About those cheap no-name high-megapixel Chinese cameras

A recent announcement of a 48 megapixel camera for around $100 caught my eye as a connoisseur of offbeat photo equipment. These cameras fall somewhere between the category of a so-called toy cameras and the artistic LOMO variety. That's because all these cameras rely on a standard camera on a chip or COACH. This same circuit board can be dropped into a variety of plastic camera bodies using everything from AAA batteries to rechargeable cells. I have seen the same basic COACH dropped into children's cameras with sealed batteries and pink and blue bodies for as little as $28. The same basic configuration is found in a much larger DSLR style bodies with no real through the lens optics or EVF. With suggested outrageous retail prices well over $1,000, these sell online with a much discounted price and few details. More recently cameras are found with flip out of screens aimed at the V-logger set even though they are still the same old fixed focus camera with a mediocre internal microphone. For those who enjoy the offbeat, most of these cameras include firmware that offers a bizarre selection of filters unseen in the traditional world of cameras. It's a bit like picking up a box camera! Be aware that most sellers know nothing about these cameras and cannot offer support.