Fragment 8 retro camera shoots digital videos and old school GIFs

Lofty Factory is gearing up to launch a new Kickstarter campaign for Fragment 8, a new modern digital camera that is styled after the retro Super 8 camera. This model doesn't shoot film like its older counterpart, instead recording video as MP4s and GIFs for direct sharing on social media platforms. The device's name 'Fragment' refers to the types of short snippets of life captured by the camera.

Retro-themed photography apps are very popular at the moment, enabling users to snap images and record videos that look like they were taken with an old school digital or film camera. Lofty Factory is attempting to get in on this retro photography trend with its Fragment 8, a digital camera designed to look like an old school 8mm film camera.

The camera can be used to capture GIFs, including a special effect GIF called Looper Effect, plus there are options to shoot video at 9fps for a retro look or a typical movie frame rate at 24fps. As well, users can shoot clips of up to 120 seconds, which counts down each shoot "like the real film," according to the company.

The Fragment 8 likewise features a removable rotating plate for toggling between three different lens types, including a star filter lens, kaleidoscope six lens, and radial filter lens. The camera features a USB port for transferring content from the device to a computer, where they can then be directly shared online. Videos are recorded in 720p resolution.

As the video above shows, users can record videos that flicker for a more authentic look; there's graininess and faded color tones to help add to the authentic look. As far as construction is concerned, the camera is made from aluminum, ABS plastic, and leather. Lofty Factory plans to fund the product on Kickstarter soon, but the campaign isn't live yet.