Customers select cameras at a camera store in Shanghai, east China, Sept. 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Tang Siqi)

　　SHANGHAI, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- At a bustling camera store in Shanghai, young shoppers crowded around the shelves, eager to get their hands on the latest models.

　　“My favorite influencer uses this camera to film,“ said 26-year-old Li Yun while trying out a mirrorless model. “But it's hard to get one. You have to enter a lottery and hope you're lucky enough.“

　　Across China, demand for cameras is reviving. Once sidelined by smartphones, cameras are back in style, fueled by the rise of social media, live-streaming and short videos.

　　From January to August 2024, China accounted for 23.3 percent of global camera shipments, ranking as the second-largest market after the Americas, according to the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA).

　　The surge in demand is driven by the country's rapidly developing influencer economy, where likes and shares on social media platforms translate into sales.

　　NEW TRENDS FUEL DEMAND

　　New economic models and changing consumer habits are transforming cameras from mere technical tools into fashionable items that many use to shoot photos and videos for social media platforms.

　　Huang Jing, an influencer with more than 500,000 followers on the Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu, emphasized the impact of quality cameras on her content. “Using a camera to make vlogs is key for showcasing details of my makeup looks. The clearer the image, the more vibrant my content becomes,“ said Huang.

　　Xiaohongshu now boasts over 80 million community sharers, with an impressive 90 percent of its content being user-generated, according to the platform's 2024 trend report.