The case against disposable film cameras

Over the past decade in the film photography hobby, I have only owned and used 2 disposable cameras. I never liked them and never understood the concept of a $15 single-use camera when I can get a film camera of the same value that I never have to toss out. In fact, I had never used a disposable film camera when I was younger.

There were only 2 reasons why I picked up those disposable cameras:

1. I wanted to publish a review on the blog
2. I was going to snowboard and needed a toss-around film camera with me

Read: Camera Review: Ilford HP5 Plus Disposable Camera

Disposable (or single use) film cameras might still be one of the more accessible film cameras out there. In a previous post, I badly needed to take a film camera with me so I headed to the nearest Walmart to pick one up.

There are two (among several) reasons why I dislike disposable cameras and why I wouldn’t recommend them.

Plastic waste

Disposable cameras or single use cameras are self-explanatory. You can only use them one time. Once you drop them off to the lab, they will dispose of it after they process your film.

Doesn’t seem like a big deal? These things are disposable but they cannot be recycled! This was one of the things Dubble Film highlighted when they were marketing their reusable plastic camera, Show.

Disposable cameras are a lot lot of fun but none of this shit can get recycled. It’s insane to make all this effort for something that can only be used once.

Dubblefilm SHOW

Disposable cameras are the easy choice but definitely not the eco friendly choice.

Note: You can attempt to reuse the disposable camera but I really wouldn’t recommend it especially if you are a beginner.

In case you’re curious, here’s a video about how to reuse a disposable camera.

Poor value for money

Let’s use the Fujifilm QuickSnap as an example here. The cheapest I could find on Amazon was priced at $22 (if sold individually) or $15 (if you buy a pack of 2 for $30). You can get a cheaper one on Moment for $11 (but it’s back ordered). Disposable cameras are already preloaded with film (27 shots) so that’s one less thing to worry about.

At this point, price isn’t bad for the camera unit + film, right?

But don’t forget that there is additional cost for film processing. This will cost you an additional $14 minimum if you have it processed (with scans) at a lab like The Darkroom Lab. And you will never see this camera again.

Again, this is perfectly fine for someone who just wanted to try film. $25 (at the very least) for 27 shots is okay. It’s definitely less compared to buying a reloadable plastic camera and films.

A reloadable camera would cost around $23-$35. The build is similar to a disposable camera; it’s made out of plastic and has a built-in flash. If you are a beginner, this type of camera wouldn’t be as intimidating as the more advanced ones.

The same film from the Fujifilm camera, would cost $5.66 (from Moment) for 36 shots.

Using the same film lab, it processing and scanning will cost $12 per roll. And you get to keep your camera.

Overall cost for a reloadable camera would be a little over $50 (at the very least, this doesn’t include shipping cost).

If you compare the cost alone, a disposable camera costs less – half the cost of the reusable camera. However, if you compare the value and the cost over time, it is clear that disposable cameras would cost a lot more.

I always advise against buying disposable cameras…BUT

Personally, there are only extreme cases when I would need a disposable camera. As a film camera blogger, writing about disposable cameras is part of the content creator gig. I would spend to educate.

I would also grab a disposable camera if I didn’t own a compact film camera and was required to bring one along. Case in point, my intention to bring a knock around film camera while I was snowboarding. Maybe if the activity involved getting into the water – I would probably grab a disposable for that as well.

If I wanted to get someone into the film photography hobby and if I didn’t have a point and shoot to spare, I would buy them a disposable film camera. Then I would also make sure to follow up on their first experience so that I can prepare recommendations for their next film camera – which isn’t a disposable film camera.

Or maybe you’re Gigi Hadid and disposable film cameras are just your thing.

Disposable film cameras are a last resort option for me. They’re wasteful and relatively expensive. There are other options out there, just like the ones on the list here: Best 35mm Film Cameras for Beginners.