You probably fondly remember your first digital camera if you’re above a certain age. I bet its size, shape and various buttons have all just now come immediately to mind. I bet some moments you captured on that amazing device have also come to mind. I mean, imagine being able to photograph your friends, family and various adventures! What a novelty. If you’re above yet another age, being able to do that without the cost and limitations of film is yet another life milestone.
If this is you, you might be surprised and a little confused about the resurgence of digital cameras. As beloved as they were, surely everyone has replaced them with the cameras on their smartphones, right? Well, you’re not entirely wrong. The camera market tanked in the late 2010s, and manufacturers discontinued most or all of their lower and midrange cameras.
But now, not only is the used camera market exploding, but manufacturers like Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm and others are either updating old models with modern features like USB-C and Bluetooth, or they’re releasing entirely new models. Here’s why.
1. It’s retro
Sony CyberShot circa 2005. Yep, this camera (and the photo of it) are 20 years old. As my bones crumble to dust…
“What’s old is new again,” an adage as old as it is new. Every generation is fascinated by the technology and culture that preceded it. People reach a certain age and are interested in things their parents knew and did at that age. See the interest in things like vinyl records, cassette tapes, film cameras and instant cameras over the past few years.
There’s also humor and warm nostalgia to be had by “older” people carrying around the pocket point-and-shoot they had in their youth.
2. It’s special
Inset: A much younger version of the author, as photographed by a “vintage” Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 with its “ancient” 10.1 megapixel CCD sensor (not shown).
Taking photos with your phone, once a novelty, is now mundane. Sure, it captures a moment, but for many, the photo itself isn’t special. The moment and the memory it evokes might be, but the highly processed image isn’t. Taking out a camera, waiting for it to turn on, and making the moment about taking this specific photo add to its specialness.
3. Not being on a phone
For the love of pixels, put that strap over their head.
I noticed this when I started getting back into film after I reviewed the Pentax 17. Having your phone out and in your hand, ostensibly with the goal of taking photos, inevitably leads to distractions. “Oh, I just got a message.” “Oh, I should check my email/Slack/Teams real quick.” Having a device that’s only used to take photos keeps your phone in your pocket or purse, out of sight and for a few glorious moments, out of mind. (The same can be said for MP3 players.)
It’s also worth considering that the young people who are driving a lot of recent camera sales grew up with their parents (admittedly, I am of that generation) always being on their phones. Talk to younger Gen Z or older Gen Alpha; many don’t want to be online. They grew up online and know better than anyone how awful it is there, uh, here. They want to create a space that’s not online, and that’s just for them and their friends. To be “more in the moment.”
Read more: Fujifilm X100VI: TikTok’s Favorite Camera Is the Perfect Companion to My iPhone
4. The pictures can be better — or at least different
Canon PowerShot circa 2007.
Most modern phones can take amazing photos. This is despite having relatively small image sensors and very small lenses. Much of their image quality prowess comes from extensive and impressive image processing. That does lead to phone images often having a certain “look,” however.
Digital cameras are quite varied and range from old-school point-and-shoots to full-frame digital SLRs and everything in between. Getting better photos from a digital camera is possible, though that’s not assured. What’s easier and more likely is getting photos that look different from images captured on a phone.
Maybe the photos aren’t as good, but that’s largely the point. Someone who wants a “perfect” photo can take it on their phone. If they want something stylized or different, it’s hard to beat starting with a camera that creates that result just doing its poor, prehistoric best. Yes, you can add a filter in editing so your phone shot looks more “Y2K” vintage. Still, there’s something better (and by “better,” I absolutely mean objectively worse) about photos from early digital cameras to achieve that aesthetic.
5. TikTok
TikTok trends often drive the pop culture discourse. That’s not great, but it is what it is. Guess what has been popular on TikTok?
Popularity on TikTok then spreads to others and eventually to the Very Online (guilty) populace. I’ll let you draw your own judgments, but it’s definitely a thing and a big part of the resurgence of this once-dead or at least dying technology. So… yay?
Conserve that CoolPix, save that Cyber-shot
Everyone’s getting into photography these days.
In the short term, this rise in popularity severely limits the availability of certain popular cameras. Hopefully, these are finding their way into the hands of people who will actually use them and, even better, get into photography. (Many people buy records and don’t own a turntable.) It’s an expensive hobby, but one I love and that I’d love to see more people enjoy. In the longer term, it’s likely a boon for photography hobbyists as we’ll see more of these new, or at least refreshed, models from many big manufacturers.
So, have a look in that drawer you never look in or in the deep corners of your closet. Maybe your old “digicam” is still there, covered in dust and filled with long-forgotten photos. If you don’t want to be hip and trendy with your cool retro camera, there’s always eBay.
In addition to covering audio and display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips and more.
Also, check out Budget Travel for Dummies, his travel book, and his bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
