Nowadays, with many types of digital cameras, modern photography and editing techniques, it is not difficult to take beautiful pictures quickly. However, there are still groups of young people in Nha Trang City who are passionate about vintage cameras that use film. For them, each click of the shutter brings a unique emotional experience.

I recently met with a group of people who are passionate about vintage cameras. To my surprise, the members ranged in age from early 20s to late teens, born from 1990 to 2005. They showed me nearly 20 cameras manufactured in Japan and Germany over half a century ago that were well preserved after careful cleaning and polishing.

Lê Viết Khang, a 19-year-old student at the University of Theater and Cinema in Ho Chi Minh City, has been fascinated with vintage cameras for 5 years. Though he owns several modern cameras worth hundreds of millions of dong, he says the feeling of using film is still the most interesting. Unlike digital cameras that allow taking pictures continuously, each photo from a film camera needs to be carefully framed with manual settings as only one photo can be taken at a time and cannot be edited later. A roll of film usually yields 26-36 photos and costs from 150,000VND to 450,000VND to develop, requiring the utmost care and precision from the photographer. 

Nguyễn Phương Triết, age 27, has been passionate about and using vintage cameras to take photos for 5 years as well. He shared that the photographer's emotions are very important for a good photo. Hence, hearing the mechanical sounds of the shutter each time deeply evokes nostalgia compared to modern digital cameras. The photos also come out with different color tones depending on the film used, adding more sentimental value over time.

Some young enthusiasts even shoot exclusively in black and white film. They believe color is the first thing viewers notice in a photo before composition, so removing it makes people focus more on content and contrasts and transports stronger feelings. Due to the emotional experience each photo brings, vintage cameras using film are attracting growing interest and diversifying the photography art community. The young fans also learn from experienced art photographers to sustain their passion and create beautiful, touching works preserved for years to come.

Through their hobby, the group aims to appreciate craftsmanship and the spirit of photography's early days. A technology from the past is kept alive by the curious youth of today, blending tradition with the future and inspiring others to find meaning in life's simple pleasures. Their commitment shows how passions can unite generations and last beyond advances in technology.