Aura6 is a new digital video camera that takes a deliberately back-to-basics approach. Inspired by Kodak’s Super 8 format, it records short clips with no screen, no menus and no modes, then strings each roll together into a little home movie. The camera launches on Kickstarter on 13 October at 5pm BST.

According to the Aura6 website, each clip is limited to 6 seconds and is shot at 18fps, the classic Super 8 frame rate. Clips are saved into a chronological roll. When the day, trip, party or weekend is over, you press ‘New Roll’ and the camera compiles that roll into a short film in the order the clips were shot.

The controls are minimal. There’s a record button, an electronic viewfinder, a built-in lens and a detachable microphone. There’s no playback screen, so you don’t see your footage until the roll is finished, which is exactly the point.

Our take

We like the thinking here. Part of the joy of shooting Super 8, or film of any kind, is the restraint. You commit to the shot, you move on, and you find out later what you got. Aura6 brings that discipline to a digital camera, without the cost of film and processing that now makes a Super 8 cartridge an expensive treat.

It won’t replace a phone for most people, and 18fps footage at an unspecified resolution isn’t something to grade in Resolve. But as a camera you keep in a bag for holidays and family gatherings, one that stops you staring at a screen, it has real appeal. That said, this is a crowdfunding project, and the usual caution about Kickstarter delivery timescales applies.

Aura6 key features

Price and availability

The Aura6 goes live on Kickstarter on 13 October at 12pm EDT / 5pm BST. Digital Camera World reports an early-bird price of $179 (excluding sales tax), or approximately £163. Full retail pricing and shipping dates haven’t been announced yet.