The return of digital cameras

Tahrim Afroz :

From hobbyists to professionals, from TikTok trends to professional shoots, who could have thought about the remarkable comeback of the digital cameras that shaped our Gen-Z childhood?
In time where resolution is all the hype, from the 200MP smartphone cameras of the Samsung Galaxy S24 ultra to the 100MP medium format sensors of the Fujifilm GFX line of cameras, the tiny sensors of the 5-20MP compact digital cameras are holding their own, even being the better choice for some people in many cases. But why?

It is said that the best camera is the one that you always have with you, so why did the digital cameras go out of trend in the first place when their main job was to be small and portable?
It is mainly because of the rapid increase in the popularity of smartphones.

However, they are making a comeback now as more and more people are starting to rediscover the simplicity and the amusement factor of those light and portable cameras.

Smartphones or large DSLRs may provide better photo quality or better convenience, but a person sometimes does not always need 10 different super-specialized and complicated modes to take a photo; they might just need a fun and compact device without all the complexities!
Moreover, when we point a digital camera at someone, they are less likely to feel anxious and awkward about being in the photo, as the small point-and-shoot cameras are nowhere near being as intimidating as other devices.

Not limited to photos, they can be a fun little tool for vlogging too! Also, as a hobbyist photographer myself, digital cameras encourage me to just open the camera and take a whole lot more photos without being concerned all the time about what settings my camera should be in.
Let these digital cameras be romanticised again; let this article be the sign for you to get hold of a digital camera again.

(The author is a student of School of Pharmacy,
Brac University)