Lutra, a South Korean startup, has debuted a new brand called Humans of Authenticity (HOA) that’s launching another screen-free digital camera that incorporates a large open viewfinder into its design, as spotted by PetaPixel. The camera is reminiscent of the Godox C100 but the HOA A1 positions its lens and sensor close to the center of its large viewfinder window so that a photographer can maintain eye contact with their subject, or feel more in the moment while framing a shot without staring at a screen.
The HOA A1 First Edition is expected to launch on December 1st in a very limited run of just 100 units. Preorders haven’t started yet, but the camera will be priced at 360,000 South Korean won, or $289 for US customers. The A1 features a 16-megapixel, 1/2.53-inch Sony sensor paired with a 26mm f/1.75 lens. There is a tiny LCD display on the back but it’s used to display information like battery life and your remaining shots. Everything else about the camera is strictly point and shoot with a shutter button located on its top edge.
The HOA website doesn’t include extensive details about the camera’s capabilities, or even sample shots captured by the A1. According to the site the company is still “fine-tuning the camera’s color and tone in collaboration with photographers.” It does confirm that instead of copying photos to a device or PC using a USB cable or by removing a memory card, the A1 connects to Wi-Fi and wirelessly makes your shots available by tapping your smartphone to the back of the camera.
A wireless connection to the internet isn’t needed to take photos, but you’ll need access to Wi-Fi to view and download your shots. The A1 uses a system called ShootProof that authenticates every image captured with an anonymous certificate recorded to a public blockchain. That feature doesn’t appear optional, but there’s also a signature mode you can turn on or off that lets you sign your name in an accompanying app and then have it overlaid in the corner of every photo.