Retro design is a given with U.S. automakers, who'll gamely mine their archives in an effort to resurrect former glory. But one thing they'd never do is release a re-skinned Mustang or Charger and outfit it with carburators and drum brakes; the technological underpinnings have to be cutting-edge in order for it to sell.

Kodak, however, is releasing a new product that sticks with old-school technology. Their forthcoming Super 8 film camera has a release coinciding with the 50th anniversary of their development of Super 8 film, and it was designed by none other than Yves Béhar.

"Kodak has engaged with Yves Béhar, design entrepreneur and founder of Fuseproject," reads the Kodak press release, "to ensure that the new Kodak Super 8 camera design echoes the look and feel of the original Kodak Super 8 camera, introduced in 1965, while adding a modern sensibility."

So: Does it echo the original while adding said modern sensibility? The short answer is "No." Judging by the images of the version that will be on show at CES—which is admittedly "an early prototype," according to the company—it's got plenty of the latter, not so much the former.

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That's because what you or I might commonly think of as a Super 8 camera is not necessarily what Kodak debuted in 1965. But before we get there, let's look at what made Super 8 so special, from a UX perspective, in the first place: It was the first consumer-level cartridge-based motion picture film loading system. 

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The 50 feet of film came from the factory inside of a plastic cartridge that the end user just popped into the machine. There was no film to thread, no spool to load, no reel to wind. The film didn't need to be flipped halfway through as with 16mm film, and instead the end user could just shoot for three straight minutes without interruption. And when they were finished, they popped the cartridge back out and dropped it off at a Kodak facility for processing. Easy peasy.

Recognizing the superiority of the system, a lot of camera manufacturers began making Super 8 cameras. Here's one by Canon:

Image credit: Aden Ba Film

Here's one by Bell & Howell:

Image credit: Good North

And one by GAF:

Image credit: The Vintage Vend

Those all bear the centrally-mounted, reverse-angle signature handle and boxy shape that we'd all draw if prompted with "Super 8 camera" while playing Pictionary. But they're a far cry from what Kodak first released in 1965 as their first Super 8 cameras. Take a look at the low-end 1965 Kodak M2:

Image credit: Brass Lens

Image credit: Brass Lens

Image credit: Brass Lens

Image credit: Brass Lens

It's just a box, no handle. (If you want to hear what it sounded like in action, there's an unembeddable video showing you here.) Ditto for the midrange 1965 M4:

Image credit: Brass Lens

Image credit: Brass Lens

Image credit: Brass Lens

Image credit: Brass Lens

It wasn't until you stepped up to the pricier 1965 M6 that you even got a handle, and not in the position we typically envision for a Super 8:

The folding handle moved into the classic position we think of in the 1970s, with Kodak's M22:

Image credit: Nostalgic in Brooklyn

Béhar's current-day design is pretty, and Béharian, and lovely in its own right; but I don't see much that harkens back to Kodak's first Super 8 camera designs.

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But the physical form factor is not really the point, anyway. Kodak is revitalizing the Super 8 for the next generation, hoping to combine the warm and grainy feel of the film with modern-day touches like a flip-out LCD screen and USB charging. The lenses will be interchangeable. And when you need to get the film developed, just as in the old days, Kodak will have the infrastructure in place. However, this too will feature a modern-day touch: Once the film is developed, they'll also send you the footage via digital file for sharing on social media. How the times have changed.