Ghosts of Christmas past: our favorite vintage-looking cameras

best retro looking cameras
(Image credit: Future)

Nostalgic design mixed with today’s tech is a heady enough brew to have many of us feverishly reaching for our wallets – particularly when we’re talking about the relationship photographers have with their cameras. 

A classic retro design camera screams ‘heritage’ and longevity, not nouns normally associated with the latest tech, typically implemented with eventual obsolescence in mind. And when we’re paying big bucks, getting something that looks like it was built to last and will do the job reliably and consistently, just like in the old days, counts. 

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Gavin Stoker

Gavin has over 30 years’ experience of writing about photography and television. He is currently the editor of British Photographic Industry News, and previously served as editor of Which Digital Camera and deputy editor of Total Digital Photography


He has also written for a wide range of publications including T3, BBC Focus, Empire, NME, Radio Times, MacWorld, Computer Active, What Digital Camera and the Rough Guide books.


With his wealth of knowledge, Gavin is well placed to recognize great camera deals and recommend the best products in Digital Camera World’s buying guides. He also writes on a number of specialist subjects including binoculars and monoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, trail cameras, action cameras, body cameras, filters and cameras straps. 

With contributions from