Fujifilm disposables: the format still holds its allure

Disposable cameras are bulkier than your phone, cost more than the film camera you presumably already own, cost more to develop than an ordinary roll of film, and don’t even have the decency to let you know your finger is in the shot.

Despite all these drawbacks, the humble disposable camera still has something unique to offer: the shots they produce look more like my 80/90s childhood than any filter or modern camera has managed to capture.

Camera: Fujifilm QuickSnap Flash 400 One-Time-Use Camera - amazon.com

Film: Already inside!

I shot two Fujifilm disposable cameras over the spring/summer of 2025. I sent one camera to Walgreen’s photo lab and one camera to The Darkroom. All sample pics are unedited, straight out of the camera.

Dawn at the local nature preserve (thedarkroom.com)

Kids at the park (thedarkroom.com)

I love this photo, but the pink tint is inaccurate to the environment. I enjoy these imperfections of the film medium and accept them as part of the fun (Walgreens photo)

This one is almost indistinguishable from photos I took at various theme parks in the 1990s.

Who developed it better? Definitely The Darkroom, and I appreciate that they sent me my negatives back. Walgreens does not return your negatives, so you’re stuck with whatever scans they produce. (For that reason alone I won’t bring a disposable to Walgreens in the future even though they were significantly less expensive than The Darkroom. I strongly prefer having my negatives.)

Thoughts on the experience Carrying a disposable camera for the first time in like 25 years was definitely different. I had to carry a larger bag than I would have otherwise, and I had to be mindful of its delicate lens. I’ve gotten very used to just whipping my phone out and taking candid shots, but with the disposable I found I had to be a lot more careful and deliberate.

The photos have an undeniable charm, though, and I find myself looking at them longer, and more often, than snapshots from my phone. There is something more special and tangible about them.

My happiness with the results from these two disposable cameras inspired me to buy a Kodak Ektar H35, which is a lot like a reusable disposable that also takes 72 “half frame” pics instead of the standard “full frame” 36, which I proceeded to shoot multiple rolls of film in over the summer (see other posts on this blog).

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