One of TikTok’s most interesting, beneficial effects is that camera companies have been reminded that, if products look beautiful, consumers are more likely to buy them. As smartphones started to eat the mobile photography category, camera companies focused further on their professional consumers, leaving only Leica to appeal to the style-conscious casual photographer. The problem with that is that Leica cameras are outrageously expensive, so even those with even moderate camera budgets couldn’t afford them.

But, photography TikTok soon found Fujifilm’s X100 range — a beautiful, small street-photography camera — and its beautiful design, great shots, and easy usability made it an instant sell-out hit. To this day, they are rarely in stock, and related cameras — like the Fujifilm X-T30 II that I use — sell out frequently as people try to get a sense of that feeling. Other camera companies have followed suit with the beautifully minimalist Sigma BF and concepts like the VWFNDR Keiran.