Reloading a single use camera - what film?

So my teenaged daughter and some of her friends have "discovered" disposable cameras. They take some pictures, set the camera aside for a few weeks, get the photos developed, then reminisce about days gone by. ;)

 

She knows I'm into film cameras. I've told her that I can get a her a little film camera that would take better pictures and she can reload with any type of film she likes. Something like an Olympus XA2 but really any old point and shoot.

 

For some reason that idea doesn't appeal to her. But having her spend money on these single use cameras bothers me and one of the things I've considered is just reloading them. What she has sitting on her desk right now is a Kodak FunSaver which is pretty decent as far as disposables go. However it uses an 800 ASA film that I can't seem to find anywhere else.

 

So would pushing a 400 ASA film get decent enough results? What do people think?

 

She may not go for the idea anyway, but I may try it just for kicks.

If my previous and brief experience of these cameras is anything to go by, they have to be broken open to remove or replace the film.

 

They also used to be barely more expensive than buying a cassette of film. Is that no longer the case?

 

Buying a cassette of 400 ISO film, carefully prising apart a camera that was built to be broken, and then paying a processing surcharge for the dubious benefit of push processing hardly seems like a saving.

One thing I know is that such cameras wind the film into the cassette.

 

You will have to unspool the film in the dark, and then get it to fit into the space

where it goes. Then put the cassette into the take-up side, get all the film to

stay in place while you put it together.

 

I have taken a few apart, but not recently. I believe it isn't so hard to get

apart in one (well, two) pieces without breaking the tabs. I presume that

there are machines to put the together, and it isn't expected to be

done by hand.

 

There are reusable cameras about the size, weight, and quality of disposables.

 

Somewhere I have a waterproof camera that came with film, but is meant to

be reloaded.

Lomography Diana Mini 35mm Point & Shoot Film Camera | eBay

Lomography ActionSampler Action Sampler Toy Plastic Camera 35MM | eBay

lomography fisheye Film Camera | eBay

All three are all plastic, similar construction methods and quality to disposable cameras,

but are designed to be reused. New, they seem to be overpriced, but are easy to find

used (or maybe second hand but unopened), for reasonable prices.

 

I have one each of the latter two, which are a little more fun than ordinary cameras,

both bought for about $5 each.

 

I also have one of these, which I have had a few rolls through. I brought it once

on a whitewater rafting trip, where water often pours over rafters.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Snap-353088-Waterproof-Reuse-Camera/dp/B006BMZ8J4

 

I now have a

Canon WP-1, waterproof electronic film camera, much better quality, that I took

down water slides and pools in a water park. The WP-1 would be more like

a real camera, but is also much fun.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Canon-Sure-Shot-Weatherproof-Camera/dp/B00000K02C

If my previous and brief experience of these cameras is anything to go by, they have to be broken open to remove or replace the film.

 

They also used to be barely more expensive than buying a cassette of film. Is that no longer the case?

 

Buying a cassette of 400 ISO film, carefully prising apart a camera that was built to be broken, and then paying a processing surcharge for the dubious benefit of push processing hardly seems like a saving.

 

I'd develop the film so there wouldn't be any additional expense over what it would cost me to process normally. There are people that actually do this for various reasons and have posted instructions. For the Fun Savers the process doesn't seem too awful. They have tabs that are used to hold them together. Worse thing that can happen is that I break it.

 

FWIW she's debating over whether or not she wants to place her precious memories in the hands of her father rather than a "professional". She asked me whether if I've ever messed up a roll of film and I answered honestly. In my defense I've never botched C-41, - only B&W. :)

 

All three are all plastic, similar construction methods and quality to disposable cameras,

but are designed to be reused. New, they seem to be overpriced, but are easy to find

used (or maybe second hand but unopened), for reasonable prices.

 

I have one each of the latter two, which are a little more fun than ordinary cameras,

both bought for about $5 each.

