A Flash To The Past: Digital Cameras
- UP MAGAZINE
- Apr 10
- 2 min read
By Taylor Morgan
Nostalgia runs rampant through the lifestyles of Generation Z. From wearing clothing items representative of each decade to listening to music from more than 20 years ago, this generation seems eager to embrace the good from the lives lived before their own. One way they’ve done this is by putting their smartphones down and rifling through the drawers of their childhood homes — looking for none other than the digital camera their parents used back in 2004.
In the past couple of years, teenagers and young adults have rediscovered the sought-after blurry effect that a digital camera can create. The not-so-great quality produced by these cameras stands in stark contrast to modern phone cameras, which sometimes show a little too much detail. Once it was discovered that photos from old digital cameras gave a sense of nostalgia and realness that phone cameras couldn’t replicate, there was no turning back.
Today, if you were to ask the average college girl what’s in her purse, it’s almost guaranteed that a digital camera would make the list. Being authentic is a major value for Generation Z, so the candid, imperfect shots a digital camera produces are ideal.
If incorporating a digital camera into your daily life seems like a sure thing, here are a couple of recommendations — assuming there isn’t one sitting on your parents’ desk at home, of course.
The first digital camera to gain popularity on TikTok was praised as a relatively cheap and easy option for beginners. It’s small and lightweight, making it the perfect mini purse camera.
This digital camera is known for offering some of the best image quality for its size — ideal for pockets and purses everywhere. A fun bonus is the variety of body colors: black, blue, pink, purple, yellow, red or silver — so it can match just about anyone’s personality.
My final recommendation? Search used sites. Platforms like eBay and Etsy are constantly stocked with digital cameras from the 2000s at much lower prices than major retailers. Once you’ve got your camera, the memory-making is endless.
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