In general the one-time-use camera represents a return to the business model pioneered by Kodak for their Kodak camera, predecessor to the Brownie camera; it is particularly popular in situations where a reusable camera would be easily stolen or damaged, when one's regular camera is forgotten, or if one cannot afford a regular camera. The disposable camera is the ultimate tool for casual photography. It’s made for non-photographers, vacationers, first-time film shooters, and even experienced shooters looking to simplify their kit. But what’s really remarkable about the disposable camera in the digital age, is its enduring popularity – one can still find a disposable camera in nearly any drug store. The most common of these disposables (at least in the United States) is the Kodak FunSaver, which also happens to be the camera that introduced me to photography. Shot count is a biggie. While the majority of disposable cameras offer 27 shots, you can find models that take up to 39 shots. While these higher-capacity cameras tend to command a higher upfront cost, they’ll usually offer better value overall as most labs charge a flat rate for processing. The FunSaver uses a 30mm F10 lens. The combination of a wide-angle focal length and an F10 aperture means there's no focusing mechanism at play. The FunSaver is quite literally a point-and-shoot camera. The FunSaver's lens includes a pair of plastic aspherical lens elements, which capture surprisingly sharp images considering that it's a cheap, single-use camera. This wasn’t by choice; the FunSaver was just about the only camera that could be safely handled and operated (and dropped) by a hyperactive six-year-old. And it did as advertised – it made photography simple and fun, and helped me make countless terrible childhood field trip snapshots.

The lens of the FunSaver is also exceptional by disposable camera standards. The 30mm f/10 lens found in the FunSaver features two aspherical plastic elements, which helps it achieve a sharpness uncommon in disposables. The lens’ center sharpness is good, while the aberrations and vignetting that occur (quite rampantly) in the corners give a pleasant, casual character akin to those loved by Lomography weirdos. While the images it makes won’t hold a candle to any high falootin’ glass or multi-element lens, the FunSaver delivers a considerably better image than should be expected, even beating some of the cheapest fixed-focus, non-disposable point-and-shoots. Discovering beauty with disposable cameras / Korea Times". Archived from the original on 2012-02-04 . Retrieved 2009-09-13.Since the late 1990s, disposable cameras have become increasingly popular as wedding favors. Usually they are placed on tables at wedding receptions to be used by guests to capture their unique perspective of the event. More commonly they are available in colors to match the wedding theme such as ivory, blue, white, gold, etc. [8] Disposable cameras are popular with tourists and people traveling around the world to save pictures of their adventures. The FunSaver comes in two varieties: a standard 27-shot version and a bumper 39-shot model (or, as Kodak phrases it, 27 with 12 extra). The 39-shot version will usually offer you better per-shot value and so is definitely worth keeping an eye out for. Camera comes with a single AA battery installed and the charge will last much longer than shooting the 27 pictures with flash. Considering that and the plastic body, the camera isn’t eco-friendly. The DarkRoom will send them to a recycling facility to recover much of the materials The First Disposable Camera". Modern Mechanix. September 1949. ISSN 0025-6587. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27 . Retrieved 2008-11-25.

The feel of analog photography simply can't be replicated with a phone. In contrast, disposable cameras let you experience the delayed gratification of pressing the shutter and not knowing how the shot came out for weeks on end. Best of all is, you get physical prints that you can hang up or keep in a scrapbook, rather than digital files left to languish on a hard drive. At first glance, the FunSaver looks like a toy. And with a design and a name more at home in a Toys R Us than at a camera store, the Kodak FunSaver is a toy. A closer look at the camera affirms this idea. Build quality is straight up consumer grade, complete with a loose shutter button made of flimsy gray plastic, a paper cover for the flash button, and a loud, rough advance wheel.Charge manual flash before every picture, Available in 27 exposures, Lightweight and compact, Loaded with Kodak 800 speed Grundberg, Andy (1988-03-20). "CAMERA; This Newcomer Is Disposable". The New York Times . Retrieved 2007-12-27. So-called "accident camera kits" containing film-based disposable cameras [9] [10] are increasingly being carried in vehicles to take images as evidence after an accident. [11] The absence of batteries allows instantaneous usage even after extended storage, for example in a glove compartment. Disposable cameras are bare-bones film cameras designed for single-use operation. They come pre-loaded with a roll of 35mm film, and the shutter speed, aperture and focus are all preset. Most disposables come with a flash that you can toggle on and off, but other than that you simply need to point and shoot. The film is advanced after each shot by rotating a thumb wheel, and once you reach the end of the roll, there’s no need to rewind or remove the film canister – instead, you drop the whole camera off for development. Where can I get disposable cameras developed? The Kodak FunSaver comes from a very different era of American consumer product design. Unlike the Brownie (specifically the wildly popular No. 2), which featured metal construction and a glass lens, the FunSaver is made from plastic, some paper, and more plastic. For better and worse, the FunSaver is completely emblematic of the philosophy of expendability that characterized mass-market design in the 1980s, ‘90s and early 2000s.