 

I also have one of these, which I have had a few rolls through. I brought it once

on a whitewater rafting trip, where water often pours over rafters.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Snap-353088-Waterproof-Reuse-Camera/dp/B006BMZ8J4

 

I now have a

Canon WP-1, waterproof electronic film camera, much better quality, that I took

down water slides and pools in a water park. The WP-1 would be more like

a real camera, but is also much fun.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Canon-Sure-Shot-Weatherproof-Camera/dp/B00000K02C

 

She might like that Canon. We'll see how it goes.

Edited November 21, 2019 by tomspielman

One thing I know is that such cameras wind the film into the cassette.

 

You will have to unspool the film in the dark, and then get it to fit into the space

where it goes. Then put the cassette into the take-up side, get all the film to

stay in place while you put it together.

 

I have taken a few apart, but not recently. I believe it isn't so hard to get

apart in one (well, two) pieces without breaking the tabs. I presume that

there are machines to put the together, and it isn't expected to be

done by hand.

 

There are reusable cameras about the size, weight, and quality of disposables.

 

Somewhere I have a waterproof camera that came with film, but is meant to

be reloaded.

 

It think with the Kodak there's a little spool inside the camera that the film needs to be wound onto. I've also seen some instructions that say that the camera has to be slightly modified to work with a normal 35mm cartridge. And a couple of notches have to be cut into the spool portion of the cassette so that the film advance will work.

Deon Reynolds loads Panoramic Kodak disposables with TriX, filing down the inside chamber for framing. He discussed it at length on the Inside Analog Podcast episode in which he was interviewed. His website it here:

 

Deon Reynolds

It think with the Kodak there's a little spool inside the camera that the film needs to be wound onto. I've also seen some instructions that say that the camera has to be slightly modified to work with a normal 35mm cartridge. And a couple of notches have to be cut into the spool portion of the cassette so that the film advance will work.

 

I have a cartridge that was in such a camera, and yes it has serration on the end of the part that sticks out.

I am not so sure why it doesn't couple in the same way as other cameras do.

I

 

(snip)

 

She might like that Canon. We'll see how it goes.

 

The WP-1 is a real camera with autoexposure, autoflash, autowind and rewind,

autofocus and auto ISO. Maybe more automation.

 

Canon Sure Shot WP-1 35mm Specs

 

As with all waterproof cameras, check the seal carefully when loading

before taking it into the water.

 

This one is taken while going down a waterslide at Great Wolf Lodge, from

an inflatable raft like the one shown.

 

 

Deon Reynolds loads Panoramic Kodak disposables with TriX, filing down the inside chamber for framing. He discussed it at length on the Inside Analog Podcast episode in which he was interviewed. His website it here:

 

Deon Reynolds

 

Those are some excellent photos. My daughter won’t be be quite as artistic. I suspect that part of the reason she’s hesitant to have me process the film is that she’d prefer to do some “curating” before letting her parents see the pictures.

The WP-1 is a real camera with autoexposure, autoflash, autowind and rewind,

autofocus and auto ISO. Maybe more automation.

 

Canon Sure Shot WP-1 35mm Specs

 

As with all waterproof cameras, check the seal carefully when loading

before taking it into the water.

 

This one is taken while going down a waterslide at Great Wolf Lodge, from

an inflatable raft like the one shown.

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1318740[/ATTACH]

 

Wisconsin Dells? If so I’m pretty sure I’ve been there. We were regular visitors to the Dells when the kids were younger. Anyway, I like that Canon enough that one could find its way into my daughter’s Christmas stocking. That and another disposable. She can keep the one she likes and I’ll keep the other. :)

That one is near Olympia, WA, but I suspect that they use similar designs for the different parks.

Those are some excellent photos. My daughter won’t be be quite as artistic. I suspect that part of the reason she’s hesitant to have me process the film is that she’d prefer to do some “curating” before letting her parents see the pictures.

