Why Is Gen Z Buying Digicams? The Point-and-Shoot Comeback

What is a digicam?

A digicam is a small point-and-shoot digital camera. NPR describes them as the digital compact cameras that were widely used 15 to 20 years ago, before phone cameras took over.

Today the word covers two things: secondhand compacts from the 2000s, and new cameras built to recreate their look and feel. The Kodak Charmera, for example, is a new 1.6MP keychain camera made by RETO under license from Kodak and modeled on Kodak's first disposable camera, the Fling.

Why are digicams popular with Gen Z?

The short answer: the look, the feeling of photos being less polished, and the way a separate camera changes how you shoot. In a December 2024 NPR story, the people interviewed gave a few overlapping reasons:

• Nostalgia for the early 2000s. Freelance reporter Elizabeth Gulino told NPR people are nostalgic for the era when digital cameras were common at parties and clubs, part of a wider swing back to film and disposable cameras.
• The flash look. Gulino said a digicam's flash gives a crisper, airier look than a phone flash.
• Less-processed photos of themselves. Photographer Casey Fatchett said young people are tired of heavily processed phone photos and want images that look more real.
• Shooting with intention. Fatchett compared digicams to film and Polaroid cameras, where limits make you think more about each shot.

Is the digicam trend just nostalgia?

Not entirely. NPR also framed it as a possible reaction to growing up with smartphones. The youngest members of Gen Z have never known a world without the iPhone, which came out in 2007.

A separate camera adds a small amount of friction. You have to bring it, charge it and copy the photos off later. For some people, that friction is the appeal: the phone stays in a pocket, and taking a photo becomes a small, deliberate decision. Screenless cameras like the Camp Snap push this further, since you can't check a shot at all until you get home.

There's also an object appeal. A keychain camera in a random-color blind box is part accessory, part collectible, which is a big reason the Charmera spread so quickly.

Which cameras are riding the digicam trend?

A handful of new cameras have become the faces of the trend, alongside used compacts.

• Kodak Charmera (about $35): YPulse put it on its Viral List after the September 2025 drop and a restock each sold out in under 24 hours. YPulse noted the brand hadn't made a main-feed Instagram or TikTok post about it; user posts drove the demand.
• Camp Snap 2 (about $70): Good Morning America called it the "viral screen-free camera" when the second version launched in 2026. It has no screen, no app and no Wi-Fi.
• Fujifilm X half (about $450 on sale): a higher-end digital camera that Digital Camera World says is "becoming a cult classic." Its Film Camera Mode hides photos until a 36-, 54- or 72-shot "roll" is done.
• Kodak Ektar H35N (about $65): the film side of the same mood. Digital Camera World calls the H35 line a popular half-frame film camera.

Viral

Kodak

Kodak Charmera Keychain Camera

A tiny blind-box digicam that clips to your bag (tiny screen) $34.99

Often sold out

Camp Snap

Camp Snap 2

The viral screen-free digital camera $69.99

Fujifilm

Fujifilm X half

A digital camera that shoots like a half-frame film camera $449.95sale; list $649.95

Do old digicams take better photos than phones?

Usually not, in technical terms, and that's fine. NPR published a correction to its own story noting that many vintage compact cameras have smaller sensors and produce less sharp, less detailed images than current phones.

That's the point for most fans. The appeal is the character of the photos: harsh flash, grain, slightly off color and a date stamp in the corner. If you want sharp photos with an analog feel, a newer camera like the Fujifilm X half gets you both.

What should you check before buying a used digicam?

Test it before you pay. NPR passed along tips from Phil Ryan, who writes about cameras for Wirecutter:

• Test the zoom.
• Put in a memory card and take a few photos to confirm the camera records them and plays them back.
• Make sure a charger is included.

Used cameras can be hit or miss, and older models may need batteries or memory cards that are harder to find. If you'd rather skip the hunt, a new camera like the Camp Snap 2 or Kodak Charmera gives you the look with USB-C charging and no secondhand guesswork.

How can you try the digicam look without much money?

Start with a new budget camera. The Kodak Charmera is about $35 (add a microSD card; the single box doesn't include one). It has a tiny 0.8-inch screen. The Camp Snap 2 is about $70 and has no screen at all, though it was sold out on Camp Snap's site when we checked.

If you want to go fully analog, the Kodak Ektar H35N with a roll of Kodak Gold gets you about 72 film photos per roll. Our Camp Snap vs Charmera comparison and best screen-free cameras guide can help you choose.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NPR: Why Gen Z loves the digital compact cameras that millennials used to covet (Dec. 2024)
• YPulse: Kodak's sold-out trinket camera on the Viral List
• Good Morning America: Camp Snap 2, the viral screen-free camera, returns
• Digital Camera World: The Fujifilm X half is becoming a cult classic
• Digital Camera World: Kodak Ektar H35N learns new tricks
• Wikipedia: Kodak Charmera