I’ve been using film cameras for years but I have never tried disposable cameras. I guess they never appealed to me until I stumbled upon the Ilford disposable cameras. I love Ilford films and I think that they’re one of the best black and white films on the market. I was not expecting much especially from a disposable but I knew that the results would be out of the ordinary.
Star rating for this camera: coming soon due to lack of test shots (night shots, portrait)
Why bother with disposable cameras (aka single use cameras)?
Disposable cameras are easy to use, lightweight, and inexpensive (but only to a certain point). The photo quality isn’t the sharpest and they aren’t the most durable cameras around. They still exist today for a number of reasons.
- Set-and-forget (preloaded with film and battery)
- Artsy lo-fi photos
- A solid backup camera
- It usually has built-in flash
And finally, disposable cameras are a great gift for those who are interested in giving film photography a shot.
If you are not familiar with disposable cameras, please keep in mind that when you need to have your films developed, you will need to drop off the actual camera at the photo lab. Don’t attempt to pry it open.
Ilford HP5 Disposable Camera Overview
The Ilford HP5 Disposable Camera is preloaded an Ilford B&W HP5+ 35mm film (400 ISO) and a standard AA battery that powers the built-in flash.
The plastic lens is a 30mm with f 9.5 aperture and 1/100 shutter speed.
This is a plastic camera so it’s very light. I carried this around in my purse and barely noticed that it was there.
It’s also easy to use but the only thing that you might need to “learn” is how to use the flash because it’s not powered by a switch. To power the flash, you will need to hold the button on the bottom left hand size of the camera until the “ready” light turns on. Once you see the light, click the shutter and take a photo. The flash is advertised with a range of 3 meters (not tested in this review).
Sample photos
I was surprised with how this camera performed. I have used the camera mostly outdoors (sunny and overcast) and tried it indoors (flash and without). I’ll share the good, the bad, and the ugly so that you will have an idea of what to expect with this camera.
Sunny
Slightly overcast
with flash
Indoors
Bright lights, no flash Poor lighting with flash Bad lighting. No flash. No flash.
Also, first of the roll but technically the last one
in a disposable camera
Overall Thoughts
I think this is a great B&W disposable camera. The contrast is just great. I was also surprised how well it performed in the daylight as I was expecting it to be slightly overexposed (at 400 ISO).
The only problem I have with this camera is the price. The price varies – it costs around $12. Again, disposable cameras aren’t meant for longtime use, that’s why I only recommend this for beginners and for short term. I already own a lot of film cameras so in my case I would rather just buy the film that is used in this camera, the Ilford HP5 400 and load it in another film.
Will I buy this camera again? Maybe. I’m not crazy about the price but I’m slightly obsessed with the camera. This will do well as a backup camera or when I just need a good knock-around camera to toss in my bag.
Disclosure: This product was purchased by the author. Photos are ours unless otherwise stated. All opinions expressed here are the author’s own and are not in any way influenced by the aforementioned organization. For inquiries, please visit our Partnership and Advertisements page.
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