Young people who have grown up with smartphones are turning back to physical photography, according to a new study for AgfaPhoto. The research, carried out by Selvitys among 4,000 people in the UK, France, Germany and Italy, found that half of 18-34-year-olds cite nostalgia or vintage aesthetics as a reason for choosing a film camera over their phone.

The study also found that seven in ten Europeans print their photos or turn them into personalised keepsakes, and the habit is strongest among younger adults. Nearly eight in ten 25-34-year-olds print photos or create photo keepsakes, and almost 40% of that age group print photos for family occasions such as birthdays and Christmas, compared with 21.8% of 18-24-year-olds.

Smartphones are still where most people keep their pictures, cited by 35% of respondents as their main storage. But the findings suggest that phones and physical photography are being used side by side rather than one replacing the other, with some pictures now taken specifically to be printed, shared or kept.

Film as a creative playground

The film figures are the most interesting part of the study for us. For a generation that has never known a world without digital photography, the imperfections and tangible nature of film offer something the instant results of a smartphone don’t. AgfaPhoto describes film as “a new creative playground for generations accustomed to digital images”, rather than a return to the past.

That matches what we see in the darkroom. The students who sign up for film courses today are mostly digital natives, and what draws them in is usually the look of film and the slower, more deliberate process, not nostalgia for something they remember.

Instant photography is also part of the picture. Nearly 46% of Europeans already use instant cameras or say they’d be interested in doing so, mainly because an instant print can be handed to someone, displayed or kept straight away.

“The fact that younger generations are also embracing film photography, instant cameras and photo printing shows that taking a photograph is about more than simply storing it on a phone,” said Julien Lelarge, Marketing Director at GT Company, which makes AgfaPhoto-branded cameras under licence.

It’s worth noting that the study was commissioned by a company that sells film and instant cameras, but the trend it describes will be familiar to anyone who has watched film prices, and demand, climb over the past few years.

Key findings

About the study

The study was conducted by research agency Selvitys for AgfaPhoto and published on 5 November 2026. AgfaPhoto cameras are made under licence by French company GT Company.