Lastly, it’s worth pointing out that the old point-and-shoots currently in vogue among Gen Z and Gen Alpha on TikTok are a headache to use in 2024. They often have proprietary ports that require specific cables, connectors, and chargers, and even media cards that are no longer available — like the Memory Stick standard once favored by Sony’s Cyber-Shot cameras.
Buying such cameras second-hand could bite you if the device shows up missing those unique cables. And if you manage to find a brand-new camera in its original packaging, many of the cables will likely have vulcanized by now, meaning they’ve decomposed. Even should you get lucky and find a unit with cables intact, you’ll need to track down and purchase one of those defunct storage mediums. That’s a lot of work to put into owning a camera that probably pales in comparison to the one built into your phone.
@_caitlin.mcc gimme a minute pookie #fyp #foryou #camerafriend #digitalcamera #sonycybershot
However counterintuitive, those headaches seem to be part of the appeal for the TikTok users who’ve joined the digicam trend. One video, posted by @_caitlin.mcc, demonstrates the process of transferring her photos from a Sony Cyber-Shot to a MacBook via an archaic, proprietary connector. The caption layered over the footage reads, “‘can u send the pics from last night?'” The extra steps are transformed in this context into a way of stepping back in time. Perhaps, in a world of seamless technology, the added friction becomes an act of protest against the relentless march of time.
[Featured image by Bordgious via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]
