by Stella Cardillo Ramos

New York Times Summer Academy 2025, “Writing The Big City: Reporting in New York.”

How the digital camera has been revived and made its way into the hands of everyone. A new accessory for Gen-Z, not only providing Insta-worthy pictures but also letting them embrace the now.     

Three Gen-Z girls on the metro using their digital cameras. Photo by Stella Cardillo Ramos.

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You can't escape it: people with friends at the park, girls next to you at dinner, young tourists capturing every moment, the digital camera is back.

People want to be candid, present, and in the moment. Digital cameras are becoming the preferred choice over iPhones for some. “It keeps me off my phone, I don't get notifications on the camera. Hopefully, that stays the way it is right now. Nobody can call me on my camera,” said Rob Tirrell, 33, the General Manager of the Leica Store in the West Village.

When we think of a digital camera, the word that comes to mind is nostalgia.

“Everyone wants to kind of feel a sense of a past life that they might have had or lived or wanted to experience,” said Laila, a 22-year-old girl passionate about her red camera. 

Laila at the Brooklyn Flea Market holding her red digital camera. Photo by Stella Cardillo Ramos.

It keeps us close to reality and aware. Phones have taken a huge toll on our everyday lives and activities. We brush our teeth while holding the phone, walk down the street with the phone, and wake up to immediately check the phone. But a camera can bring us back to real life. 

Perhaps this is why it’s made such an immense comeback: people like the feeling of having a device with them that is cool, trendy, and dreamy. Its quality is older, its style is vintage, and its personality is rich.

“The younger generation now wants that nostalgic look of a digital instant capture that's not perfect,” said Tirrell. “Rather than waiting for film to get developed, they can still get that look, and it's retro, everybody wants that, like Y2K.” 

Each person has their own aesthetic and vibe: “Grainy and old,” said Laila; “The unspoken moments where you're not anticipating,” said Paige Begody, 23; “I like more kind of documentary style of photography,” said Tirrell; “Everything's the vibe,” said Grace Bang, 26.  

However, the digital camera allows each person to have their own perspective and unique view of life. You can use it when and wherever you want, adjust the settings to your liking, and let it be another part of you. “It does have a soul, but usually embodies like it's an extension of myself,” said Tirrell.