Sydney Super8, an old-school film and camera shop in Newtown, is experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity as a new generation discovers the joys of analog photography. The bright Kodak-yellow storefront has become a magnet for young enthusiasts, with a constant stream of millennials and Gen Z customers flowing through its doors on any given Friday afternoon.
The shop's clientele has shifted dramatically over the years, with current owner Nick Vlahadamis and former owner Christopher Tiffany noting that 90 percent of their customers are young people, and about 75 percent of them are female. "You get half a dozen girls at the table outside going through their pictures, giggling, laughing and carrying on like crazy," Tiffany observed. The narrow shop space buzzes with activity as customers drop off single-use cameras for processing, purchase rolls of film from the refrigerated storage, and seek technical advice from the experienced owners.
Vlahadamis attributes the growing popularity to social media's unexpected influence on analog technology. "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," he explained. The store has attracted younger crowds since opening in its current location in 2013, with numbers increasing after the pandemic and reaching new heights recently.
Twenty-six-year-old Lilly Orrell exemplifies this new wave of film enthusiasts. She was at Sydney Super8 to repair her Pentax Espio camera, a 21st birthday gift that she uses for fun photography because "it looks cute." Orrell brings her film camera on nights out with friends and travels, including a recent European vacation. The permanence of film photography appeals to her: "It captures the moment, you can't be like 'I look ugly' and re-take it. The photo is what it is."
This authentic approach to photography represents a rebellion against social media perfectionism for many young people. Orrell, who has taken a break from Instagram due to pressure to capture and share perfect moments, finds inspiration in her parents' old photographs. "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," she said.
The film photography revival comes amid concerns about industry stability. In August, Eastman Kodak reported quarterly filings that included significant debt, leading to media speculation about potential closure. However, Kodak quickly clarified these reports as misleading, releasing a statement affirming that the company has no plans to cease operations and remains confident about repaying, extending, or refinancing its debt.
Despite financial challenges, demand has been strong enough to strain production capacity. In November 2024, the 133-year-old camera company temporarily paused film production to upgrade its New York factory to meet growing demands for both motion picture and still image film. This production pause highlighted the unexpected resurgence of an industry many had written off as obsolete.
The revival has encouraged manufacturers to take risks on new analog products. Japanese camera manufacturer Pentax made headlines by launching the Pentax 17, 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, emphasizing how unprecedented this move was in the current digital landscape.
FujiFilm Australia joined this trend in August by relaunching QuickSnap, a 35mm single-use camera specifically targeted at Gen Z customers. According to FujiFilm Australia's general manager Mary Georgievski, the product relaunch capitalizes on a cultural shift and taps into younger generations' craving for nostalgia. "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 film photography renaissance coincides with renewed interest in compact digital cameras, suggesting that young people are seeking alternatives to smartphone photography's instant gratification. Denis Hasagic, a 25-year-old regular customer at Sydney Super8, discovered this appeal accidentally. Originally saving money for a digital camera while searching for a new hobby, he instead picked up his father's old Pentax MZ-50 and started shooting film.
Despite only four out of his first 37 photos turning out successfully, 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 explained. However, his initial savings were short-lived – he estimates spending three to four thousand dollars on film photography in his first year, likely doubling that amount since.
For Hasagic, film photography's appeal lies in its mindful approach. "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," he said. This unpredictability forces photographers to slow down and embrace spontaneity, contrasting sharply with digital photography's perfectionist tendencies.
Professional photographer Julia Sarantis, 29, discovered her passion for film through 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. Despite the heartbreak of failed rolls, she finds the successful results magical. Sarantis believes the trend represents more than nostalgia: "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."
While embracing the analog revival, Vlahadamis wishes more young customers would opt for physical prints alongside their digital scans. However, he understands their desire to share images on social media and appreciates their enthusiasm for old-school 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 reflected, highlighting how film photography offers a refreshing counterpoint to today's instant-everything culture.
