The Rewindpix Camera Project

credits: Rewindpix

Rewindpix is a new digital camera project from photographer and designer Xiao Liu, built around the idea that digital shooting has gotten a bit ‘too fast’ and ‘too screen-heavy’. After trying cameras like the Camp Snap and FlashBack One, Liu felt they still didn’t capture the feeling of the compact film cameras many people grew up with. So Rewindpix, with its upcoming camera goes in the opposite direction, a big, bright optical viewfinder, a mechanical winder, a physical shutter, and only a tiny rear display that shows basic info. The design takes inspiration from classic Agfa compacts, complete with a Xenon flash and boxy shape, but it is still very much a digital camera underneath.

The shooting experience is built around two modes. Camera mode is the simpler one, you pick from three built-in looks (Sunny Warm, Breezy Cool, or Simply Mono) and just shoot. The camera stores over 1,200 photos and gets roughly 300 shots on a charge. Film mode slows things down even more, once you pick a look, you are locked into it for 36 frames, like a digital roll of film. Through the app, you can load more than 20 film-inspired profiles or create your own, including stocks modeled after Portra or colour palettes inspired by specific filmmakers. Hardware-wise, it uses a 13MP 1/3-inch sensor and an f/2.2 glass lens, plus a front filter thread and swappable shutter buttons.

According to the Rewindpix team, the whole project is meant to bring back a bit of the anticipation and physical interaction that film shooters miss, without giving up the convenience of digital. There is no image playback, so you don’t fall into the usual shoot-check-delete loop. A large optical viewfinder and mechanical controls do most of the work. The camera is expected to ship in 2026 and will debut on Kickstarter, where a pre-launch page is already live. Pricing details are still to come.

You can see full details on Rewindpix’s Kickstarter page here