Jade Bradenbaugh

Photos combined by students at Dallastown who have contributed to the rising trend. Dallastown 2025 Mini-Thon even got a bit of the spotlight. (Photos by Carter Lewis, Zen Avery Garcia, Graphic by Jade Bradenbaugh)

Fashion trends are recycled every 10 to 15 years. The fashion of the 2000s is coming back in the 2020s, and it’s fascinating to discover what else was brought back with low-rise jeans and yoga pants.

A new addition to nostalgia: digital cameras.

In an age where cameras are the highest quality they’ve ever been, Gen Z is ditching their iPhones and digging for their parents’ old cameras.

The trend is skyrocketing to a global level. Claire Marashima’s NPR article “Why Gen Z loves the digital compact cameras that millennials used to covet” discusses the phenomenon. 

“It’s trending because people are into the vibe of images captured by digital cameras, similar to when film and disposable cameras had a moment not too long ago,” Marashima wrote.

Many students have hopped on the trend, posting pictures on popular social media outlets such as Instagram, VSCO, and TikTok with this vintage vibe. Even so, it is now possible to find photo filters that mimic the coloring of digital cameras on apps like Huji Cam and OldRoll.

Similarly, students at Dallastown agree.

Tess Bugbee, a senior at Dallastown, has always had a knack for cameras. Although she had a Polaroid camera at a young age, she didn’t get into cameras until seventh grade, when her grandpa gave her his film camera. Bugbee’s favorite camera is her grandpa’s film camera.

The trend isn’t just digital; teens love film and Polaroid cameras.

“Because I’m limited to a certain number of pictures per roll, it makes me more conscious of the photos I take, so they’re usually my best and most thoughtful work. I also love the anticipation of waiting for the film to develop,” Bugbee said.

In contrast to millennials, Gen Z feels digital cameras are much more flattering than the new technology cameras. That could be due to the general idea that lower-quality cameras capture less of us, while modern cameras seem to reveal everything. 

“While recent phone cameras have very good quality, they’re just not the same. People take pictures of everything and anything these… film cameras force us to only capture the best moments. They also allow us to collect physical copies of images to put on our bedroom walls, fill an album with, it give to people,” Bugbee said.

Mrs. Epps, an English teacher at Dallastown, reminisced about when she was younger and first introduced to digital cameras.

“If my memory serves me correctly, my parents gave me a hot pink digital camera for my birthday. I took this camera everywhere. I loved being able to upload those pictures to my computer to share with others,” Epps remembers.

In terms of the comeback, Epps agrees that it’s a trend that comes back like fashion, but she doesn’t understand the appeal in terms of practicality. 

“I find it strange. I don’t understand wanting to carry around one more item. I recall several vacations where I was trying to juggle my phone and my digital camera. Our phones take incredible photos and provide us the opportunity to edit and share within seconds, so I am struggling to wrap my head around this trend,” Epps states.

All trends will dissipate or take a new form, but the memories being created around digital and film cameras will never fade. For those who love cameras, it will never just be a trend. 

“It’s kind of like vintage clothing or antique furniture. There’s a certain charm to it,” Bugbee says.