Lo-fi heaven! Digital Harinezumi: Digital Super 8mm camera

Camera Reviews Reviews

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Some bloke called Steve Weiss showed me this little camera in San Francisco and I fell in love with it. So of course I had to have one!!

It’s called the Digital Harinezumi from Superheadz in Japan.

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It can’t be summed up much better than this from “Urban Outfitters”

Creating warm, dreamy and surprising videos, the tiny Harinezumi camera (about the size of a 110 film camera) by Superheadz was inspired by the Super 8mm silent film of the ’60s and can take 2 hours of footage (without sound) while being compact enough to carry with you just about anywhere.

Don’t feel like filming? The Harinezumi also takes color-saturated, dreamy still photos. Playback function; resolution option; self timer, auto exposure; digital screen display; viewfinder at the top; 640×480 movie size; f-8.24mm. To get your digital videos and images onto your computer, you’ll need a microSD card and card reader, not included.


* Includes: Harinezumi video camera, limited warranty and instruction manual
* Takes 1 CR2 battery, not included
* 3.5″w, 1.5″d, 1.25″h
* Plastic, electronics

It’s really the opposite of what I have been shooting with really. But there is something about the lo-fi image from it that I adore. It really does have a very Super 8mm look and feel to the pictures (despite the crappy rolling shutter issues from the cmos chip).

The film below really captures the last 10 days of my USA trip after RE:Frame in San Francisco. Starting off at Zacuto with Steve Weiss recording new episodes of Critics, that’s Scott Lynch taking the piss out of Steve’s “Self Love” Video which you can see at the bottom of this post. Then the video goes to LA where the LA meet up happened of about 30-40 odd people from twitter and facebook. We all met up on Venice beach and had a great time down there. Great to see Brian Ramage (Reubal), Paul Reynolds, the Jag boys, David Aldrich (who makes the dirt cheap D-Focus available from the Jag boys), Oleg, Rodney Charters (24 DP), Alex Kubalsky, FCPUG main dude Michael Horton and many more! Then there is a little bit at the end with the lovely Sara Collaton. It was a right old 5dmkII/7D fest though!

There is something really freeing about using something so basic and retro as this, no sound, fixed lens, tiny. I simply adore the images that come out of this camera. It really reminds me of the old home movies my dad made with his Super 8mm camera.

If you want a really fun little toy camera and try something very different check it out. They are in very short supply. The only place I can find them in stock is Urban Outfitters. It costs $170 and it’s worth getting the accessory pack which contains a 2gb micro sd card, USB convertor and battery. You can also but them from Photojojo here.

Digital Harinezumi: Lo-fi coolness! USA Video Blog from Some Like It Shot on Vimeo.

It is very plasticky and I don’t think it will last forever but I am really quite smitten! I can’t think of a better Christmas present than this for people!

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Memories of My ReFrame Shootout from Steve Weiss on Vimeo.

This is a camera test.
I shot this vintage (Super 8 film look) video using my new Digital Harinezumi toy video camera bought on-line at urban outfitters for $170. Using a prototype Zacuto Zgrip Point and Shoot (stabilizing handgrip), I shot all of the footage here. All of the scenes of me I shot holding the Zgrip, pointing the camera at myself. No post process was done to this video, just captured and edited. Shot on October 21, 2009 at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco while attending the RE:FRAME Collective.
Shot and edited by Steve Weiss

40 comments

  1. Really like the aesthetics. This had me wondering if there is a plastic lens you can get for the 5D Mark II which gives a similar look!! I know Lomo brought out some fisheyes for the EOS mount recently. Wouldn’t it be great to pick up a vintage lens from eBay to give a really interesting low-fi look to 5D footage. So much more appeal than yet another expensive L lens.

  6. This may be a dumb question, but here goes anyway: How do you pick the music for your films? And, what’s your biggest “go-to” source for previewing/choosing music?

    I know it’s a broad question but is it mainly just intuitive, like you know the mood you’re going for, and you know lots of music already? Or, do you have a general idea what you want and then you search for tunes that fit using some service like iTunes? Or maybe do you just have a piece of music in mind when you’re shooting?

    If you have time to discuss this in a separate blog, that would be awesome! If not, just any ideas would be helpful.

  7. As someone who’s shot a great deal of Super 8 lately, I think the most striking similarity comes from the kind of angles people choose to shoot with a small camera like this, rather than the visual qualities of the format itself.

    Still, I like the concept of a consumer video camera that won’t do audio. It forces people to concentrate on creating visuals, rather than just attempting to “record” everything. That’s one of the reasons there is so much beauty in a lot of the old Super 8 home movies.

  8. I do love the “crappy” look of the lens, colors all smeared around, and there’s a familiar green tint to a lot of footage. It certainly looks like video when the skintones crush, bu the rest of it really does have a snazzy “lo-fi” look that it’s just so much easier to do with the right tool, than to try and dumb down good camera footage in post.

    I just wish it wasn’t so jello-y with the CMOS. Ugh. Really ruins it for me.

      1. Oops, sorry for the late reply. I guess its not available outside Japan. If you’re ever here try walking into a Loft/bookstore etc. They do have special Toy camera sections. A visit to Akihabara, the electric town of tokyo would be nice too!

        If you’re not gonna be here anytime soon, Maybe, I could get you one? Either ship it, or I’ll be moving to LA by August this year. Let me know. (Mail if possible. I came back just because of the spike in replay count of my video! )

  16. This is a fabulous camera. Not only does it produce the dreamy results that you mention but the fact that its so small means that one can carry it around at all times.
    simply perfect and a lot of fun

  18. Was really wanting this first time i saw it (in Magma book store, for those who would like another alternate shop to buy from). Was the version 1. Checked out footage all looked great! but couldn’t afford it then. Got the version 2 now, just waiting on it to arrive, only to now hear from you all that it’s not as nice image quality as the first!!!! Feel gutted as i specifically wanted that super 8 feel 🙁
    but should be fun regardless I suspect. will post some footage soon as

    1. Come on Martin. You very well know your post is a bit OTT! As a professional you also know that this is hardly the cutting edge nor what people are using professionally at all. This is simply a bit of fun…something photography should always be. There is a reason why people are buying iPhone photography apps like crazy as people are getting huge enjoyment out of screwing with their photos. This is what this camera is like. Personally I couldn’t care less what cameras people filmed with or shot photos with as long as they are using cameras! Anyway love your work, take care. Philip

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