I exist in the Venn diagram overlap of two of the most annoying people on the planet: a narcissist a millennial. That’s who HTC’s new RE camera is marketed towards that’s probably why I like it. This $200 camera is meant to help document both the exciting-to-you aspects of your life in a cid spontaneous manner—it aims to inspire the “selfie generation” to put down the viewfinder experience life! I liked my life with the RE in tow.

Towards the end there, however, I realized that while the RE Camera is a fun gadget to have on h, it’s never going to replace the need for a real camera—just like a smartphone hasn’t.

’Is that an inhaler?’

At first I was skeptical of the RE Camera’s periscope-shaped design. It certainly didn’t help that I received confused looks from passersby when I used it out in the wild—one woman even asked if I had asthma when I brought the RE in with me into the yoga studio. 

It’s admittedly a really silly shape, but it fulfills its purpose. It really feels like a “camera gun,” thus inspiring you to shoot to your heart’s content. It’s also comfortable enough to use one-hed, facing any direction. 

The RE Camera is light, but sturdy. There’s a bit of weight concentrated in the base so that it doesn’t tip over on a wobbly table, for instance. You’d have to knock it pretty hard to do so. It also has a stard quarter-inch tripod mount on the bottom if you’re looking for a little more stability.

The camera offers several shooting modes, including video time lapse. You can also choose to shoot in Ultra-wide angle from the official RE Camera app. Videos can be shot in 720p or Full HD, up to 30 frames-per-second, while photos top out at 16-megapixels with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Easy to use, once you figure it out

Back when I wrote my initial hs-on with the RE Camera, I was a little confused about how to use it. There’s no viewfinder or D screen of any sort, I’m used to previewing photos on a DS or my phone. However, once you peruse the little paper manual that comes with the RE, it all clicks: hold its touch-sensitive capacitative body wait for the green light, then press the top button once—but briefly—to snap a photo, or long press it to start recording video. If you want to change to Slow Motion mode, press the little front button once.

The Shutter button is easy to press there’s a tiny light indicator that lets you know which mode you’re shooting in, or whether you’re almost out of storage. I wasn’t too keen on that front button, though. I barely used it once.

The HTC RE Camera is best used with a smartphone. The RE Camera app is available for both iOS Android devices though it was buggy at times, it gives the camera way more functionality. Once you connect it via Bluetooth, you’ll see a gallery of all the photos, videos, time lapses you’ve taken.

Tap on the camera icon to go to the live viewfinder. Eventually, the RE Camera will support features like live broadcasting, but for now you can use it to frame your shot. I placed it on top of my cubicle wall so I could see what was happening on the other side of the room from my smartphone. I also used it as a security camera of sorts by leaving the camera downstairs to check see if the cat was making a dent in her dinner.

The RE Camera app also lets you adjust each of the individual camera modes. You can switch the video mode to Slow Motion, for example, or adjust the timing on the time lapse settings. You can also use the app to check up on the battery status of the camera set up where to back up photos: locally to your device, or online to Dropbox or Drive. 

The live viewfinder will eat up the RE Camera’s battery ( your smartphone’s, for that matter). thout pairing, the camera’s 820mAh battery pack lasts a few days without needing a charge, but if you’re going full-force by pairing it with a device recording a ton of video, you’ll have to keep a close eye on that battery meter.

The test shots

ile I had lots of fun using the RE Camera to snap photos for Instagram spy on my kitty, the camera is mostly for documenting bits pieces of your life, not for serious photography. And it’s definitely not the only camera you want to bring with you on a backpacking tour of Europe, considering its limitations.

The RE Camera worked well out in the city where there’s plenty of streetlight the buildings are all lit up. Videos fared the same, its Image Stabilization feature worked exceptionally well. But then I tried out the RE in a dark parking lot in the suburbs in our lab, I tried shooting videos of my kitty rolling around in my dimly-lit room. The results were disappointing, since there’s no flash, you’re stuck unless you have an external lighting solution.

Fun, but not for everyone

I imagine you must be wondering what the point of a camera like this is if you already have a very capable smartphone to shoot with. If so, you’re not the target demographic. However, I am. I’m more inspired to document my life when I don’t have to think about it because then I’m not so self-conscious. th a smartphone, I have to whip it out of my bag, find the app I want to shoot with, then frame the photo. It’s easier to press the shutter button on the RE instead of sting on a street corner, attempting to figure out how to frame a photo on my phone for my Instagram followers. And frankly, it’s a lot of fun to use the different modes post dynamic photos videos for all the world to see.

I’m confident the HTC RE Camera will find its place among the laroid Cubes Go os of the world, I don’t think it’s price point is any worse than a Go o. In fact, if what you want is a fun camera to shoot you, your friends, your family, the RE Camera is worth it simply because it instantly hooks up to your smartphone it’s made for common folk like you me, rather than the professional sports-people hooking Go os up to their kayaks.