The Return of the Point-and-Shoot
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Gen Z is buying 2000s digital cameras for the flash, the grain and the friction. It’s nostalgia with a purpose.
By Sam Kowalski
Phones take better photos than ever. So why are so many people carrying a twenty-year-old digital camera to parties?
The look
Old point-and-shoots produce images phones work hard to avoid: harsh flash, blown-out highlights, slightly soft focus, colors that feel a little off. That imperfection reads as authentic — the visual equivalent of a voice memo instead of a studio recording.
The friction is the point
A dedicated camera changes behavior. You can’t post instantly. You take fewer, more deliberate photos and look at them later, together, which turns photos into a shared moment rather than content.
The market effect
Demand pushed up prices for once-forgotten models on resale sites, and thrift-store camera hunting became a hobby of its own. Some manufacturers have even released new cameras designed to capture the retro feel.
What it says
The digicam revival is part of a broader pushback against optimized, always-online life. It isn’t anti-technology. It’s about choosing which technology, and when.