According to 73 Degree Films, disposable film cameras didn’t get their start until the ‘80s with introducton of Fujifilm disposable camera. Their rise in popularity was swift, mainly fueled by brands, celebrities, and their commercial interests.
That growth led to various innovations, including Polaroid instant packs and underwater disposables. Today’s disposable, still in wide distribution after a brief lull of the ‘00s-‘10s, feature slimmer design and return of branding by well-known names like BTS.
73 briefly mentions the contraversy associated with waste, providing what I thought a nowel point of view suggesting that “reusable” plastic cameras are no better as their build quality may still inspire a trip to landfill after the first use.
From the 80’s to the rise of digital compacts, film cameras were often given away by the high street photo stores with a roll or two of film. The marketing schtick was you would take it back to the same store for processing and all you paid for were your prints.
Thanks, Jim. Yes, I had one of these Times cameras and a few other promotions. It’s interesting to see that the trend is coming back to some degree with, as mentioned in the video, BTS, and, as reported recently, Dua Lipa (amongst others): analog.cafe/comments/tc5p
Dmitri Oct 9, ‘24
Jim Graves Oct 9, ‘24
Dmitri Oct 10, ‘24