 

In the eyes of a teenager, a dad is not cool (sorry). She most certainly didn't catch an interest in film photography because of you - and any healthy teenager would hate their parents to have first look at their pictures.

If you show too much interest, she'd likely loose interest.

Just be supportive when invited - not over supportive :-)

Growing up, I had a couple of what I'd call now "reloadable disposable cameras." Basically they were cameras with fixed focus plastic meniscus lenses, a simple optical viewfinder, and no shutter speed or aperture controls. They were often free or very inexpensive, and I suspect many such cameras have now found their way to the dumpster-they were basically the 90s/early 2000s equivalent of a Brownie, although without all the bakelite to make them appealing on a shelf :)

 

One of those cameras could POSSIBLY interest her, although you do have to learn to load film in them yourself, as well as remember to rewind it.

 

BTW, probably the best 800 speed color film ever made is Porta 800. It's not cheap as C-41 emulsions go, but I imagine it's still less expensive than disposables. AFAIK, it only comes in 36-exposure rolls, and I'm not sure if there are any disposables that can handle that.

 

One last thing-I remember watching workers in in-store minilabs "breaking" open disposables for processing. IIRC, the usual process was to spin the advance wheel a bunch to make sure the film was fully wound in. They would then use a special tool to pop the tabs holding them and pull out the film cam. The camera itself would then go into a special recycle box. I was always under the impression that they were tested, reassembled, and reloaded. As I recall, in their heyday, sometimes the store brand disposables would show knocks and bangs or even be completely wrapped in cardboard/labels presumably because they'd been factory reloaded.

Growing up, I had a couple of what I'd call now "reloadable disposable cameras." Basically they were cameras with fixed focus plastic meniscus lenses, a simple optical viewfinder, and no shutter speed or aperture controls. They were often free or very inexpensive, and I suspect many such cameras have now found their way to the dumpster-they were basically the 90s/early 2000s equivalent of a Brownie, although without all the bakelite to make them appealing on a shelf :)

 

(snip)

 

It is funny how in the 1960's, 35mm cameras were so hard to load that Kodak had to invent

the Instamatic and Kodapak cartridge to make it easier. Then, not so many years later, it

was easy enough to sell both simple (mentioned above) and not so simple (Canon AE-1)

cameras to ordinary people.

 

There are also cameras designed to look like fancier cameras but aren't.

 

Consider: Time Magazine Camera - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

 

which has a fake pentaprism shape on top, though the actual viewfinder is

to the side. There are some with names like Canon on them, though you know

that they aren't really. One that I have seen has the actual viewfinder coming

through the front of the fake pentaprism top.

 

More "designed to look like expensive cameras":

 

"Olympia" camera - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

 

all might be about as good as the usual disposable camera.

 

Some I have known are especially hard to get the film to stay

in the take-up spool long enough to start winding. Be careful

with any of them.

I think 35mm film has always been 'too hard to load' for the general public. In addition to Instamatic/126, we also got 110 and, later, APS, all 'drop-in' easy load cartridges. We also got self loading systems for 35mm in the 80s and 90s automated cameras.

 

I do recall seeing instructions stating that 'disposable' camera were in fact checked, reloaded and resold. I always wanted to give it a go with one of the Ilford disposables, but couldn't justify the cost, I could buy a Zenit for the same price!

I had one of those "Time" cameras briefly. It came with a bunch of other cameras I was given. I tossed it I'm afraid. Funny that they actually put a lead weight in the bottom to make it seem more substantial than it was. ;)

 

NHSN is probably right that my daughter isn't particularly anxious for me to see her pictures so I'm not going to push the idea of processing the film. The offer was extended, and if she can ask if she wants me to do it.

 

But I might still get her something like the Canon WP-1 to see if she would like that. It's cute in the way that the Fuji Instax cameras are and she like those. Teenagers can be very precise about what they want though so something that just looks kind of like a disposable may not cut it.

