Taylor Swift and I have something in common. I never thought I'd write that sentence. She is a mega popstar while I am a journalist and tech reviewer. But recently, a photo surfaced of her using a funky-looking, retro camera at a Kansas City Chiefs game — and lots of people have been wondering what this device is.
It is, of course, the Camp Snap CS-8! For those of you who don't know, Camp Snap makes screen-free digital cameras which help you live in and enjoy the moment. They're like film cameras but digital, so you can only see your content once you're back at your desk. They're fantastic, and I believe everyone should get one.
The Camp Snap CS-8 is a wonderful video camera, inspired by vintage Super 8s (you'll see that in the design philosophy).
While I might not be a Taylor Swift fan, I can't deny that she's got taste, because the CS-8 is absolutely lovely, a big ol' serving of nostalgia, really. I've reviewed it, so take my word for it when I say you'll thoroughly enjoy filming your nights out and social gatherings on it. Here's why.
Tactile controls make it easy to use
I don't know the extent of Taylor Swift's technical photography knowledge — although, our sister site Digital Camera World did report that she uses an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV for her Instagram snaps. A great camera, so she's doing something right, but it's got many more dials and offers much more manual control than the Camp Snap CS-8 does. This, in a way, makes the CS-8 the ideal camera for those who just want to point and shoot.
The CS-8 is extremely easy to use — in fact, I believe a child could use it too. To start recording, all you need to do is hold down the trigger with your index or middle finger and keep it held down until you're done filming. Swapping between color profiles and aspect ratios is simple too, via the dials, and you can zoom in and out with the "W" and "T" buttons.
All you need to do once you're familiar with the controls is look through the viewfinder, frame your subject, hold down the trigger, and presto! You've got film-like footage. Go plug the CS-8 into your laptop (or your smartphone) and download what you've captured. Easy as pie, really.
Film-like quality that evokes nostalgia
One important thing to remember about the Camp Snap CS-8 is that this camera isn't about hi-res film quality. It's not about super smooth 4K video shot at 60fps. It's not about extremely stabilized footage. It's about imperfection. About capturing the moment you're in. And honestly? I love that it reminds me of the home videos my parents used to make of my brother and myself back in the 90s.
The CS-8 records 2.7K video at 30fps or 18fps, and there are four different aspect ratios to choose from: 4x3, 16x9, 1x1 and 9x16. There's also an array of color profiles you can apply to your footage, including Standard, Vintage 1, Vintage 2 and Black & White. The one I personally love most, though, is the Analog one, which is reminiscent of 8mm film and it shoots at 18fps.
I could wax poetic about the Analog color profile all day long. At first, I thought it was quite gimmicky — it adds fake scratches and heavy grain to the video. But the more I used it while testing the CS-8, the more I liked it, and it reminded me of home movies from the 90s. Many nostalgic tears were shed.
If you want to get creative with film-like footage and have access to any editing software, I have an idea for you. Shoot in monochrome and add intertitles in post-production to make your video feel like a silent movie from the 30s. I did this, as you can see in the video above, and I laughed the entire time I was editing the footage (sleep deprivation will do that to you... or maybe I am just that funny).
A few compromises must be made
It's important to note that the Camp Snap CS-8 isn't a perfect camera, as I've reiterated above. This is partly due to how cheap this camera is — turns out you don't need Taylor Swift levels of wealth to afford one. The CS-8 costs $149 / £149, so it's natural that this low price tag is accompanied by some drawbacks.
For starters, one thing I'm not a fan of is that the camera records the clicks of the trigger every time, and there's no way to toggle this on or off in the settings. Optics aren't the best either as, when you start zooming in, the quality quickly degrades, and the resulting zoomed-in video is very grainy. Oh, and the viewfinder isn't the most comfortable to use if you wear glasses (like I do).
But given that original Super 8s cost thousands of dollars, these feel like small sacrifices to make. The CS-8 is still a very capable camera and since its ethos is that of imperfect video capture, it delivers on that front. I wonder what exactly Swift was recording through the CS-8 — remains to be seen!
Looking to pick up photography as a hobby in 2026? Check out the 5 cameras I recommend for beginners.
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