TikTok users are discovering that digital cameras are better than smartphones for taking photos.
In a new TikTok trend — which is set to a George Michael and Childish Gambino remix — content creators are comparing portraits taken on their iPhones with the better pictures they took on a modern digital camera.
@bellarmrz IB: @laurenwolfe ♬ original sound – Lauren Wolfe
Why it matters: With the rise of the iPhone, it seemed like the digital camera market may be wiped out entirely. But TikTok is proving that bulkier digital cameras may not be a dying breed just yet.
Context:
- In recent years, huge improvements in smartphone photography have wiped out decades of camera industry growth. Between 2010 and 2021, worldwide camera shipments dropped by 93%.
- Many consumers no longer see the point in carrying an extra camera device and some major manufacturers have abandoned developing compact digital cameras altogether.
- However, visually literate Gen Z users are discovering that digital cameras (which have enormous camera sensors compared to smartphones) can produce better low-light shots than an iPhone and are more customizable.
- TikTok users are also increasingly criticizing how the AI technology in a modern smartphone camera excessively sharpens and clarifies an image making it look “fake.”
- Meanwhile, a picture taken with a digital camera captures everything in a scene with precise detail and makes it looks more “real.” Younger users are drawn to the more authentic aesthetic offered by digital cameras and the ability to shoot in RAW.
@amayacrichton Digital camera is Canon g7x mark iii #digitalcamera Ib @laurenwolfe @bellarmrz ♬ original sound – Lauren Wolfe
The big picture: Social media pushes younger users to produce original content and find new ways to express their online identity. Using a modern digital camera can give Gen Z content creators an edge over smartphone users.
As long as digital cameras offer a different aesthetic from the norm, they may not become extinct anytime soon.
