Kodak Snapic A1 – hope carrier or the next plastic bomb?
Kodak Snapic A1 – hope carrier or the next plastic bomb?
As a manufacturer of accessories for the analogue photo community, we are of course interested in there continuing to be analogue cameras in the future. Of course, little compares to the mechanical precision of the SLRs and rangefinders of the golden analogue era, but especially for newcomers, easily available and above all reliable new analogue cameras are needed, and recently there have been two good pieces of news. After the release of the Lomo MC-A, Kodak (or rather the licensee RETO) also announced a new compact camera with the Snapic A1. Basically, this is a positive signal for all of us, because new hardware secures the long-term demand for film and keeps the labs running. But as technicians who have old "German Engineering" quality work on the table every day, we look a little closer at new plastic.
The specs: glass instead of plastic
The teaser reveals the most important figure: a 25mm glass lens is installed.
This is the crucial difference from the usual "Reusable" cameras, which often only have a simple plastic lens in front of the shutter. Kodak relies here on a 3-element design (triplet), which visually strongly resembles the construction of the Pentax 17. If the coating is right, we can expect sharpness performance here that is clearly above the "Lomo look."
Zone Focus & LCD: Gimmick or Benefit?
Focusing is done via zone focusing. In the comments on Instagram and Reddit, this sometimes causes skepticism ("Why no autofocus?"). Physically speaking, this is uncritical at 25mm wide angle. The depth of field at this focal length is so huge that you’d have to be pretty careless to produce blurry images.
Interesting – and debatable – is the LCD display on top.
From an engineer’s perspective, it’s a double-edged sword:
- Pro: It clearly shows flash modes and frame count. Anyone who’s ever tried to decode the blinking status LEDs of a Pentax 17 without a manual will appreciate a clear display.
- Contra: It’s another electronic component that can break down ("gimmick factor"). A few well-labeled LEDs would have been more robust and cheaper. We hope Kodak didn’t burn budget in the wrong place here.
What the community says (and what we think)
Reactions online are mixed but hit the mark. Many see parallels to the Ricoh R1 – extremely flat, compact, pocket-friendly.
Some users fear that in the end it’s just a glorified "toy camera." The term "plastic bomber" is being thrown around. And this is exactly where the wheat will be separated from the chaff:
The Lomo MC-A will come in 2026 for a proud €499 (metal body, manual features). The Kodak Snapic A1 must be priced significantly below that. If it costs too much, people will rather go for a used Olympus XA or Canon AF-1.
Our wish to the industry
We welcome the Snapic A1 as an entry drug for new analog photographers. But our engineer's heart still bleeds a little. The market is currently flooded with plastic.
What’s really missing – and we hear this from you again and again – is the courage for mechanics. A modern interpretation of a classic SLR, like a Pentax Spotmatic with M42 mount, would be a dream.
- Fully mechanical (repairable in 50 years).
- No fragile electronics.
- Compatible with millions of existing vintage lenses.
Of course, manufacturing it is expensive and complex. But until a manufacturer dares to tackle it again, we'll keep the old treasures alive.
Conclusion
The Snapic A1 could become the perfect "daily driver" to spare the expensive Contax T2 – provided the price is right.
What's your pain threshold for a camera like this? And do you see the LCD as a real feature or just a pointless gimmick?
Your Vladi
Image credit: All images are taken from the teaser video on Instagram.