IMO early digital cameras are the best. 640x480, no dynamic range, red eye galore.
CRD put it best:
Nothing is as eye pleasing as a cat photographed with a really bad camera and this thing is firing on no cylinders
this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2026
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Maybe it’s weird of me, but I think most photos look better with older digital cameras. I don’t need my home pictures looking 4k-crisp personally
Nostalgia
That's definitely part of it. I think I also like to consider my pictures as representations of memories/moments, instead of chasing the fidelity to make them as close to reality as possible. My photos don't need to look 1:1 to real life - because they aren't real life!
And now phones are overcompensating, sharpening, airbrushing, and AI correcting photos. They've captured reality and kept going, soon exceeding reality