Forty per cent of us own a digital camera, while around 20% of us have opted for either an ‘old’ analogue, or Polaroid-style instant print camera (which it’s fair to assume includes Fujifilm Instax). So reveals the latest survey commissioned by insurance firm Aviva. Its findings, based on 2,000 people questioned across the UK, also note that just 11% of us own a ‘newer’ form of camera, such as an action camera or drone.
Even in a digital first world (or perhaps because of it?), it’s interesting that decent numbers of us are gravitating towards a more nostalgic and, as the insurer notes, potentially more costly form of technology. Instead of just using our smartphones to take pictures or listen to music.
Have we got sick of our phones, sick of the hold social media has on us, or are photographers both young and slightly more senior realising that there is something to be said for possessing a dedicated capture device without ‘always on’ Internet access?
Retro revival
Though of course a marketing ploy designed to encourage us to insure these self-same retro products, Aviva’s report further reveals that 24% of UK residents own a record player, which includes 18% of those aged 18-28 years old (so-called ‘Gen Z’) and 16% of ‘Millennials’ aged 29-44. And there is a link with photography, which I’ll get to in a moment.
In terms of purely optical products, however, some 28% of respondents also own a pair of binoculars; so there does seem to be something of a movement towards traditional or ‘classic’ product lines as enjoyable pastimes.
At AP we’ve long suggested a newer, younger crowd is buying up second-hand point-and-shoots and vintage digicams on eBay to enjoy straightforward handling and the nostalgia of low-resolution snaps – while noting disposable film cameras also enjoying a comeback – indicating there is something greatly appealing about the tactile, tangible nature of such products. And the fact that we are visibly affecting the outcome with our desire to turn a dial, flick a lever or rotate a knob – just as we’re doing when adjusting bass, treble and balance on our audio amplifiers.
While my daughter’s greatest concern when upgrading her phone last weekend was the functionality of the camera in it, she and her teenage pals also very much enjoy playing with her decade-old Olympus Stylus TG-870 ‘Tough’ compact, even if they do grow impatient during the process of the internal card being read and results uploaded to Dropbox to be more widely shared.
But both real world experience and feedback from this survey would indicate that it’s not always convenience that wins out. Sometimes when we put a little bit more effort into our passion – whether that be for vinyl records, old cameras, or in my personal case, both – then the reward and the satisfaction is that much greater.
Plus, as humans, we like the instant gratification and sense of personal control that comes from simply pressing buttons and seeing (or hearing) what happens. Oddly, we also enjoy a satisfying dopamine hit when we hear something click; which works well in terms of cameras… less so when listening to vinyl records.
Read more detail from the Aviva survey, originally conducted by Censuswide this March, HERE
Have you ever bought a camera because it was simply old or in any way ‘retro’? Did that make for a better user experience in your eyes? Share your thoughts with us at AP.
The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: [email protected]
Related reading:
- Why there’s no such thing as the perfect camera
- Fujifilm X100V and X100VI Alternatives? Best retro cameras
- Hello camera makers – people are buying cheap point and shoots, so why do you keep turning out ever-more expensive cameras?
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