Camp Snap CS-Pro Review: Slightly More Tolerable

Dec 11, 2025

Chris Niccolls

Everyone wants a point-and-shoot digital camera. There is something to be said for having a compact, simple, fun, pocket camera that you can take photos with, just for the pure joy of it. Memories to be made, without having to know the exposure triangle, or shoot RAW photo formats and edit later. But not everyone wants a used hand-me-down that may or may not function properly, and Camp Snap is hedging its bets that some consumers out there want a fresh start.

Buy the Camp Snap CS-Pro new on B&H Buy the Camp Snap CS-Pro used on KEH.com

More importantly, Camp Snap, wants to provide a product for younger photographers that doesn’t distract the mind with screens and flashing lights. This is an absolutely noble sentiment that I agree with, and so far, Camp Snap is finding much success.

Close-up of a black and silver "Camp Snap Pro" camera showing the textured body, lens, shutter button, viewfinder, and flash. The camera is placed on a wooden surface with a blurred background. — The CS Pro is definitely a looker from afar.

A person with dark hair is outdoors, holding a green film camera up to their face, ready to take a picture. They are wearing a black jacket, and a pathway, fence, and leafless trees are visible in the background. — The original Camp Snap camera comes in fun colors but lacks sophistication.

However, although the base Camp Snap camera I reviewed absolutely delivered on the affordability claim (and the simplicity one, too), it was a frustrating and limiting experience that sapped almost all the fun out of using it. Camp Snap may have come up with a solution by creating the new $100 CS-Pro model, which maintains the lack of a back LCD panel, ups the cost, but also increases the capability and adds quality-of-life improvements that might make the experience enjoyable enough to be, well, enjoyable.

Camp Snap CS-Pro Review: How It Feels

The original camera had fun colors that you could choose from on the front plate, but everything else about the experience was cheap, plastic, and uninspiring. The new CS-Pro foregoes optional colors for now, but instead provides a vintage-inspired chrome finish and more intricate molding across the body. Make no mistake, it still feels like nothing in the hand, with a very plastic and toy-like build, but we get a top and bottom plate with a control dial, which also gives a proper on/off switch, unlike the first camera.

There is an actual door latch to access date and time controls, as well as the microSD card slot. The base model could only access these functions via a screw holding the area shut. The CS-Pro does have an additional screw lock as an option if you want to better secure the memory card from younger users.

Close-up of an electronic device’s silver back panel showing a USB-C port with a black rubber cover, a reset button hole, a screw, and a metal fitting, all on a wooden surface. — There is a proper USB-C port to charge the camera and transfer images.

Close-up of an open port panel on an electronic device showing buttons labeled "MODE," "up," and "DOWN," a headphone jack, an SD card slot, and a USB port. The panel cover is partially open. — The access door for the memory card has a proper latch this time.

A close-up of the back of a modern film camera, showing a digital frame counter reading “0004” and three lit green indicator lights in the bottom right corner. The camera rests on a wooden surface. — The back of the camera has speakers and a screen to show your photo count.

The CS-Pro has a USB-C port located on the bottom of the camera, which facilitates both image transfers as well as charging of the camera. Unfortunately, Camp Snap has decided to go with an internal and non-removable battery. Due to the lack of a screen, the battery life is quite good, with about 500 shots on a full charge. However, this is the kind of camera that can get forgotten about in a closet or stored away in a drawer for a long period of time. If that battery fails and discharges, the CS-Pro becomes just another piece of E-waste that the world does not need.

The viewfinder is pretty small and very basic, but at least the compositions were not wildly off from what was expected.

A close-up of a silver camera lying on its back, showing a textured dial, a shutter button, and a smooth metal body, with a blurred background. — The top dial acts as both the power switch as well as a color profile selector.

A row of yellow maintenance vehicles is parked beside train tracks in front of a large industrial building with silos and a tall smokestack on a clear, sunny winter day. Snow covers the ground. — This is the VTG1 profile at work with a bit of a magenta cast.

A row of yellow construction vehicles is parked in front of an industrial building with large silos and a tall chimney on a clear, sunny winter day. Snow covers the ground and train tracks run across the scene. — Here is the VTG2 profile giving off teal and blue vibes.

Camp Snap CS-Pro Review: How It Shoots

The Camp Snap is not about getting the best image quality. In fact, the whole point is to get that grainy, old-school point-and-shoot representation out of the photographs. Camp Snap did make an effort to improve the usability of the files, though, with a better Type 1/3 sensor mated to a 22mm full-frame equivalent f/2.2 lens. The resolution has doubled to 16 megapixels, offering a little more potential to crop or print images.

The control dial also gives four color profile options, with a standard look, magenta-washed vintage look, teal-washed vintage look, and a surprisingly good black and white mode. The original camera could only use one fixed profile at a time, and this involved connecting the camera to a computer and downloading a file in an extremely inconvenient and involved way. This method was so heinous as to be basically unusable, unless you only ever wanted to use one profile and almost never change it afterward. The new dial on the CS-Pro is a huge improvement.

Black and white photo of a storefront labeled "Discount Vacuum," with upright vacuum cleaners lined up outside and more visible through the large window. A sign on the door says "Open." The sidewalk and part of the street are visible. — I actually really like the black and white mode.

A person walks with a cane on a snowy city sidewalk beside a store with large windows, while cars drive on the adjacent road under a clear sky.

A black and white photo of a transit station at sunset with the sun shining brightly above the platform and casting long shadows. Silhouettes of shelter structures, cars, and buildings are visible in the background.

There is still a pretty hefty amount of delay from when the camera is switched on to when it can fire. About a full second has to go by before the first shot can be taken, so I found myself instinctually flicking the camera on before approaching a potential scene with much anticipation. There is also about a full second required in between shots, which can be very frustrating.

