A tiny digital camera made for kids has unexpectedly become a hit with adults who want a simple, screen-free shooting experience. But what if it could be more than just a toy? One creator decided to take this little camera and push it to its limits, transforming it into something completely different—and way more fun.
Coming to you from James Warner of snappiness, this wildly creative video shows the process of turning a basic children’s camera into a retro-inspired waist-level viewfinder camera. The original camera is about as simple as it gets: a sensor, a battery, a shutter button, and a basic optical viewfinder. But Warner isn’t here to settle for “good enough.” Instead, he scraps the old body and builds a new one from the ground up, taking inspiration from classic twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameras. That means a totally new shooting experience—holding the camera at waist level and looking down into a pop-up viewfinder rather than using a screen. It’s a bizarre but surprisingly cool way to shoot, and it’s something you don’t see on modern digital cameras.
Of course, things don’t go perfectly. Working around the original electronics means dealing with weird sensor placement and cable limitations, forcing some design compromises. The new body is much bigger than expected, but that just adds to its charm. Warner also throws in some upgrades, like a filter ring for lens attachments, a relocated shutter button, and a flash module that’s kind of just two tiny LEDs. It’s all part of an ongoing experiment, and the final product is equal parts ridiculous and impressive.
This isn’t just a fun one-off project. Warner is using it as a stepping stone to something even bigger—building his own digital camera from scratch. He’s already got ideas brewing for a fully custom design, controlling the electronics himself rather than working around existing parts. The goal? To create an open-source digital camera that anyone can build. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Warner.
