I didn’t understand the sudden fascination with point-and-shoot cameras – until I took one on a trip

The smartphone’s devastation to the point-and-shoot camera industry was predicable – but the sudden return of the compact camera was not. After falling by the wayside for several years, the point-and-shoot camera is on the rise, increasing in both sales and viral social media fame.

I have to admit, as a photographer with a bag full of mirrorless gear, I didn’t really “get” the point-and-shoot camera trend at first. But then, I took a waterproof compact camera on a family trip – and I realized that the trend isn’t about tech at all, but just the opposite.

Earlier this year, I took a trip with my extended family – and it had been quite awhile since I’d had a true vacation. I didn’t want to spend my much-needed break with my face in my phone, so I vowed to limit social media and ignore my inbox.

I still snapped a few photos with my iPhone, yes, but what I didn’t expect was that a point-and-shoot camera would get more use than my mirrorless. I brought along the OM System Tough TG-7.

I didn’t pack it because the TG-7 was a compact camera, I packed it because it is a waterproof camera. (The reason that I even own a waterproof compact camera is that they also make fantastic cameras for kids, and I bought one for my oldest.) I was determined to spend a good chunk of my trip on the beach, on a boat, and by the pool.

Somewhere between taking a video of dolphins from a kayak and snapping photos of my children’s first time seeing the ocean, I fell in love with a point-and-shoot camera. Not because it was waterproof. Not because it was small. But because using a point-and-shoot camera felt like unplugging.

I have to admit it – sometimes I open my phone to take a quick photo and before I put it down, I end up checking my email or scrolling through Instagram. Yes, part of the point-and-shoot trend is from the size. And yes, part of the success of high-end options like the Fujifilm X100VI is because of larger sensors that are far better quality than a smartphone.

But I think the point-and-shoot trend is more about what a compact camera is not rather than what it is. It is not a web browser, it is not an inbox, it is not a social media rabbit hole. Using a point-and-shoot camera felt more like staying in the moment than snapping photos with my iPhone.

The modern world is noisy. Using a point-and-shoot felt like unplugging. Yes, some of the point-and-shoot camera trend is because compact cameras have an advantage over smartphones (or at least, the best compact cameras do). But for me, reaching for a point-and-shoot was about using simple tech in a high-tech world.

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