The Portal is a Screenless, IP58 Camera with Kodak-Inspired Film Simulations

Nocs Provisions, a company most well-known for its affordable and rugged binoculars, has announced the Portal AFN7 Adventure Camera that it says is the first in a series it will release for outdoor enthusiasts.

The Portal is a 140-gram (4.9 ounces) screenless camera designed to mimic the experience of a classic film camera (and to “encourage people to trust their instincts”) and is IP58-rated to reject dust, rain, and heavy splashes so that it can survive the outdoors. The company says that the design of this camera is meant to keep technology out of the way and let experiences remain at the forefront. What it doesn’t directly address is the form factor of the Portal, which is extremely unusual.

The camera has a small Type 1/3.06, 16-megapixel sensor behind a 22.5mm f/2.2 equivalent lens. For reference, this is about the size of the ultra-wide camera sensor on most smartphones (typically the worst of the three now). It is capable of capturing 4Kp30 video and has an 8x digital zoom as well as six film-inspired presets (in addition to a no-filter mode), including ones it says are directly inspired by Kodachrome 64 and Kodak Gold 200.

While the camera has no optical viewfinder (it uses a very small digital electronic viewfinder), it was made to pair with Nocs’ optical products. The company says it was intentionally designed to work with magnified optics and, when paired with the included NocDoc alignment shroud, Portal docks directly with Nocs binoculars and monoculars, letting users capture magnified photos and video straight through the optic.

“The result is a camera designed from the ground up to work as part of the complete Nocs system,” the company says.

Photos are stored on a microSD card (the camera ships with a 4GB card and it can use cards as large as 128GB) and can be transferred either with a card reader or via USB-C. Nocs says the camera can be recognized by a smartphone as well, making it easy to access photos and videos while on the trail.

The camera is powered by a sealed (read: built-in, non-removable) 800 mAh battery that Nocs says is good for about 3,000 photos or 30 to 35 minutes of continuous 4K video capture.

Below are a few sample photos taken with the Portal, provided by Nocs.

The Nocs Provisions Portal AFN7 Adventure Camera is available in Galapagos Gray, Moonwalk White, and Lassen Black colors, costs $180, and is available today directly from the company or from REI. It is also protected by a lifetime warranty for manufacturing issues and has two-year coverage for electronics issues.

Image creditsNocs Provisions