This Absurd, Adorable $38 1MP Digital Camera Can Be Worn Like Jewelry

While Kenko Tokina continues work on a lens “like no other,” the company’s first new lens in years, it also continues churning out compact cameras in Japan, like the adorable new $38 Pieni III.

As reported by CAPA Camera Web, the Pieni III is a 1.38-megapixel, teeny-tiny digital camera — like really tiny. The camera weighs a meager 18 grams (0.63 ounces, or 9/1000th of a Noct) and is so small that it can actually be worn like a necklace. It is just 53 x 35 x 18 millimeters (2.1 x 1.38 x 0.71 inches). It’s at least big enough for its microSD card slot.

Unfortunately, it has a built-in battery and charges via USB-C. This is a notable change from the Pieni II, which used an old-school micro-USB port for charging.

A neat feature of the Pieni III is its magnetic back. This means that users can attach it to metal objects, like railings, to take self-portraits.

Arguably, the cute, small form factor is as much of the Pieni III’s appeal as its imaging capabilities. The sensor is laughably small, measuring just Type 1/10, which makes even the smallest smartphone sensors today look monstrously huge. And of course, the 1.38-megapixel billing is not even quite right. That’s upscaled in-camera from 0.32 megapixels. For some reason, the camera even records 720p video at up to 30 frames per second.

With such a small image sensor, it’s little surprise that the built-in lens has an extremely short focal length. It’s a 1.8mm f/2.8 lens, which is equivalent in 35mm terms to a 42mm prime. The lens can focus from 0.3 meters (11.8 inches) to infinity, but given the small sensor, everything is likely to be in focus anyway.

Per CAPA Camera Web, the camera has a fixed ISO of 100 and only offers automatic shutter speed. But again, the photos are really something of an afterthought to the camera’s style and size. There’s not even an electronic viewfinder or screen to view photos, so images can only be seen on another device, like a connected smartphone or computer.

Speaking of style, the Pieni III comes in some standard colors, like baby blue, pastel pink, white, and black. However, it also comes in Hello Kitty-flavored varieties, including ones featuring Hello Kitty herself, plus other Sanrio characters like Cinnamaroll, Kuromi, and the half-fish, half-human weirdo that is Hangyodon.

The Kenko Tokina Pieni III is now available in Japan for a suggested retail price of 6,600 yen, about $38 at current exchange rates. The Sanrio-themed ones are a bit pricier, though, coming in at 8,470 yen, or over $53.

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Image creditsKenko Tokina