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New Gen-Z aka The Digital Generation’s Cult Favorite!
When Courtney June needs a camera, she no longer grabs her phone. The 24-year-old now records life’s memories and nights out with friends with a point-and-shoot digital camera.
June, a Pennsylvanian influencer, is one of the increasing number of Gen Zers whose infatuation with 2000s culture has given fresh life to both analog cameras and simplistic smartphones, which were symbols of the time. “Despite iPhone quality improvements over the years, everyone’s photos on social media kind of look the same,” June claims. However, June discovers that she can more readily adjust exposure and optical zoom on a point-and-shoot to get “that certain vibe” of the early aughts.
Gen Zers are frequently referred to as the “digital generation,” as they are the first to have grown up in an era dominated by smartphones and constant internet access. However, that may also help to explain their need for greater detachment and simplicity. Furthermore, the demand cycle is fueled by influencers who keep showcasing older cameras on TikTok and Instagram. The Canon PowerShot ELPH 350, which was discontinued, immediately sold out on secondary marketplaces after Kendall Jenner promoted it in an Instagram post. It is currently $399. To the dismay of more experienced photographers, several well-liked point-and-shoot cameras, such as the Canon G7x and the Contax G2, have been backordered and sold out for months.
Which Cameras Do Influencers Prefer?
According to Tiffany Zhong, a 27-year-old San Francisco-based photographer and influencer, “the resale market for digital cameras has gone up because there’s just a limited supply,” she tells Fast Company. “A lot of influencers use a specific camera—like the $1,000 or more Canon 7Gx or Contax G2—and many of them are sold out.” (Contax G2 resale listings have seen markups as high as $1,750.)
Zhong mentioned that if a camera is in great demand, it can take a month to get it.
Nathasya Abiniel, a 24-year-old TikTok influencer, has also observed increased prices and competition for cameras from the 2000s. Even more recent models of digital cameras can cost the same as their more contemporary counterparts simply because they’re discontinued and rare to find,” said Abiniel, the influencer who’s acquired four digital cameras in the past year.
Replacement Of An IPhone
According to Abiniel and others, the reason behind the recent surge in “nostalgia” in photography is that iPhone images are becoming increasingly similar and clear, almost to the point of being too genuine.
June claims that a camera from 2007 produces a certain feeling that an iPhone cannot match. Abiniel defined this “vibe” as warm-hued, “vintage-looking photos that makes us feel like we’re living back in the 2000s.”
Zhong believes that carrying a separate camera helps Gen Zers be more present in the situation. “Sifting through them to decide which ones to transfer requires more intention than just snapping 100 photos on your phone,” she explains.
Not only have cameras gained popularity, but so-called “dumb phones” have also done so. “Tools for sophisticated simplicity” is how Swiss manufacturer Punkt describes its phones and accessories, adding that “their low-key elegance also contributes to that lack of intrusiveness.” The simple smartphone, according to Auckland-based BoringPhone, is designed for users “who want to spend less time on their phone.”
Their “touch grass” ideologies are likewise very costly. BoringPhones cost slightly more than $300 USD, while Punkt phones retail for $749. In contrast, flip phones used to cost millennials between $150 and $200 in the early 2000s, while phones with comparable smart features that were released years later only cost $400 at the time. This inflated pricing can, of course, be attributed to inflation, but experts argue that clever branding and advanced functions are also important factors.
According to Amruth Laxman, a founding partner of 4Voice, the phones have a particular prestige, much like point-and-shoot cameras. He states, “We all know that generic cereal is less expensive than branded cereal.” “Gen Z individuals are drawn to fashion, high-end brands, and similar things.”
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Zhong acknowledges that it’s at best “ironic” to spend more for less technology, but she doesn’t think this trend will halt anytime soon. “It’s nostalgia again,” she declares.
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