Oh No! There’s a Disposable Camera Shortage!

We’ve searched everywhere and sadly, it looks like there is a big shortage on disposable cameras. Our supplier is out, other vendors, stores, and retailers are out or are imposing 2 to 5 camera limits on purchases. The world has ran out of Kodak disposable cameras

Why is it so hard to find disposable cameras

That’s a great question and to understand the problem, we have to go back to the Great Film Apocalypse that occurred between 2010 and 2012 when people were abandoning film and flocking to digital. There used to be a fantastic infrastructure to support all things film, all over the world. You could walk into almost any store and purchase 35mm film, disposable cameras, and also get that film or disposable camera developed almost anywhere in almost an hour. But after the film apocalypse, demand dropped, companies began to go out of business and the entire infrastructure crumbled. It remains in ruins to this day, which is why us, and several other companies often struggle to find supplies and equipment.

But there was a silver lining, in the midst of bankruptcy, a group of Kodak employees came together to save the company and created Kodak Alaris. This new form of Kodak a long with several movie directors and producers banded together to keep film production going, and they have for the past decade in the hopes of keeping the medium from dying off completely.

An unlikely thing happened…

Film held its own for many years, with many faithful photographers, myself included using film and pushing the #filmisnotdead movement. But in 2020, we all got hit with the pandemic and that changed everything. People found themselves with more free time than usual and began to experiment with new forms of creativity and film sales began to increase. Over the past two years, film sales have skyrocketed! No one could have predicted this would have occurred and what happened caught everyone by surprise, include Kodak Alaris and Fuji.

Film was back and with it, insane demand for 35mm film and disposable cameras!

The problem

So here we are today, and the problem causing our shortage is a logistical one. While Kodak is pumping out film as fast as they can, the real problem lies in companies and equipment to “finish” the film - aka cut it down, punch sprockets, put it in canisters and then into disposable cameras. No one ramped up for this because no one saw it coming. And now, the companies that were just scraping by with minimal film sales and demand are now completely swamped and unable to keep up with demand.

And here we are with the Disposable Camera Shortage of 2022.

What can we do?

The Kodak Funsaver is the camera is shortest supply. Kodak actually makes another camera, the Kodak HD Power Flash which many vendors still have in stock (us included). These are great cameras and in my opinion, better than the FunSavers. Picking up one of these is a great idea, but just know that they won’t be in stock for long!

Another option is to consider Black and White Disposable Cameras! Kodak makes a disposable loaded with its time-tested TRI-X 400 film and its amazing. Ilford also makes several Disposable black and white cameras. The real shortage we are experiencing is with color film so using a black and white model is also an option.

We produce our own affordable Black and White Disposable Camera called the GRIT. Its a Kodak Funsaver shell loaded with a unique black and white film! We love the results we get with the black and white images, just as much as we do the color!

When will the Disposable Camera Shortage End?

That’s a great question and as of fall 2022, we do not have an answer. We’ve been told to expect shortages well into 2023. This is going to be especially tough if you’re looking for large quantities of disposable cameras for weddings or other events. Wedding disposable cameras purchased new are the best quality and produce the best results, but there are some reloaded disposables out there you can use. We do not recommend them as the quality is just terrible, but if its all you can find, its all you can find.

If you’re planning on getting disposable cameras for your wedding, start ordering them as far in advance as you can. Disposable cameras have a two year shelf-life so you’ve got a lot of time to buy and hold on to them. And you don’t want to be three weeks away from your wedding and not be able to get any.

If you need help finding disposable cameras, feel free to send us an email on the Contact Us page and we will be glad to help you out!

Can You Still Develop Old Disposable Cameras?

Last Updated: June 12, 2024

Not too long ago, we had a big ‘clean-up’ day at our house. Like a lot of people, we had collected too much clutter and needed to purge our house of all of the junk and random things that were just laying around, collecting dust. None of us were looking forward to it. I ended up being assigned the oh-so-much super fun role of cleaning out the random draws in our house. As I went through the seemingly endless odds and ins we had for some reason decided to save over the years, I made a discovery! A discovery that immediately ended my drawer duties, much to my wife’s frustration. In one of the drawers, tucked away for over 15 years, I found 6 disposable cameras! I had no idea they were there! My wife barely remembered putting them in the draw, but now could not remember what was on the cameras. For a photography and film nerd like myself, finding old disposable cameras or old film is like finding a treasure chest. Who knows what memories and images could have been taken. I was beyond excited!

