This Film Photography-Inspired Camera is for People Experiencing Digital Fatigue

Modern life is overwhelming many people and analog pursuits are on the up. Enter Await, a camera made by Swiss-based electronics company Rolling Square.

While not strictly an analog camera, Await does its best by not allowing the photographer to see the shots until they’ve shot a “full roll” of 24 images.

PetaPixel first reported on the Await camera back in January when it was first unveiled at CES in Las Vegas. Today, the camera is available via Kickstarter and more details have been revealed.

The Await camera has no screen apart from a small OLED that shows how many shots are left on the “roll.” After the “roll” has been shot, the photos are automatically synced to the Await app and developed using “Await’s retro-inspired processing.” The images are then organized into a completed roll for reviewing, saving, and sharing.

The idea is that the rolls can then be sent to print like an instant camera from the 1990s. 24 6×4 physical photographs are delivered to the photographer’s door. Each roll costs $9.99.

Await has two settings: automatic or manual printing. Manual accumulates in the app until the user chooses which ones to send to the printer and when. Automatic mode skips all that and sends every completed roll to print immediately.

The camera has a very simple design: there is a shutter button that’s also the power button and a function button at the back which toggles the xenon flash on and off and is used to control the 10-second self-timer.

It has an eight-megapixel Sony IMX179 CMOS sensor paired with a fixed f/2.0 lens, an optical viewfinder, a USB-C port for recharging, lanyard holes, a threaded tripod mount, and a little speaker for shutter noises.

The camera is pocket-sized, lightweight, and designed to be carried around everywhere. There are also magnetically swappable faceplates that come in five colorways: cobalt blue, teal, green, pink, and yellow.

“Its ideal users are students, Gen Z and Millennials, who are experiencing ‘digital fatigue’, and digital minimalists; the product is not just a gadget, but a mental health tool wrapped in a lifestyle accessory,” says Await.

There is a super early bird price of 89 Euros ($101) for early Kickstarter backers. The normal price is 129 Euros ($146).

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