“I just like the feeling of going back home, looking at it and then exporting it. It’s all about that experience,” said Ivy Zhang, a global business and digital arts (GBDA) student who is a current digital camera user. From writing to typing, experiencing to scrolling, and clicking to tapping — as existing skills are being replaced by new methods, the nostalgia of analogue grows deeper, while tactile experiences become more valuable. According to the BBC, the nostalgia cycle usually runs 20 to 30 years, which is when the new generation feels curiosity about what came before. For Generation Z, that curiosity has landed on “digicam,” the early 2000s point-and-shoot camera.
How did it come back?
Through the prevalence of smartphones in the 2010s and its continuous evolution, digital cameras were pushed aside. However, these became one of the trendiest aesthetics after two decades. By the spread of social media posts taken with vintage digicams, this trend hit its peak rapidly. According to eBay UK in 2022, there was a 13 per cent increase in searches for “vintage digital camera” and a 52 per cent surge in searches for “refurbished camera.” Moreover, this ongoing trend created a noticeable growth globally in the second-hand markets. An article from a Japanese publication, Dime, reported that the price of these cameras rose by 20 times in a single year due to its high demand in 2024.
This trend is not just about the retro aesthetics. In a generation where smartphones produce nearly perfect photos, and AI auto-enhances anything we ask for, Gen Z is choosing imperfection on purpose. The old digital camera does none of the automatic refinement. It produces raw images that are flawed by today’s standards, and that imperfection is the point. Jonathan Baltrusaitis, a filmmaker and professor in the GBDA program, explained that this trend is not a surprise. “Sometimes it’s because of a particular aesthetic in the images the device’s technology produces. Sometimes it’s because of the ‘modal shift’ the device imposes compared to a modern device. Either way, the device’s differences and limitations become an expressive tool in opposition to the current ’state of the art,” he said.
Baltrusaitis compared it to how some people write in a journal instead of typing into a digital device; this trend is a deliberate choice to engage differently with the photography process. “Older digital cameras definitely do not hold up well today if we’re talking about image quality and fidelity to the world in front of the lens,” he said. “I imagine this trend is a romantic engagement process — using an antique digital camera is an experience to be appreciated.”
How do people feel about its return?
Users of this trend are not simply drawn in by the nostalgic curiosity but because it serves a specific purpose that smartphones cannot fill. Zhang described her use of digital cameras as an intentional aesthetic. “It’s not about the convenience. It’s more about the look and the vibe that I want to give off when I’m taking a photo at a specific scenario. If I want a more professional, influencer-type look, I’ll go for a digital camera to get that flash, especially if it’s in a dark area. That’s where I prefer to use a digital camera over a phone, whether it’s convenient or not,” she said.
She shared that this item has become a part of her identity. “Usually if no one has one around me and I have one, they obviously want a picture with the digital camera,” Zhang said. “It’s definitely always a want for everybody.”
As a professional in filmmaking, Baltrusaitis sees the vintage digicam as a temporary trend rather than a long-term phase. “The people enjoying this resurgence will likely find another creative way to experiment with imaging technology, and that phase will be fun for them too.” According to Baltrusaitis, batteries are usually the first parts to go, “Batteries are a chemical technology that degrades over time. I imagine that people trying to revive old digital point-and-shoots that used proprietary rechargeable batteries will have a hard time.” As these devices are a few decades old, it is difficult to find legacy parts like batteries, memory cards, and chargers, which can lead to limitations in long-term usage.
Questions to ask before purchasing a used camera
- Physical condition — Are there any severe scratches? Do all buttons function? Do the battery and memory card doors open and close properly?
- Lens condition — Does the lens work? Does it zoom in and out?
- Flash check — Is there a flash? Does it work properly?
- Image quality — Is the image out of focus? Is there any colour issue? Is the image clear?
- Batteries/Accessories — Are the battery and memory card easily available for purchase? Are the accessories replaceable?