Many of you have come across old disposable cameras as you’ve cleaned. Maybe they were yours, or maybe they belonged to one of your kids, or maybe another family member, but regardless, once they are found the question arises: “Can you develop old disposable cameras?”

Can You Still Develop Old Disposable Cameras?

The short and simple answer is yes, you can still develop them! The real question is, will we get any viewable images out of our old disposable cameras? And to answer that question, we’re going to have to consider a number of factors.

What can damage photographic film?

How film works is nothing short of a miracle. Silver bromide and dyes and other layers are applied to a thin film that when it works together are light sensitive and can even display color! There are so many chemical and physical aspects to film, but we don’t want to get too deep here. Let’s discuss the big issues. Heat is one of the biggest things that can damage the film. I’ve developed disposable cameras that have lived in the trunk of a person’s car for several years. Let me tell you, those images were a disaster. The images I was able to salvage had extremely distorted colors and the worst graininess I’ve ever seen. Most of the contrast was washed away also. The images reminded me of being a kid in the 1980s trying to get reception on a certain TV station only to be able to barely get a signal. You could tell there was something there, but not clearly enough to have usable to viewable images.

Besides heat, moisture can have a huge effect on the film. It is possible that moisture in the form of condensation can build up on the inside of the canister even (inside of the disposable camera). Moisture inside of the canister can damage the emulsion or cause abnormal effects with the film itself. Heat and moisture are the enemies of exposed film! But there are ways to battle heat and moisture. Exposed film has two more enemies that cannot be prevented.

One of those enemies is gamma radiation. Gamma radiation is all around us, causing issues all the time, but the older undeveloped film gets, the more it is affected by gamma radiation. According to Kodak, gamma radiation has an effect on the image effectiveness of the film, but it mostly increases the appearance of grain and fog in the image. The older the film gets, the grainier it is going to become. I’ve developed some films that are 20 to 30 years old and have terrible amounts of grain that really begin to distract from the image.

The other issue that drastically affects older undeveloped disposable cameras is the natural order of the energy and the chemistry that makes the film work. Essentially capturing photons in the form of electrons in silver-bromide, during the development process those molecules are transformed into fixed silver which creates an image. Until the film is developed, you actually don’t have an image on the film. Rather, it is a latent image made up of captured energy. And like all prisoners, that energy just wants to escape. Over long periods of time enough can escape to really degrade the quality of your image.

How I can slow this natural decay?

Storing your Disposable Cameras in the fridge helps! Keeping the film cold prevents those electrons from breaking free and making a run for it. But even cold storage will not delay decay for long. Most exposed films need to be developed within 6 months of shooting. Any time after 6 months, your images are going to start to break down. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is a very slow process. Disposable cameras that are 2 years old won’t be that bad. Disposable cameras that are 22 years old however will begin to look kinda bad. And to add to the issues, most manufacturers were not putting the best quality film in disposable cameras in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Kodak Disposable Cameras and Fuji Disposable Cameras generally hold up ok. But store brands and other off brands do not. And if you purchased cameras that were refurbished in china (most Etsy wedding cameras are of this type), those go really fast because they use really really a low-quality film stock.

The bottom line is if you want the best possible images from your disposable camera, store them in a cool dry place and get them developed as soon as possible!

What will the Images from My Old Disposable Camera Look Like?

So ok, you didn’t do any of the things above and you’re like us and have had these disposable cameras just sitting in a draw for years needing to be developed. What are your images going to look like?

The pictures from your old disposable camera are more than likely going to exhibit three traits. The first trait is decreased contrast. Your image will appear flatter with a less noticeable difference between the highlights and the shadow.

Definitely a lot of grain and distorted colors here!

Strong magenta shifts are very common in old disposable cameras

The second trait you will notice is distorted color. Your final images will have color shifts. Some of which can be easily fixed but some are impossible to restore without extremely detailed work. A way to work around this is to develop your old disposable cameras as black and white images. While you lose the color (which is distorted probably anyways) you can salvage some of the image quality. You can ask the lab to process your disposable camera as black and white if you’re worried!

The third trait is graininess. And oh my goodness do old disposable cameras get grainy. Combine that with the first two issues and you can end up with a mess of an image.

If you take a look at your negatives, you will also notice some pretty severe curling and brittleness. There is also a good chance that the negatives will be substantially darker than fresh film.

