Throwback Edit Version: I edited this in April 2024, checked links and converted it to the new WordPress format. 

This was a strange find in a junk bin, a practically new disposable camera for about $1.

That was way less than buying a film, this version also included a flash. Score. As it was a throwaway camera and worth nothing, I decided to take it on a bike ride.

According to Wikipedia, disposable or single-use cameras have been around since 1949. They were initially made because most cameras at the time were very expensive and people didn’t want to take them on bike rides, seriously 😉

Later these cameras became popular at weddings and to be kept in cars to record possible accidents. Before my current job, I used to work in a photo lab and these cameras were a great source of AA batteries. There was one inside each to power the flash. We would take the cases apart to retrieve the battery because most people hardly used the flash, just like me, and they were almost full.

Once I finished taking the photos, I took the film to a lab to get processed. Unfortunately, it was damaged. I couldn’t exactly put a new film in and try it again, so I turned them black and white. Despite the damage, I was impressed by the images.

Did you see the lovely picture of my hand on the FLAT tyre? Bad processing and a bad inner tube equals a sucky day.

My overall opinion is that one-use cameras are ok in terms of quality, but with so much plastic in the world, I think they should be banned.

So keep or sell? I guess a moot question.