[SINGAPORE] For some young Singaporeans, grainy low-resolution photographs have become a coveted aesthetic – and the outdated cameras that create them are a hot commodity.
Just as older hipsters had a penchant for vintage film cameras, today’s 20-somethings are bringing digital compact cameras back into popularity.
Known colloquially as digicams, these were all the rage in the 2000s, but fell out of favour when smartphones overtook them a decade or so later.
The couple, who are unrelated but share a surname, are among the young entrepreneurs riding this nostalgia wave – sourcing second-hand digicams from countries such as Japan and China, and selling them to fellow Gen Z fans.
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Catering to amateurs
Most sellers offer digicams online, on marketplace app Carousell or messaging platform Telegram. Prices range from S$50 for entry-level models to around S$1,000 for semi-professional cameras.
The couple made a hobby of collecting old digicams, but found that reliable sellers were rare.
“We had a lot of bad experiences,” said Coleman Chua. For instance, a camera might look pristine but actually be riddled with fungus or have other issues.
An amateur or beginner photographer might not know how to check for this, he said, making the process of buying a second-hand camera quite daunting.
The couple then began selling cameras they no longer wanted on Carousell. Seeing a gap in the market, they started Digicam Depository in 2023, selling cameras online and at flea markets and pop-up events.
There, they discovered that a physical presence enabled them to field customers’ queries and other issues.
“A large majority (of the customers) were in the research phase, and were not really ready to commit to buying a camera yet,” said Coleman Chua. With second-hand goods, customers also feel more confident about purchasing if they can test the camera in person.
With these lessons under their belt, the couple rented a small roadside stall in Chinatown – but soon outgrew the space due to a larger-than-expected turnout.
Two months later, in early 2024, they moved to a shophouse space in Haji Lane, where they remain. They declined to disclose monthly sales, but said they have sold around 10,000 cameras since they began.
Another digicam retailer that made the jump from online to offline is Digicam Diaries, which opened a store in Haji Lane in March 2024.
Having a physical store has improved sales, with customers more inclined to purchase something if they can try it in person, said co-founder Jerry Chiew. “With physical products like second-hand electronics, peace of mind is quite important.”
Chiew and co-founder Athena Khoo started the business in 2023, after similarly noticing a “knowledge gap” among amateur photographers who did not know where to buy digital cameras or get them repaired.
Hobby collectors themselves, they began listing cameras for sale that July on social media platforms Telegram and Instagram, as well as Carousell. When the business took off, they rented space in a friend’s consignment store, before opening their first physical shop in March.
Digicam Diaries sells between 400 and 800 cameras on average each month, at a price range of S$150 to S$500.
High rents bite
But in a crowded market where rentals are high, going physical is not possible for all retailers.
Digicam Depository pays S$6,000 in monthly rent for its two-storey space. Digicam Diaries’ Chiew says rental accounts for just over a third of total costs, but declined to disclose the dollar amount.
Other retailers have thus chosen to stick to consignment stores or online operations.
Film Vibes founder Lum Zhi Wei started out selling traditional film cameras in 2022 and moved to digicams after noticing the shift in consumer demand.
He first sold cameras on Instagram and Carousell. In May 2024, he began doing so on a consignment basis at Two Worlds, a vintage boutique in Golden Landmark Shopping Complex.
The consignment space costs S$280 for three months. With online and offline sales being mostly equal, Lum sees no need to open a store of his own.
The consignment model not only saves on rent, but also on manpower and marketing costs, as Two Worlds takes care of the latter, he added. Film Vibes also benefits when customers come across its products while visiting Two Worlds for other brands.
Lum sells an average of 60 cameras a month, priced at between S$100 and S$700.
Meanwhile, DigiJoy founders Charmaine Lee and Teerachote Yung intend to keep operations online, believing they “connect better with (their) customers” this way.
Many customers feel more confident asking questions through private messaging without the pressure of having to return to a physical store multiple times, said Lee.
But DigiJoy does provide offline meet-ups with customers who need help operating their purchases.
DigiJoy’s Telegram channel was started in July 2023 and now has around 19,400 subscribers, though Lee declined to share sales figures.
Gone in a flash?
Digicam entrepreneurs, however, are well aware that the trend may not last forever.
Chiew from Digicam Diaries said he was uncertain if digital cameras will evolve to have a dedicated cult following, the way that film cameras still do.
The company has diversified into selling retro gaming consoles, such as Game Boy and PlayStation Portable devices, and has set up self-operated photo booths – another activity currently popular with Gen Zs.
Film Vibes also sells vinyl records and is prepared to pivot to other vintage items if digicams wane in popularity.
Said Lum: “I think in the vintage business, it is all about riding the wave.”
The Digicam Depository founders, however, intend to stay in the photography business, saying that they want to continue making photography accessible.
For now, the hype continues to attract new entrants. Muhd Mika Zi An Sahrul Nizam, who is serving his National Service, started selling digital cameras with a friend in February.
Asked why he chose to start now, when the market is arguably saturated, he said demand is still “very high”. So far, he has sold 80 cameras for between S$130 and S$200.
“I feel that we don’t have to be very special for people to buy the cameras. Because ultimately, what people are looking for is the quality of the camera.”