Is it worth getting old disposable cameras developed?

Absolutely! The images on those disposable cameras may be beautiful reminders of the past, holding precious moments, the faces of friends and family or special events that you have long forgotten. But you shouldn’t wait to get them developed! The sooner you get the processed, the better. The decay is only going to get worse!

Where can I go to get old disposable cameras developed?

There are actually a number of places that will develop your old disposable cameras. While you can take them to a drop-off location like CVS or Walmart, they may not provide your older film with the special care it needs. We could recommend using one of the higher-quality mail-in services that exist. Check out our post on Where do I go to get my Disposable Cameras Developed?

If you’re looking for a quality and customer service-centered photo lab for your old disposable cameras, then our photo lab may be exactly what you are looking for! We develop hundreds of disposable cameras every month, both new and old! Click HERE to get started!

Finding Treasure on an Old Disposable Camera

How do you get images off of an old disposable camera? That’s easy, you get them developed, which is exactly what I did when I found those cameras. On those 6 cameras were images of our grown son, and family that had passed away from a big family birthday party we had had. As I carefully developed and scanned the images I couldn’t help but well up with tears of joy at the smiling faces I saw, some of them I haven’t seen in years. My adult son’s little kid face, my grandfather’s amazing smile, my dad’s goofy grin. All images I immediately treasured, which had been almost completely forgotten about if my wife hadn’t made me clean up the drawers.

I shared all of those images with my family. We laughed and cried together. If you find old disposable cameras, remember that the cameras are disposable, but the memories inside are not!

Also, check out this great Kodak resource on storing and handling unprocessed film!

Film Photography as a Hobby

There are millions of people who enjoy photography. From casual photos of friends and family to more serious and stylistic photos taken just to try to communicate something deep and meaningful and every photo in between, photography is a beloved hobby with several easy and affordable entry points from simple point-and-shoot digitals to Instax to Polaroid. But while digital photography is an easy and convenient hobby to pick-up, is film photography something a hobbyist could into without much cost or a steep learning curve?

Can I Shoot Film as a Hobby?

Absolutely! You do not need to be a professional to be a film photographer. 35mm film is still available in stores like Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, and Walgreens. Rolls of 35mm film come in color negative, black and white negative, and color positive or slide film. Film rolls also come in 24, 27, and 36 exposures (the count of photos you can take on a roll) as well as a variety of ISO’s for taking photos in different lighting. Prices range from $4.19 per roll to $23.95 for high end professional and specialty films. You can check prices on 35mm film at Amazon by going here!

Most individuals avoid film photography because they are inexperienced with the equipment, unfamiliar with how to process their film, and unsure of what film to buy. But a little bit of advice can help you get started and can having you shooting your first roll of film in no time!

What Kind of Film Camera Should I Buy?

This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many factors to consider. Availability, affordability, availability, automation, and ecosystem all need to be considered when it comes to purchasing a film camera. As you consider these factors, weigh them to see which factor is going to be the most limiting for you and you can start from there.

Availability,

There are very few film cameras in production today. Lomography.com still produces a few plastic ‘toy’ cameras. There are several ‘Simple’ use cameras out there as well. All of these are at the lowest end of the quality scale, but because they are new, might come with a higher price tag than some used models.

There are a lot of used cameras on the market out there. 35mm film cameras mostly just were put in the back of the closet and have been sitting. Locally, you can find them for sale on Facebook market place. In my experience, the selection is always limited, but its a great place to start! Ebay is also a great place to look. Ebay usually has a broader selection but you lose out on the ability to inspect the camera yourself before you buy.

Affordability

Let’s be honest, if you have money, you can spend it all on a camera. Setting a budget and sticking to that budget is important, after all, you don’t what spend all of your money on your camera and have nothing left over to buy and process your film! You can expect to spend anywhere from $20 to $200 for a good used 35mm film camera. If you’re just getting into film, get something cheaper. If you’re looking to make this something you do for a while, you may want to shoot for a middle of the road camera. Mainly, inspect the camera for functionality and features and consider what your budget is when buying.

Automation

Unlike modern cameras, a large number of film cameras a completely manual or only offer a few automatic features. You might find a shutter or aperture priority mode, but that may well be it. There are more automated 35mm cameras out there, but usually, their prices are higher because of the extra features. But, it doesn’t hurt to get a manual or almost completely manual camera. its a great way to experiment and learn. Combining the film with a manual camera will force you to think about every shot you take, which is a great discipline to develop while you are starting out. I have found that when I shoot with the more feature rich cameras I tend to think less about things like composition and letting and I get lower quality shots.

