{"id":488414,"date":"2026-01-03T02:11:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T02:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/488414\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T02:11:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T02:11:16","slug":"what-happens-when-you-put-big-lenses-on-the-tiny-kodak-charmera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/488414\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens When You Put Big Lenses on the Tiny Kodak Charmera?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Kodak Charmera keychain camera<\/a> has been a smash hit<\/a>. Sold in blind boxes<\/a>, the 1.6-megapixel retro-styled toy camera was one of the biggest photo gifts of the holidays. However, straight out of the box, its capabilities are arguably a bit lacking<\/a>, thanks in large part to its tiny built-in lens. That\u2019s where expert camera modifier James Warner, or Snappiness<\/a> as he\u2019s known online, comes in. What would happen if you gave the Kodak Charmera a better, bigger lens? <\/p>\n

Warner tells PetaPixel that he ordered the six-pack of Kodak Charmera cameras, guaranteeing he got one of each of the standard color variants, just a few hours after the camera was announced. It\u2019s a good thing he was fast, because the Charmera sold out in just 24 hours<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I saw them I knew immediately it had a good chance to be a successful product. They are cute, surprisingly functional, and despite being a little overpriced still fall easily into that impulse\u00a0buy price range for a lot of young people,\u201d Warner says of the Charmera\u2019s massive appeal. \u201cAlso, right now there seems to be a big trend with retro inspired products, and blind boxes have taken over store shelves in the last year like I\u2019ve never seen before. I have kids so I know. I personally am not a fan of blind boxes as a marketing tactic, but if someone is fine getting any color, then I think it\u2019s a fun surprise.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Warner\u2019s favorite Charmera variant is the classic Kodak yellow version, so that\u2019s the one he chose to modify for his recent YouTube Shorts videos seen in this article. While he had hoped to get the secret rare transparent edition, a 1-in-48 chance, he missed out and says it\u2019s not worth gambling to get one. <\/p>\n

Just like Warner knew as soon as he saw the Charmera for the first time that it had a good chance to be a hit with customers, he also immediately knew he\u2019d put one under the knife as soon as he got his hands on it. He tells PetaPixel he would have started modifying one the day it arrived had he not been busy with other products. <\/p>\n

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\u201cI have recently been experimenting modding crappy cameras (the Yashica Y35 has been my favorite so far<\/a>, because it\u2019s absolutely ridiculous now as an IR-modded interchangeable lens M12 mount camera),\u201d Warner explains. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe big problem with the Yashica Y35 or Camp Snap cameras I\u2019ve modded previously is that they have no live view, so you can\u2019t manually focus through a finder. The Charmera\u2019s, of course, have live view, and are the smallest camera I\u2019ve seen to have that feature, so that in combination with the retro design made it really enticing to mod. It just looks crazy with C mount glass on it.\u201d <\/p>\n

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As PetaPixel\u2018s Chris Niccolls explained in our Kodak Charmera Review<\/a>, \u201cDon\u2019t expect a ton of sharpness or detail out of the [Charmera\u2019s] basic plastic lens.\u201d <\/p>\n

Although modifying a camera always comes with some challenges, the Charmera is a good candidate because it\u2019s reasonably affordable and relatively straightforward to use. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is something most people could pull off successfully,\u201d Warner says of putting a new lens mount in the Charmera. \u201cThere are no electronics to mod or anything, so it\u2019s just a matter of ripping things apart without breaking anything.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThe most difficult part is removing the built-in lens from the sensor, as it is adhered on pretty well. It takes some patience with a razor blade going around the bottom of the lens (you can see the soft glue\/rubber they used) and then prying it open. As long as the razor blade doesn\u2019t insert too deep into the assembly, you\u2019ll avoid hitting the sensor and should be fine,\u201d he remarks. <\/p>\n

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\"Close-up<\/p>\n

As for the tools and parts, an enterprising DIY\u2019er needs the Kodak Charmera itself, a razor blade or a sharp, thin knife, a screwdriver, strong glue (that won\u2019t damage electronics), and possibly a small drill to hollow out the plastic lens facade. However, Warner notes, \u201cyou could just remove that altogether.\u201d <\/p>\n

He 3D-printed a spacer to get the appropriate flange distance and used a 5mm C-mount spacer ring, which costs a few bucks. If someone doesn\u2019t have a 3D printer, Warner thinks that a 10mm C-mount spacer or two 5mm ones would also do the trick. <\/p>\n

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\u201cMaybe use some putty so you can very slightly adjust the flange distance until you nail infinity focus. I think there\u2019s a lot of ways someone could tackle this modification using whatever they have lying around and some ingenuity,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n

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\"Close-up<\/p>\n

With a C-mount successfully installed, the Kodak Charmera experience is totally transformed. Given the sensor\u2019s size, just a Type 1\/4, the camera has a massive crop factor of about eight times. This means that even a 10mm lens is more like a mid-telephoto prime. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve enjoyed a 6mm f\/1.4 lens that gives around a 50mm equivalent, which is a fun different angle than the standard lens that comes with the camera,\u201d Warner says. \u201cThe fun thing about C\/CS mount lenses is that they are plentiful, cheap, and you can find vintage ones and ones being manufactured now. You can even use vintage cine D mount lenses with a little C to D lens adapter ring, which opens up a whole bunch of fun opportunities.\u201d <\/p>\n

Warner also removed the camera\u2019s IR filter, which, of course, is an optional part of his modification process. But that\u2019s why some of the images included in this story are in black and white. <\/p>\n

James Warner, AKA Snappiness<\/a>, is always up to something exciting, so photographers who love to tinker or enjoy watching a talented photographer experiment with gear should check out his YouTube channel<\/a>. PetaPixel has covered some of his projects before, including a $10 DIY waist-level viewfinder mod<\/a> and a wild 2-in-1 digital panorama camera project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Image credits:<\/strong> James Warner (@_snappiness_<\/a>) <\/p>\n