Query?......... what's inside disposable 35mm cameras?

[Stephen]

Never thought about it that much till I was offered a small quantity of disposable 35mm cameras, not here as yet, and till I find out what's in them, the question is, they are 35mmm film, but is it in a normal cassette inside, or is it loose inside the disposable body?
In other words, can the 35mm film be retrieved to use in other 35mm cameras?
I did use a disposable APS camera as a source of film once, that one contained the cassette.

Stephen.

[Stephen]

As I understood it the cameras are made with the film on a roll on the other side to the standard cassette, into which it is wound, to allow opening (and re loading by makers).
This type obviously can have the film extracted for other uses, but which makers did this? Kodak? Fuji?
For US Members, obviously we do not get US chain brands here in the UK, only the bigger makes, so mentioning store brands will not work.

Wilko Stores in the UK do disposable, as do Boots, but I am told they may not contain a "real" cassette, just using an open roll of film, is this right?

The reason for the query is cost, the offer, on the ones I can get, is about 50p each for 24 shots, 200ASA (with a free flash per film!!).

I can obviously open in the darkroom and fit the film into empty cassettes, but it would be nice to find a cassette in each camera, saves a lot of work.

Stephen.

Stephen.

[Doug T.]

Hi Stephen!

I heard somewhere that you must run the film through in total darkness ( cover the lens for example), and when it has run through, it can be safely removed for use in another camera.
I do think that the companies who process these cameras, remove or reuse the batteries, and repackage the cameras with fresh film .
Never having done it myself, however, I can't swear by it.
It would be nice if you could use it, as there are lots of them out there, and single rolls are getting more expensive all the time.

Doug

[Stephen]

If it's in the one $ or one £ range per camera, then the colour film is really cheap, and attractive for testing out film cameras with fixed lenses.

From reading up on the net, as always such a treasure house of useless information, it seems that the film is used by rewinding back into a cassette, so is re-usable, either by using in the dark, or simply opening in dark and rewinding into cassette, leaving a tab for reloading again of course!

Any way I'll take up the offer, as it can be done in the darkroom, and shoved into 135 cassettes, Robot, or even Karat Rapid........

Now I just have to find a use for about 30 flashguns, home-made Tasers anybody!?!

Stephen.

[Stephen]

I notice that the UK Poundland stores no longer do the disposable cameras, but do stock the Agfa branded 200 ASA Fuji film 24 shots at £1 each of course!

Stephen.

[Berndt]

Hi Stephen,

those two articles might be of some help:

www.lomography.com/magazine/tipster/2012/05/11/new-possibilities-for-disposable-cameras
www.lomography.com/magazine/tipster/2009/04/16/how-to-reload-a-used-disposable-camera

What I always wondered is, how can they sell a whole camera INCL. film often cheaper than the film itself ? Probably for the same reason, why camera incl. kit lens are often cheaper than the body only

Cheers from Tokyo,

Berndt

[Stephen]

Yes, it seems the "film out of the cassette", and then back in as it is used, is common on the disposable cameras. The batch coming are Fuji and match the ones in the article.

It seems from blogs on the net the production of the disposables has virtually stopped now, so it's just existing stock now.
Sad that film is tailing away, the end seems to be in sight, with only a few last types made.

For retail stores marketing the film, the profit came with the developing and printing of the shots. Oddly it seems disposable digital do not work in the same way, too many people have phone cameras!!

Stephen.

[Berndt]

It seems from blogs on the net the production of the disposables has virtually stopped now, so it's just existing stock now.
Sad that film is tailing away, the end seems to be in sight, with only a few last types made.

Even being a big fan of film, I have to say, that the quality of disposable cameras is simply too bad ( also comparing to cellphone cameras ) for a chance to be accepted as a photographic media in the future.

Here a few shots, I took with a disposable camera last year ( just for fun and to see, how the results come out ): www.lomography.com/homes/berndtotto/albums/1891953-unkown-disposable-camera I think, the pictures look acceptable up to a certain enlargement ( web or small prints ), but on a bigger screen, the disappointment is coming soon ... but well, that can actually happen for cellphone shots too ... hahaha ...

[Rachel]

Jun 27, 2013 8:55:20 GMT -5 Stephen said:

I notice that the UK Poundland stores no longer do the disposable cameras, but do stock the Agfa branded 200 ASA Fuji film 24 shots at £1 each of course!

Stephen.

I notice that Boots, a chemists/drugstore chain in the UK, still sell film, for the moment anyway. I can't think that they sell much though. I have a non-tech friend who still uses film as she doesn't have a computer and doesn't understand digital.

[Stephen]

Boots are reducing the on the spot process outlets to a few main UK branches, who also keep what film is available for sale, they are leaving machines to print from digital in most stores.
I spoke to a couple of friends in the trade, and fresh 35 film is getting very tight now, with reports that Fuji are now phasing out production next year.
It struck me as odd the Chinese make little film, but it seems digital became so popular recently, they bypassed film!! a lot of Chinese never had film cameras, the first camera was a digital.
Anyway I have recovered the film from the disposables, and got some Poundland "Agfa", (Fuji), and placed the lot in the freezer.
120 film is still available widely.....so far!

Stephen.

[Berndt]

I spoke to a couple of friends in the trade, and fresh 35 film is getting very tight now, with reports that Fuji are now phasing out production next year.

You are talking about 35 mm film in general or about disposable cameras ? In general, I don't see the future of film so dark. In big camera stores, film is still available in all variations ( at least here in Japan ) and local shops do have at least 400 ASA Fuji picture film in stock. It's just getting tighter for slide film. When the Fuji Velvia 100 will be discontinued at the end of the year, not many 35 slide films are left.

However, it is also true, that more new films become released than discontinued theses days and it doesn't hurt much to order film from the internet, which is easy nowadays ... in case, there is no decent store in the neighborhood. Some film types are even not available for a certain time, because the demands are obviously bigger than the number, that can be produced. I don't worry much about 35 mm film ... at least not for picture film and not for the next ten years.

I see basically two main reasons, why film will not die so soon. First is the "lomography movement" ( many young people are using film again and enjoy experimenting with analog technologies ) and second the fact, that FF ( full frame ) cameras are still too expensive. Here, 35 mm film is still a very cheap alternative to a bulky and expensive DSLR ( if not being a professional photographer, who needs to shoot hundreds of pics a day ).

[lloydy]

The Agfa at Poundland is very good, and rumoured to be Fuji, possibly Fujicolor.

[julio1fer]

I can confirm that there is a normal film cassette inside those disposables, and as far as I know the film is identical to consumer types for 35mm. Film is wound into the cassette inside the camera, while the roll is consumed.

I have sometimes got these used cassettes from a developing store, for reloading with bulk B&W. If my memory is good, they are marked outside as coming from disposables, and they do not have the normal colors or markings from the manufacturer, just white paper and the data.

[Stephen]

Jul 2, 2013 18:36:14 GMT -5 lloydy said:

The Agfa at Poundland is very good, and rumoured to be Fuji, possibly Fujicolor.

Just got back the first 99p shop "Agfa" film, with a CD scan disc, looks good quality overall, the prints are OK, but could be better, so both using the CD and a re-scan with camera set-up to see what the results are. It is Fuji film, marked on edge.

Stephen.

[Peltigera]

I have been using Poundland Agfa for a couple of years now and find it excellent. Only problem I have is the scans that Snappy Snaps do - they are ok but not brilliant. Where I want the pictures for printing, I do my own hi-res scans (I am too lazy to scan the whole rolls).