap, and now it's personal – the charming screen-free Camp Snap compact camera has evolved since the 2023 original impressed me. This time, in the build up for the holidays, its makers have added a personalization service which further adds to retro point-and-shoot's appeal.

Pick a camera body color, a text color, and then personalize your Camp Snap with up to 10 characters (letters only). One-of-a-kind gift done. I was going to buy a soccer jersey for one of my kids with name on the back, but now I'm pulled in another direction!

I picked up an original Camp Snap (in black) in 2023 and still have it today. It's a perfectly executed lo-fi concept which rode the retro camera wave, and deservedly holds a place as a best option for kids in my best point-and-shoot cameras guide – especially since it's screen-free and super cheap.

It's basically a digital version of the single-use film camera – so don't hold up high hopes for quality – with USB-C connectivity and space for 2,000 8MP photos. However, it's simple retro design, which doesn't include a screen, is super refreshing. Shoot now, view later.

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Camp Snap is the lo-fi concept that keeps getting better

It was already possible to buy the original Camp Snap in a range of colorways – plenty of styles have come and gone over the last two years and currently there are 12 eye-catching versions on the brand website.

But adding a name on the camera? That's such a smart gift idea which I expect to be extremely popular for the upcoming holidays, especially for the super reasonable price of $85 / £66 at Camp Snap. For context, the original, non-personalized version costs $70 / £52 at Camp Snap.

It has been a good moment for cheap cameras – the new Kodak Charmera keyring camera is a solid alternative at just $30 / £30. You can't personalize it, but it comes in a mystery box so you don't know which of the six retro designs you'll get.

Between Camp Snap and Kodak, we have two working cameras that are novel gift options for camera lovers. I feel like I can skip the Black Friday sales and just pick these up at full price because they are so cheap already, and that makes me happy!

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