Fashion can be a mysterious phenomenon: how can what was once deeply uncool become a must-have item, seemingly overnight? In the camera world we've seen film cameras make a noticeable return to prominence amongst the hipster crowd. Renewed appeal of instant cameras has long been fashionable, to the extent that nostalgia over period Polaroid cameras pretty much spawned the whole instant camera revival we enjoy today, and even Lego recreations.
But all that is so last season. It seems today's cool kids wanting a retro camera are turning to a rather unlikely sector: the humble point-and-shoot digital compact from the 2000s and early 2010s. In research conducted by UK used product retailer Music Magpie, Google searches specifically for ‘Nikon Coolpix’ have increased by over 8500% in the past 12 months, while eBay and TikTok searches are up around 700% during the same period. It isn't only Nikon Coolpix cameras that are riding the wave of retro resurgence; classics like the Motorola Razr, iPod Nano and Sony Walkman are also seeing increased search popularity, but they all trail the good old Coolpix by a wide margin, at least according to this research.
