New York City-based photography and lifestyle company Manual has announced the Holo, a new $95 point-and-shoot digital camera that sports an eye-catching Y2K-inspired translucent design.
Manual is best known for its analog photography products, including disposable and reusable manual film cameras, 35mm film, and film development services. However, its latest foray enters the digital realm.
The Manual Holo digital camera comes in four translucent colors: clear, green, pink, and blue. As Hypebeast describes, the digital camera still caters to the company’s core analog-inspired audience.
“We built Holo as a tool for play, where imperfection becomes art,” Manual’s founder and Creative Director Malcom Dia told Hypebeast. “These cameras are made to be passed between friends, creating a shared archive of nights, weekends, and memories that actually feel real.”
This is not the first vintage-inspired, experience-forward digital camera released in recent years. The early 2000s digital look has been popular for the past few years, and companies are stepping up to either revive old models or create something entirely new.
The Manual Holo digital camera prioritizes the overall experience of digital point-and-shoot photography, rather than image quality. The camera features a 50-megapixel sensor, although its precise size and specifications remain unknown. The camera’s built-in lens is unknown, too. Looking closely at the product photos reveals a 4-22.2mm focal length, which given what is undoubtedly a very small image sensor, should deliver a fairly typical built-in zoom lens experience, likely starting around the 24mm equivalent focal length mark. The camera’s built-in flash is an LED, rather than a xenon flash.
Given the lack of clear technical information, it’s evident that Manual’s focus here is not on specifications or features, but rather vibes. The Holo can shoot photos (JPEG only) and videos, although its video resolution tops out at just 1080p despite having a 50-megapixel sensor.
The camera features a 16x digital zoom, anti-shake technology, and a microSD card slot (a 32GB card is included). It charges via USB-C and ships with a card reader, wrist strap, and dust bag. Unlike some recent digital cameras that have ditched the screen, the Holo includes a 2.8-inch rear LCD.
Pricing and Availability
Manual NYC’s Holo Digital Camera is available now for $95. It comes in translucent clear, green, pink, and blue color options.