Retro CCD cameras make a huge comeback in China with the trendy youth

The retro nostalgia continues across China as the once-forgotten charged-coupled device (CCD) cameras have made a comeback with the youth.

According to Shanghai-based news site Shine, CCD digital cameras are gaining traction across Chinese social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Weibo. One available for less than $10, they are now being sold second hand for hundreds of dollars.

Camera manufacturers began phasing out CCD in favor of CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensors in 2000, however CCD still has a strong fan base among some photographers, who believe that the images produced by this older technology are superior.

With the skyrocketing prices of film, people have been looking for ways to create retro-looking images digitally, and sales of the best retro cameras have gone through the roof. Fans of CCD cameras believe that the sensors produce more filmic, organic-looking images, and are happy to overlook the significant drawbacks of the technology that saw it phased out in the first place.

CMOS sensors require less power than CCD sensors, so they have extremely low noise and are faster to convert images into digital data, leading to rapid frame rates. While CCD cameras can produce beautiful images in well-lit conditions, they perform poorly in low light, and the low light led to them being replaced by CMOS.

However, according to those who are fuelling this trend, the goal isn’t about photographic fidelity, but rather nostalgia evoked by the cheap cameras of a bygone era.

According to Shine, CCD cameras are not only blowing up on e-commerce sites, but also in physical shops and markets across China. Stores in China’s famous electronics hub Huaqiangbei in Shenzhen, are now full of small yet bustling CCD sellers.

Each small stall is apparently covered in a significant array of brands, models, ages and conditions.

“Nowadays, CCD has become a unique aesthetic style and most people are attracted by online posts," Zhou Xingwang, the store owner of Xidi Digital, a retro CCD specialty store at Huaqiangbei told Shine. The owner also pointed out that they can sell over 100 CCD cameras a month, with prices ranging from a few hundred to around 2,000 yuan (US$278).

The popularity of old cameras juxtaposes phone manufacturers increasing their efforts to create cameras to rival the big brands, however, it would appear that many people don’t think that they are mutually exclusive. You can have a state-of-the-art camera in your pocket and a clunky retro camera slung over your shoulder.

Check out our guides to the best retro cameras, the best DSLR, and the best film cameras.

Take a look at the best Black Friday camera deals.