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Cameras

Camp Snap Brought the Look of Old New York With a Special Mod

Chris Gampat
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Last updated on 11/21/2025
12/13/2025
3 Mins read
A green vintage film camera with a wrist strap rests on a wooden surface.
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One of the best things that I love about the Camp Snap community is that so many of them like to make hacks and presets for the camera. It’s been a while since I reviewed the original camera, and I’ve become aware of a whole bunch of new updates via firmware and so much more. With that said, I’ve updated our review with a small tidbit to talk about brands like Camp Shades and Camp Snap’s latest updates. That update is below.

You can see our full review of the Camp Snap original camera at this link. But if you just want to see the updated text, check out the below.

Camp Snap Review Update November 2025

The original Camp Snap has gone through a few revisions that went out to customers. But one of the biggest and most awesome things is the fact that the brand actively encourages the hacking of its camera. So brands like Camp Shades have popped up. This is such a refreshing approach that brands like LUMIX and Nikon have taken. Fujifilm and other brands haven’t been so open and encouraging — and that’s disheartening. It’s one of the big reasons why I tend to love these new brands so much — because they understand that not everything is supposed to be a fetishization of reality but an embrace of a dream and a mood.

So after speaking more with founder Brian Waldman, I learned about how the company has embraced and actively promotes other companies like Camp Shades. I went to buy a collection of their filters. The images are stunning after adding the Camp Shades Superior filter — which admittedly is the only one that I’m very addicted to and will stay on the standard Camp Snap that I’ve got. Sure, sometimes the images are dark. Nonetheless, they remind me of a time long gone. My neighborhood, through this lens, looks like a New York that I saw while growing up. I’m currently in the process of finding an appropriate baby photo of me to frame and provide to a local bar — they do that for their regulars. And when I look through those images, I see New York from so long ago. These photos using the Superior filter really resemble that time.

In fact, I’d say that in combination with the crappy-camera aesthetic and the small sensor, I really get the feeling that I’m in the 2000s era.

“Straight out of a Scorsese movie (the good ones),” said Alberto Lima when describing the images I showed him.

Below are some sample images.

Bare tree branches with a few remaining leaves silhouetted against a cloudy blue sky at dusk.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Silhouette of a tall tree against a blue sky with scattered clouds at dusk.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Two parked SUVs in front of graffiti-covered fences, with apartment buildings silhouetted against the evening sky.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Bare tree branches with sparse leaves silhouetted against a blue sky with a few clouds.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A white car is parked in front of a graffiti-covered garage behind a red house on a narrow driveway.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Looking up at tree branches and leaves against the sky, with sunlight filtering through the foliage.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
View of a park with a brick shed, empty court, trees, and apartment buildings in the background.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Mural of people playing soccer, kicking and juggling balls on a white brick wall with green and red accents.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Two-story beige house with satellite dishes, fenced yard, and brick building behind on a city street corner.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A quiet residential street with parked cars and houses, viewed through tree branches in the foreground.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A street view of shops, including a bar with a Humpty Dumpty figure above its entrance.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A decorated lamppost with signs and a wreath stands under a clear blue sky in an urban area.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A soccer ball stuck in the branches of a leafless tree against a blue sky.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Leafless tree branches with several pairs of shoes hanging from them against a blue sky.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Cars parked along a quiet residential street with brick houses and bare trees on a cloudy day.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Silhouetted tree branches with sparse leaves against a clear blue sky.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A gloved hand shows a middle finger near chalk writing: Remember what it took for you to be here. @7SoulsDeep.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Graffiti on a brick wall along a city sidewalk with a tree and parked cars in view.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A tall evergreen tree stands near a red traffic cone in a mostly empty parking lot.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A tree with autumn leaves stands in front of shops, including Urban Lifestyle, on a city street.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Two cars parked in front of Sarajevo Grill restaurant on a city street with leafless trees.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Tall weeds and grass grow behind a rusty wire fence in front of a house with green siding.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A city street under an elevated train track with parked cars and people walking on the sidewalks.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A silver sedan parked on a street in front of houses and a large tree with green leaves.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
A silver subway train speeds past a station platform, appearing blurred from motion.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Sunlit living room with plants, pillows, a sofa, and an air conditioner under a window with dark curtains.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Dimly lit subway tracks and metal beams, with graffiti, facing a bright platform in the background.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
Unmade bed with green and peach bedding, bedside table with toiletries, and string lights above.
Camp Snap sample image shot with the Camp Shades Superior filter
brian waldman camp snap filter hack review superior
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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