Gen Z has one thing at the top of their Christmas list this year and it’s a gadget that millennials loved twenty years ago.
Teens and consumers in their early 20s can’t get enough of digital compact cameras, a return trend sparked by influencers on TikTok.
They became extremely popular for their portability and instantly available images following the reign of the disposable camera, a mainstay of young people during the decade.
Early digital cameras produce sharp and clear-looking photos thanks to their flash and large sensors that help capture light.
“The Kodak Pic Pro FZ45 is my favorite camera or piece of technology that I own,” TikTok influencer Ellen Barron told her followers in a recent video.
“It’s so compact and easy to put in a bag, the battery lasts really well and you can take the most amazing photos with it,” she explained.
“It takes the coolest, brightest photos that make everyone look great.”
Another influencer, Avery Lock Miller, recommended the Canon Power Shot 360 in a video that received 3.3 million views.
Celebrities like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston once carried the cameras on red carpets
TikToker Kel King recommended the Canon Power Shot elph 180, calling it “the It girl of digital cameras.”
King also said one of her favorites is the Sony Cybershot dsc w-560.
The influencer told her TikTok followers to search the online marketplace eBay for second-hand cameras that were made at the time and could be cheaper than buying a newer model.
The cameras were hugely popular in the early 2000s, when celebrities like Rhianna, Beyonce, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan wore them on glamorous red carpets.
“Generation Z’s obsession with early 2000s digital cameras isn’t just about taking photos, it’s about rediscovering the charm of a simpler time,” brand expert Scott Baradell told DailyMail.com.
“These cameras bring back the raw, imperfect feel of photos with timestamps and grainy textures that stand out on TikTok and Instagram,” explains Scott, CEO of Idea Grove.
“For a generation glued to their phones, it feels fresh and intentional to move away from endless scrolling and use a dedicated camera.
‘It’s a way to slow down, focus and create something unique and authentic – and the retro aesthetic is just the icing on the cake.
TikToker Kel King recommends the Canon Power Shot elph 180 to her followers
TikToker Jaden Familio shows off the photos taken with her Nikon digital compact camera
Paris Hilton (left) and Lady Gaga show off their digital compact cameras in the early 2000s
Beyoncé takes her own photos with an Olympus digital camera
‘And participating in this trend does not have to cost a lot of money. On platforms like Temu you can buy a retro-style digital camera for less than $20,” he added.
At just 12 years old, the youngest members of Genz Z have never known a world without iPhones, so they may be curious about previously popular technology.
“I think people are really nostalgic for that time, like the early 2000s, when everyone would take their digital cameras to the club or to a party or to a family gathering and stuff and take those pictures,” lifestyle and internet trend expert Elizabeth Gulino told NPR.
‘Those images give us a nostalgic feeling. And I think people are chasing that,” she explained.
“They certainly look light, floaty and ethereal, especially when you use the flash of a digital camera.”