Gen Z and Millennials Drive Surge in Retro Digital Camera Sales

A nostalgia-driven trend has seen younger adults flock to old-school digital cameras, with sales skyrocketing for brands like Canon and Camp Snap. Camp Snap, originally targeting kids with screen-free cameras for summer camps, found unexpected demand from Gen Z and millennials. President Trevor George noted that adults now make up nearly half their audience. Canon reported that sales of its PowerShot point-and-shoot jumped nearly sevenfold from 2022 to 2025. Camp Snap's sales more than doubled in the past year, and its retro camcorder was spotted with celebrities like Selena Gomez and Joe Jonas, including at Taylor Swift's wedding. Users like Jaden Williams, 16, and sisters Katie and Gwen Coyne cite the grainy, overexposed aesthetic as a refreshing alternative to smartphone photos. Wedding photographer Christina Berkett uses digicams to avoid phone distractions and films ceremonies with old-school camcorders held sideways for vertical video. The trend is part of a broader movement away from constant connectivity, with eBay seeing a surge in searches for iPods, CDs, and Walkmans.