TL;DR I thrifted a camera from 2007 and it's changed the way I think about technology.

The Fujifilm FinePix Z10fd in all its glory.

Problem(s)

Too reliant on phone

I want to take fun photos when I hang out with my friends so I can look back fondly on them but I don't want to be on my phone when I'm having in-person time. As a UX designer, I know how enticing and captivating apps can be, so I’d like to remove the temptation and use a proper camera.

Nostalgia: Remember when it was fun to take photos?

I have a long history with cameras, originally wanting to be a photographer. I've used all sorts of cameras, developed my own film and have even taken photography courses at Oxford. But nothing inspired me more than the little orange point and shoot camera I got in high school - I brought it everywhere.

A variety of vintage photos from Elizabeth’s personal archive. The black hair was… a choice.

Process

Current camera line up

I am lucky enough to already have two cameras (and a phone) that each serve their own purpose. Keep in mind that I am not a professional photographer, these have been selected based on my needs.

Workhorse - Sony a6700: Super advanced camera that I love shooting with and can swap the lenses of. It is quite heavy and only fits into some of my handbags.
Little but mighty - Sony RX VII: Probably the camera I use the most and almost always have it in my bag. I sometimes don’t want to bring it to certain places in case it gets stolen.
Backup (Pixel 10 Pro Fold): I use my phone camera when I don’t have my other cameras on me. It’s still great and I do take tons of photos with it but it doesn’t have the same charm.

Choosing the right camera

I am looking for a camera that is small and cheap and can fit into a pocket. The photos don’t need to be amazing.

Venn diagram with a star showcasing my dream camera.

Solution: The Orange Point & Shoot

Whilst thrifting on Brick Lane, I came upon the most exquisite fiery orange camera I've seen since the early 2000s: the Fujifilm FinePix Z10fd. I immediately bought it for £40 and even found the owners manual online.

The new camera line-up, based on cost and pocketability.

Why this camera is so bad that it’s good

Irregular shutter: When you press the trigger, there is a seemingly random delay to when it actually takes the photo. There's something kind of beautiful about that because you get the genuine reaction as opposed to a forced pose.
Zombie battery: Says the battery is dying but then it goes up the more you use it (??) So it’s a feature, not a bug?
Slow interaction patterns: Every time you want to click through your photos, you have to wait for the slide in animation to complete before you can progress to the next photo. It’s easier to just not look at the photos until you upload them.
Importing: Having to insert the SD card into my laptop, then drag them into Google Photos, no bluetooth involved.
Time stamp chaos: The date and time are reset every time you take the SD card or battery out, so you have to click through each number every time…. Which means that I don’t do it… which means all my photos are jumbled up on the wrong dates
No auto-rotate: Have to go through and individually rotate all of the horizontal ones. But that means I actually go through and look at every single photo.

Lessons learned

Rethinking modern technology

Tactile tech: The way that the camera cover slides open is the most tactile wonderful experience. In a lot of modern phones have lost it. Though it is having a comeback with the Samsung flip and I do myself rocking Google pixel fold.
Separate devices: We use to use the phrase “a jack of all trades, but a master of none” yet we use the same phone for every single task. Maybe there is a downside to having everything being too convenient.
At your fingertips: This camera needs to be as (if not more) accessible that your phone is so that you reach for it first. I can chuck this camera into any bag without thinking twice.
Low stakes: Any photo you take has a high chance of being bad, but it also can make some something unexpectedly beautiful.

Collaborative photo taking

Handing it over to friends to see what kinds of pictures they take and because it's familiar and nostalgic people want to play with it
Travel ready: My husband and I take this camera on every trip with us. It’s super light and there’s less stress about it being stolen.

Sharing is half the fun

Full album drop: I actually disabled my social media a while back and so I've just been sharing a Google Photos link. It feels like I’m uploading and album to Facebook on my parent’s computer.
Some good, mostly bad: If we took 30 photos in a night: 3 are great, 7 are mediocre at best and 20 are blurry or of the floor. But when it comes down to it, the best photos are the ones that make you laugh.