The Lumenati CS1 Bring the Nostalgic Experience of Lo-Fi Video to Your iPhone

The time of 8mm and 16mm video cameras might long be gone, but that doesn’t mean the design, aesthetic and experience of these cameras must die along with it.

Meet the Lumenati CS1, ‘the world’s first cinematic smartcase’ that brings the convenience of digital video with the nostalgic design, experience and ergonomics of lo-fi video cameras.

Originally funded on August 12th, 2015 via Kickstarter, the Lumenati CS1 uses an iPhone 6/6s as the brains of the operation. Simply pop in your iPhone as you would an old 8mm cassette, attach one of the many lenses created specifically for the device and get shooting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-zN90cM2x0

Anyone familiar with lo-fi video cameras should feel right at home with a trigger-style grip and record button. Also included on the camera is a cold shoe for mounting lights, microphones, handles or other accessories to spice up your footage.

To make full use of the design, a Lumenati app lets you use the dedicated eyepiece to frame, change focus, alter the exposure, change the framerate and even add a filter your footage while shooting. Once you’ve captured your footage, you can edit it directly inside the app while your phone is still mounted in the camera.

This post-Kickstarter pre-order comes with Lumenati’s 0.45x wide-angle glass lens, but more of the lens lineup should become available over time.

Below are a collection of videos showing the Lumenati CS1 in use:

You can pre-order the Lumenati CS1 for $200. It’s set to ship out in February 2016.

Besides mass production of the Lumenati CS1, a version for iPhone 6/6s Plus phones is also on the way, although no time-frame has been mentioned yet.