Can a £17 TikTok camera really be that bad?

Perhaps you’ve heard of the CLS, the TikTok compact camera that promises the coveted retro look of early 2000s CCD digital cameras. It costs only £17 (around $22), and Tom Calton recently got his hands on one. Does the suspiciously low price tag make this camera a terrible choice? Spoiler alert: it does, and Tom’s review hilariously shows all the reasons why.

The camera is advertised to have 48 MP, and once Tom unboxes it, he sees “64 MP ” written on it. Nope, the camera doesn’t shoot at 64 MP, not even at 48, but we’ll get to it. The box is cluttered with loads of stuff and, most importantly – stickers! Lots of stickers.

Despite the initial disappointment, Tom says that the camera feels decent in hand and has a pocket-friendly size. However, there’s no battery compartment, and you charge the camera directly. This means that when the battery dies, so does the complete camera.

The controls are confusing, with fake zoom rockers and misleading buttons. The “super EBC FX 35 mm F2 W WR” lens description sounds like a blatant rip-off of Fujifilm, and the “weather resistant” claim is dubious at best.

The camera’s menu system is a disaster. Icons resemble early 2000s mobile game logos, and descriptions are nonexistent. The “controller” mode offers a super-slow Pac-Man emulator, raising serious questions about the camera’s processing power. Other pointless features include a few other games and a “heart” mode for filters and frames, each uglier than the last.

But what about image quality?

The image quality is underwhelming, to say the least. The advertised 4K video capture is a lie, with only 1080p available. A strange buzzing noise plagues the video footage, and it suffers from poor dynamic range. Photos are equally unimpressive, appearing blurry and lacking detail. The megapixel count is inflated, allowing for around 44MP. Tom also suspects that the sensor is of much lower quality.

With this assumption, Tom decided to take the camera apart. The interior revealed a shocker: a surprising amount of modeling clay. It was probably added for weight to create a false impression of quality. The sensor offered no identifying marks, leaving the CCD claim in question.

The CLS camera is nothing more than a kids’ camera hidden in a trendy shell. In fact, its functions remind me of a pink toy camera I bought for my little bestie for her third birthday. The CLS preys on the nostalgia for CCD cameras but fails to deliver on any front. If you’re looking for a genuine retro digital photography experience, Tom suggests looking elsewhere, perhaps at vintage cameras or your dad’s old collection.

[This TikTok Digicam IS HILARIOUS! via FStoppers]

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