Furthermore, the only confirmation that a photo has been taken is a subtle auditory cue from the camera’s speaker. It sounds like a door clicking shut, and is often too quiet to perceive. I found myself often mashing the shutter multiple times in order to ensure a photo was taken. This is hardly confidence-inspiring behaviour. The one silver lining is that the delay from touching the shutter to taking the photo is almost instantaneous. This is a stark contrast from the base model, which had a very annoying delay that had to be accounted for if a particular moment was to be captured.

A snow-covered path with footprints and tire tracks curves through a wintry landscape toward buildings in the distance under a bright sun. Bare tree branches frame the scene, and shadows stretch across the snow. — If you are looking for exposure control, look elsewhere.

A two-story building with large red letters reading "SUPERBLEND FEEDS" on the side, a "CO-OP" sign above, and several parked cars in front under a clear blue sky.

A street sign at the corner of 18 Ave SE and 11 St SE is covered with a black plastic bag. Snow is on the ground, and houses and trees are visible in the background under a clear blue sky.

The target audience for this type of camera is often enamored with the look of stark flash photography that has become so popular in recent times. Having a bright, even somewhat over-exposed subject, with a background fading into darkness, is a vibe that many aspire to recreate, which is why I found it so perplexing when the base model camera had an LED flash system installed. Not only is an LED woefully underpowered, but it also fails to give the look that is desired right now.

This lack was one of my main points of criticism of the original camera, and I am very happy to report that the CS-Pro has a traditional, capacitor-powered Xenon flash tube. This flash absolutely delivers the quintessential look with two different power levels. The low power setting only works well on subjects that are within arm’s reach of the camera, and the high power setting is best for subjects or groups about ten feet away.

My only criticism now is that Camp Snap probably should have calibrated the lower power setting to be more appropriate for portraits of people, which tend to either be too dark or too bright in most situations. However, the intention of Camp Snap is for the flash to be either for selfies or large groups of friends, so the power levels do make sense.

Close-up of a camera’s top front, showing the lens, viewfinder, and a bright flash firing. The camera has a silver and black body, with the text “Snap Pro” visible on the metallic part. — The flash is a proper Xenon bulb this time around.

A curly-haired dog sits in front of a decorated Christmas tree with gold ornaments and pinecones. Gifts and a plaid blanket are nearby on a dark wood floor, with shelves and holiday decor in the background. — The flash is often overexposed in the full power setting.

A man with gray hair and a beard sits at a desk with a keyboard, resting his chin on his hand. Behind him are shelves with books, a framed photo, a wooden triangular structure, and a poster of arrowheads. — The low power setting is a little too weak for anything except selfies up close.

A strip mall with shops including "The Next Level" and a barbershop. Snow and ice patches cover the ground, with puddles reflecting the buildings. A person walks past the storefronts under a clear blue sky. — We wandered around International Avenue for this review.

The Camp Snap CS-Pro is a Marked Improvement

I think the changes that the Camp Snap CS-Pro brings to the table not only make it a more capable camera, but also a far more enjoyable camera to use. Now, you can say that Camp Snap has to start somewhere and that the original model is a natural step to take, and I would agree. But this camera is what the experience should have been like in the first place. This is the camera that is actually fun, and not as frustrating to play with. If you are looking for a fun distraction or a camera for youthful photographers to capture memories with, this is a good choice. I also applaud the lack of screen because it actually adds to the mystery of seeing what photos were captured at a later date, much like getting a roll of film back from the photo lab. There is a lesson to be had with this camera, and also a rewarding experience for those who might just be starting their photographic journey.

Four firefighters in uniform stand and pose beside a large whimsical purple hippo sculpture wearing a red Santa hat, on a snowy sidewalk under a clear blue sky. — These local firefighters were kind enough to strike a pose.

A row of yellow bollards lines a sidewalk beside a parking lot with cars on a sunny winter day; some ice and snow are visible along the edge of the lot. — A sunny winter day would certainly challenge the exposure meter of the CS Pro.

A glass storefront window with a metal grid and blue letters reading "EXTRA PARKING IN REAR," with sunlight reflecting off the glass and the text casting a shadow on cardboard inside. — The standard color profile is a good general level of saturation with a slight cold bias.

However, none of this can cover the fact that the Camp Snap cameras are still very delicate, very plastic, and essentially a toy. We had issues with the supplied 4GB microSD card failing to record images, and I have serious doubts that the dials and switches will survive continued use. I hate the concept of the internal battery, and the potential for this camera to become just another piece of plastic in a landfill is very likely. No matter how you slice it, the CS-Pro is still very little more than a fun toy that shows just enough potential to be something great down the road. Perhaps Camp Snap will address some of these issues with further iterations of their beloved cameras.

A vintage-style "Camp Snap Pro" camera sits on a wooden surface with a red and white candy cane in front of it; a blurred, decorated Christmas tree is visible in the background. — The CS-Pro will probably a popular gift this year.

Close-up of a black and silver digital camera with the words "Camp Snap Pro" printed on the top front, showing part of the lens, flash, textured grip, and shutter button. — Up close, the camera does have a cheap look and feel to it.

Are There Alternatives?

There are essentially too many alternatives to mention, but the vast majority of similarly priced kids cameras will often have cutesy designs, annoying built-in games, and bulky bodies. I would argue though that they will often be more rugged, given the target audience is small children. The CS-Pro will definitely appeal to parents who want an older child or teen to have a fun point-and-shoot experience, and who might possibly take more care with the camera itself.

Buy the Camp Snap CS-Pro new on B&H Buy the Camp Snap CS-Pro used on KEH.com

Should You Buy It?

Maybe. At least what Camp Snap is trying to provide is a relatively unique experience, and the CS-Pro does achieve it while actually being fun to use.