At least for me I disagree A camera shot can trigger expanded memories of the place/event etc

Beautiful post. I find myself carrying it less and less. The camera phone satisfies most of my needs and any camera is a distraction from the moment. I do love the special images it makes though.

I went the other way around. I carry my Z8 everywhere (in the backpack or on the strap), take it with me when I travel anywhere, and lately I've been shooting quite a bit of video with it as well. I started doing that when I realized how little I remember from just 5 years ago, and how helpful apps like Immich or Google Photos are with remembering the fleeting moments of my life. Could I do it with my iPhone? Yes. But I find that having a device that _only_ takes photos and videos makes things more intentional and less distracting.