The Kodak Charmera Millennium Edition Is Dripping with Y2K Vibes

4 hours ago 4

Six colorful Kodak Ektar H35 cameras are stacked and balanced creatively, with one camera hovering above the rest against a blue gradient background. The cameras are in silver, pink, blue, orange, black, and green.

Reto, the company behind the Snapic A1 and the the wildly successful Kodak Charmera blind box keychains from last year, is back with a new set: the Kodak Charmera Millennium Edition.

“The icon is evolving. Moving from the nostalgic ‘portable retro’ roots of the original 1987 Kodak Fling-inspired Charmera, we are fast-forwarding to the future-past with the Kodak Charmera Millennium Edition,” Reto says.

“This isn’t just a camera, it’s a time capsule of Y2K energy, blending the photogenic spirit with the high-gloss aesthetic of the 2000 era. It is the ultimate lo-fi futurist accessory, reimagining the dawn of the digital age for today’s trendsetters.”

A person in checkered pants and a light green long-sleeve shirt holds several small keychain trinkets, including a toy cell phone, camera, book, beads, and charms, while sitting on a plaid blanket outdoors.

These new designs use a Type 1/4 CMOS image sensor behind a 35mm f/2.4 lens that takes 1.6 megapixel JPEG photos (1,440 x 1,080 pixels). It can also capture video in the AVI format at up to 30 frames per second. The Charmera features a built-in battery that is rechargeable via USB-C and captures images to a microSD card (between 1GB and 128 GB).

Four colorful Kodak Charman mini cameras on a metallic surface, surrounded by rings, a chain, eyeglasses, a lipstick, and a perfume bottle, arranged in a stylish, organized layout.

Two Kodak film canisters, one labeled "Gold" and the other "Color Plus," are placed on and beside the open tray of a silver CD player, with a CD partially out on the tray.

Below are a few sample photos taken with the Charmera, provided courtesy of Reto:

A llama stands on a grassy hillside near a wooden house with a sloped roof, surrounded by green meadows, trees, and distant mountains under a clear blue sky.

Two people pose outdoors, holding up small rectangular objects close to their faces. One wears a headscarf and colorful long sleeves; the other wears sunglasses and patterned clothing. Both look towards the camera.

A person with long blonde hair plays an arcade game, facing the screen. There are various items, including a red pouch and crumpled paper, on the arcade machine near the controls.

A close-up view of a Ferris wheel with colorful gondolas under a clear blue sky. The center of the wheel features a large, red and white starburst design.

If those specifications sound familiar, it’s because they are unchanged from the first run of Charmeras. While the shape and base sensor are the same as last year’s originals, this new set features four new frames and seven new filters that are based on the year 2000.

“Inside, the digital experience has been completely overhauled to mirror the dawn of the internet age. It integrates a new suite of 2000s-era filters and frames, featuring the iconic video player interface, nostalgic old TV tube effects, and pixelated digital filters that capture that early-tech aesthetic,” Reto says. “It’s more than a tribute, it’s a high-gloss, metallic reimagining of the era that changed everything.”

Below are examples of the four new frames:

A group of people walking down white stairs outside, seen through a green, pixel-art frame resembling a retro computer or TV screen, with a house and blue sky in the background.

Two people with long hair walk together on a city street, seen from behind, displayed on a camera screen with an orange Kodak frame decorated with stickers and camera UI icons.

A digital photo of a yellow toy sports car is displayed on a vintage Kodak software interface, set against a blue background. The car has black detailing, white wheels, and is viewed from the front left angle.

A young child wearing a crown and smiling widely at a birthday party, with colorful "Kodak" stickers and star graphics overlaid on the image. Another child is partly visible in the background.

The Millennium Edition’s seven photo filters are black and white, cool, and warm, while also offering what it calls “pixel filters” in coral, honey, teal, and violet.

A collage of cityscapes and architecture in different vintage filters—black and white, sepia, warm, and cool tones. Two people sit by a building door. Text promotes filter features for a camera.

"Pixel Filters—Retro pixelated filters in various shades bring back that iconic 2000s lo-fi tech aesthetic.

Just as before, the Millennium Edition Kodak Charmera cameras will only be available in blind boxes.

“The thrill of the chase remains — The Millennium edition continues the legacy as a blind box collectible, making every unboxing a mystery to solve,” Reto says.

Two hands hold several colorful cassette tape keychains above a pink purse and other accessories, including a plush toy and a toy car, on a grassy surface.

This new series once again features six base colors and one new “secret” color: a mirror silver.

A small, rectangular silver Kodak keychain digital camera is displayed against a reflective metallic surface, with the Kodak logo visible on the front.

The Kodak Charmera Millennium Edition will be available as individual boxes for $35, while a set of six will retail for $210. Memory cards are not included.

Image credits: Reto

Read Entire Article