Tokina Unveils the Mini Pieni II Toy Camera
The Pieni II, a 1.3-megapixel ultra-compact digital camera from Kenko Tokina, is small and light enough to be carried between two fingers. The company’s tiny camera measures 36mm in height, 51mm in width, and 18mm in depth. The Pieni II weighs just 18 grams when the micro SD card and accessories are not included. It is a touch bigger than Lucas Lander’s Mini View Camera, which he claims to be the smallest view camera and one of the tiniest film cameras ever produced. The Pieni II from Kenko Tokina may be the smallest digital camera introduced in recent years by a major company, despite being a little bigger.
The Pieni II can take photos, record videos, and record audio. Data is saved to the camera’s microSD card. JPEG (1280 x 1024) is the file format for still images, MJPEG (AVI, 720 x 480 30fps) for videos, and MP3 for audio. As previously indicated, the Pieni II’s image sensor can switch between taking photos and videos and is a 1/10 Type CMOS with a fairly low 1.31-megapixel resolution. The power and mode buttons are the only buttons on the camera. The color of a tiny LED on the camera’s back indicates whether it is in photo mode or video mode (photo is red, blue is video). A purple LED indicates audio-only capture.
The shutter speed is fixed at 1/100 second, the aperture is set to f/2.8, and the ISO sensitivity is set to ISO 100. The lens of the camera can focus up close to 0.3 meters away. Kenko Tokina claims that the camera creates photographs with an aesthetic like watercolor or oil paintings.
Although a USB cable is used for data acquisition and charging, the camera lacks an LCD panel, making it difficult for photographers to check their images when out in the field easily. The manufacturer does advise photographers to position subjects a little to the right of how they seem because the lens is somewhat offset from the tiny rangefinder.
Users can wear the ultra-compact camera as an accessory using the provided neck strap. Additionally, the Pieni II has a built-in magnet on the rear that enables users to attach it to objects like refrigerators. Starting on September 16, the Pieni II camera will be on sale. At the same time, a “Sanrio Character Toy Camera,” a design featuring Sanrio characters, will be available. The four color options for Pieni II are mint, peach, orange, and gray. Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin, and Pochacco are the four characters who appear on the Sanrio Character Toy Camera.
The Kenko Tokina Pieni II is available for 4,880 yen, which is just over $34, while the Sanrio Character Toy Camera is available for 6,580 yen, which is around $45.
More info on Kenko Tokina’s website.