Edited November 24, 2019 by tomspielman

Growing up, I had a couple of what I'd call now "reloadable disposable cameras." Basically they were cameras with fixed focus plastic meniscus lenses, a simple optical viewfinder, and no shutter speed or aperture controls. They were often free or very inexpensive, and I suspect many such cameras have now found their way to the dumpster-they were basically the 90s/early 2000s equivalent of a Brownie, although without all the bakelite to make them appealing on a shelf :)

 

One of those cameras could POSSIBLY interest her, although you do have to learn to load film in them yourself, as well as remember to rewind it.

 

BTW, probably the best 800 speed color film ever made is Porta 800. It's not cheap as C-41 emulsions go, but I imagine it's still less expensive than disposables. AFAIK, it only comes in 36-exposure rolls, and I'm not sure if there are any disposables that can handle that.

 

One last thing-I remember watching workers in in-store minilabs "breaking" open disposables for processing. IIRC, the usual process was to spin the advance wheel a bunch to make sure the film was fully wound in. They would then use a special tool to pop the tabs holding them and pull out the film cam. The camera itself would then go into a special recycle box. I was always under the impression that they were tested, reassembled, and reloaded. As I recall, in their heyday, sometimes the store brand disposables would show knocks and bangs or even be completely wrapped in cardboard/labels presumably because they'd been factory reloaded.

 

Seems like kind of waste put Portra in a disposable but I haven't seen any other 800 speed color film available.

 

The ease of having the film pre-loaded isn't something I considered and that might be a sticking point for my daughter and a regular camera. I have to admit that I missed a bunch of shots once because I didn't load the film right and it wasn't advancing. That would be about all it would take for my daughter give up on "real" cameras.

Edited November 24, 2019 by tomspielman

I think 35mm film has always been 'too hard to load' for the general public. In addition to Instamatic/126, we also got 110 and, later, APS, all 'drop-in' easy load cartridges. We also got self loading systems for 35mm in the 80s and 90s automated cameras.

 

I do recall seeing instructions stating that 'disposable' camera were in fact checked, reloaded and resold. I always wanted to give it a go with one of the Ilford disposables, but couldn't justify the cost, I could buy a Zenit for the same price!

 

Part of the reason I've wanted to steer her towards are regular camera is so that she could shoot B&W if she wanted. I think she'd like it. An Ilford disposable and a regular color one might go in her stocking for Christmas. Maybe the Canon will go in mine. :)

The problem I see with reloading a disposable camera (and I have not read the full thread, in case anyone else pointed it out) is that, at least with Kodak disposables, while the film is 35mm, and in a typical 35mm case, the center spool of the film is NOT standard- it has raised splines for the winder mechanism to engage. Best bet, if you planned to do that, would be reloadable 35mm film canisters & a bulk loader, reusing the spool from the disposable in question. Also be sure to check the battery when you have the disposable case apart.

The problem I see with reloading a disposable camera (and I have not read the full thread, in case anyone else pointed it out) is that, at least with Kodak disposables, while the film is 35mm, and in a typical 35mm case, the center spool of the film is NOT standard- it has raised splines for the winder mechanism to engage. Best bet, if you planned to do that, would be reloadable 35mm film canisters & a bulk loader, reusing the spool from the disposable in question. Also be sure to check the battery when you have the disposable case apart.

 

Yes, with the Kodak disposables there's a small modification you need to make in the film advance and you also have to cut a couple of notches in the spool of a standard 35mm roll.

 

The idea seems like a non-starter for my daughter, - at least for now. But if a disposable comes my way I might give it a try on my own just out of curiosity. I have scavenged film out of a Fuji disposable before to use in a regular camera. In that case it was just a normal roll of film.

Maybe she would warm to a camera that looks kinda funky, such as a Minolta Prod 20'S.

Image quality will be no better than a disposable, but it can be reloaded.