Sydney Super8, a traditional film and camera shop in Newtown, is experiencing unprecedented popularity as young people rediscover the art of analog photography. The store, housed in a bright Kodak-yellow exterior, has become a gathering place for millennials and Gen Z customers who are driving a remarkable revival of film photography in the digital age.
The demographic shift at Sydney Super8 tells a compelling story about changing attitudes toward photography. According to Christopher Tiffany, the former owner who now works at the shop, approximately 90 percent of customers are young people, with about 75 percent being female. "You get half a dozen girls at the table outside going through their pictures, giggling, laughing and carrying on like crazy," Tiffany observed. Current owner Nick Vlahadamis notes that while the store has attracted younger customers since opening in its current location in 2013, the trend has accelerated significantly since the pandemic.
Social media paradoxically plays a crucial role in promoting this analog revival. "Social media has an impact, it's really weird, [that] digital social media has an impact on an old technology. I think the same thing happened with records," Vlahadamis explained. Young customers regularly visit the shop to drop off single-use cameras for processing, purchase rolls of film from the refrigerated storage, and seek technical advice about their vintage equipment.
Twenty-six-year-old Lilly Orrell exemplifies this new generation of film enthusiasts. She was visiting Sydney Super8 to repair her Pentax Espio camera, a 21st birthday gift that she uses for fun and "because it looks cute." Orrell brings her film camera on nights out with friends and during travels, including a recent European vacation. "It captures the moment, you can't be like 'I look ugly' and re-take it. The photo is what it is," she said, explaining her break from Instagram due to pressure to capture perfect moments.
The appeal of film photography for young people extends beyond aesthetics to philosophy and mental health. Orrell draws inspiration from her parents' photo collections, noting, "I look back through my parents' pictures, and it's all about the memory and not about performing. When I get to 60, I can look back at my film photos and reminisce." This sentiment reflects a broader desire among Gen Z to slow down and find meaning beyond the instant gratification of smartphone photography.
Despite recent concerns about the film industry's future, major companies are responding to increased demand. In August, photography reports about Eastman Kodak's quarterly filings and debt situation led to speculation about potential closure. However, Kodak quickly clarified that it has no plans to cease operations and expressed confidence in managing its financial obligations. The company even had to temporarily pause film production in November 2024 to upgrade its New York factory to meet growing demand for both motion picture and still image film.
The camera manufacturing industry is also adapting to this unexpected revival. Japanese manufacturer Pentax made headlines by launching the Pentax 17 last year, marking the first new film camera from a major brand since the 2000s. "It's a camera that shouldn't exist today. They have almost sold out globally. But as a major manufacturer, Pentax has gone out on a limb," Vlahadamis noted. This bold move demonstrates industry recognition of the sustained interest in analog photography.
FujiFilm Australia joined this trend in August by re-launching QuickSnap, a 35mm single-use camera specifically targeted at Gen Z customers. General Manager Mary Georgievski attributes the product relaunch to a cultural shift and young people's "craving for nostalgia." She explains that "Gen Z are a lot about mental health, slowing things down, realizing what we had in the past was great. While they're highly connected digitally, Gen Z is driving a renewed appreciation for analog, choosing film not in place of digital, but alongside it."
The stories of individual customers reveal the deeper appeal of film photography. Denis Hasagic, a 25-year-old regular at Sydney Super8, initially planned to buy a digital camera while searching for a hobby. Instead, he picked up his father's old Pentax MZ-50 and began shooting film. Despite only four out of 37 photos turning out on his first roll, Hasagic was immediately hooked. "I saved up all this money for a digital camera and then got a film camera for much cheaper and spent the extra money on film and development," he said, though he later bought a Pentax P30.
The financial commitment to film photography can be substantial. Hasagic calculated that he spent approximately three to four thousand dollars on film and development in one year, estimating his current annual spending at double that amount. However, he values how shooting film "forces a sort of mindfulness that makes you slow down and go with the flow." The unpredictability adds to the appeal: "There's also the surprise element. When you get the scans back and the photo you thought was going to be really good turns out bad, but the photo you took accidentally is really amazing."
Professional photographer Julia Sarantis, 29, emphasizes that mistakes are inherent to the film photography experience. "Even though it's heartbreaking, there are so many rolls [of film] that just didn't turn out... but it's magic when it happens," she explained. Sarantis discovered her passion accidentally while taking a required university elective. "As soon as I got in the dark room and saw the magic of the development, I got hooked," she recalled.
Sarantis connects the film photography revival to broader cultural trends, stating, "I've always had an interest in old technology. But I think in a larger, cultural way it's a deviation from immediacy of digital technology." This perspective suggests that the analog photography movement represents more than mere nostalgia—it's a conscious choice to embrace slower, more deliberate creative processes.
The intersection of old and new technologies creates interesting dynamics at Sydney Super8. While Vlahadamis wishes more young customers wanted physical prints alongside their digital scans, he understands their drive to share images on social media and appreciates their embrace of vintage technology. "You get one shot. We are in such an era right now where everything is instant—You're going back to the future in a way," he observed, capturing the essence of why film photography resonates with a generation raised on digital immediacy but yearning for something more substantial and meaningful.
