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7 Of The Coolest Retro Cameras Of 2026 — From Monochrome Models To No-fuss Film Cameras

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Way back in January, we wrote about how retro cameras were making an unexpected resurgence. Now we're nearing the end of the year, and that trend is showing no signs of slowing — and I've rounded up some of our favorite old-school styled cameras of 2026.

'Retro' is a broad term, and these cameras span a wide spectrum too. Leica and Ricoh's dedicated black-and-white cameras are serious snappers optimized for monochrome photography, while the OM System PEN and Fujifilm X-T30 III have retro designs that'll beginner photographers will love.

At the more frivolous end of the market we have Camp Snap's basic, screen-free point-and-shoot, and a fuss-free film camera from Kodak that managed to produce some charming, characterful shots in our tests. And no retro camera roundup would be complete without the viral Kodak Charmera — a dinky keychain snapper that our Cameras Editor hates to love.

Scroll down to learn more about all of these retro wonders, and hit the View Details button for more info and links to our reviews.

Retro snappers

Kodak
Snapic A1

Pros

  • Clean, compact and stylish design
  • Delivers characterful shots in good lighting
  • Useful OLED panel on top

Cons

  • No exposure controls
  • Weak flash limits indoor capabilities
  • Extra cost of film development and prints

Man holding the Fujifilm X-T30 III camera up to his eye, on London street

Fujifilm
X-T30 III

Pros

  • Sharp stills and video
  • Tidy retro design
  • Can be stowed in jacket pocket

Cons

  • Modest upgrade of the X-T30 II
  • A bit pricey
  • Loss of shooting mode dial

Kodak Charmera compact camera dangling from its keychain, with shop frontage backdrop

Kodak
Charmera

Pros

  • Thumb-sized
  • Retro design, collector colorways
  • It's a fully working camera!
  • A genuinely great gift idea

Cons

  • Probably the worst image quality I've seen
  • Tiny battery
  • There's a risk it'll quickly become an unused gadget

Q3 Monochrom camera on a snowy log

Leica
Q3 Monochrom

Pros

  • Same superb design and lens quality as the Q3
  • The purest experience from a digital camera for black and white photography fans
  • High-resolution full-frame sensor

Cons

  • As niche a digital camera as they come
  • Limited customization for its standard color profiles
  • Pricier than the Q3
  • As with the Q3, stabilization is only okay, battery life is average, tilt screen is awkward

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema on a white wooden surface

Fujifilm
Instax Evo Cinema

Pros

  • Multi-media skills
  • Unique design and well-made
  • Fun color mode dial

Cons

  • Sluggish operation
  • Poor image quality
  • Video clip length limitations
  • Pricey

CS-PRO camera, held up against the sky

Camp Snap
CS-PRO

Pros

  • Super-easy point-and-shoot operation
  • Filter dial adds a few creative options
  • Very lightweight, with stylish looks
  • Affordable price tag

Cons

  • Flash unit overexposes images
  • Can't handle high-contrast lighting
  • All-plastic body doesn't feel robust

OM System PEN mirrorless camera on a wooden post on the edge of a forest in a nature reserve

OM System
PEN

Pros

  • Excellent value
  • In-body image stabilization and neat computational photography modes
  • Classy design
  • Splash-proof, as is the new kit lens

Cons

  • Basic video features
  • Some controls are fiddly
  • Design less suitable for long lenses
  • Lower rated weather resistance than the OM-5 II

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