Ecosystem

Most cameras fall into an ecosystem of lenses and accessories. If you’re already a Canon shooter, then you should stick a canon SLR. If you’re already using Nikon, definitely stick to Nikon. If you don’t have anything, well then pick one and do a little research as to what other lenses are out there for the camera, does this camera have any cross compatibility with any other accessories or lenses, how durable are these cameras and how repairable are these cameras? Even as a hobbyist, when you buy a camera, you’re buying into an ecosystem.

What Kind of Film Should I Buy?

Kodak UltraMax 400 is a great beginner film!

To be honest with you, I’d go cheap at first. When I was first using film, sometimes I would forget how to do things and would accidentally expose an entire roll of film by opening the camera or forgetting to rewind. Once I forgot to release the film sprockets and I tried rewinding an entire roll with the sprocket lock still engaged. I shredded an entire roll of film. I really love the Kodak UltraMax 400 film for beginners. Its a great film, really inexpensive and produces good color results for a decent price. Its a great daylight film and works well in some shadows too. Inside photos with a flash also produce good results but expect a lot of light fall-off and darkness if objects or people are outside of the flashes power.

We’ve also got a great guide to the 3 Best Kodak Film for Beginners here - it has a lot of great information that could help you make a more informed decision!

Where can I get my Film Processed?

Processing is the hardest part, in my opinion. Locally, you can get your film processed at CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart, but they will not give you your negatives back. You definitely WANT your negatives back! They will give you prints and scans (usually lower resolution ones) but the negatives get trashed. If you’re local to us (East Dallas/East Texas), we can process your film for you! We offer drop-off and mail-in. Just click here to get the process started!

If you have the patience, you can mail your film into a place. There are several labs out there and most of them are amazing. Richard Photo Lab is a great place and has some amazing prices! The Dark Room is another great lab I’ve used and love their results. There are lots of other options out there, just jump on Google and find a lab that works for you!

Of course, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can always develop your own film at home. This requires quite a bit of equipment and some patience, but it is an option if this is a hobby you plan on keeping up with for a while.

Almost all labs will get you scans and/or prints and many offer online galleries which are great because you can view your photos as soon as they are processed, download them and share them all over the place!

Film Photography is a Great Hobby to Start!

Unlike digital photography, there’s more of a deliberate action with each press of the shutter button when you’re taking film. I don’t know if its the limited exposures, the cost, the time, or what but it forces you to think more about what you are shooting and in my opinion, always produces much better results! With the availability of so many great film cameras at really low prices and the convenience of companies like Amazon and B&H Photography, you can get any film you want delivered in just a few days if not sooner! If you’ve been hesitant to get in to film photography, now’s a great time to start AND we would be happy to help you or answer any questions you might have! We love film photography and in the 35mm film format, we’ve had some of the most fun you can have with a camera! Contact Us if you have any questions and lets get you shooting film asap!

The Canon EOS 1N

The Canon EOS 1N

I own quite a few film canon film cameras. I enjoy using all of them from time to time, but the Canon 35mm film camera that I used the most is the EOS 1N. The familiar layout combined with the fact it uses all of the lenses I already own make it the camera I reach for first whenever I go out. If you’re considering getting into film or stepping up from an older Canon AE-1, then this is definitely the camera for you!

Canon EOS 1N Questions

If you’re considering a 1N, then you might have some questions. I’m going to start with a few common questions to hopefully help you find the information you’re looking for.

What kind of film does the Canon EOS 1N use?

The 1N is a 35mm film camera and can use ALL 35mm films in a standard film cartridge. Color, black and white, and specialty stocks all work great with this camera. Certain films might not have the ISO data encoded into the film and therefore you might have to set the ISO manually, but the film will still work fine in the camera.

What kind of lenses does the Canon EOS 1N use?

The 1N uses Canon’s very popular EF-mount. EF lenses are still in production and there is an abundance of used lenses out there on the market. Beside the option to buy new or used lenses, EF lenses from Canon also come in a broad range of focal lengths, prime and telephoto, as well as a broad range of glass quality from some very basic beginner lenses all the way up to their L-series glass which boasts some of the most beautiful optics in photography.

What kind of batteries does the Canon EOS 1N use?

The Canon EOS 1N body uses a 2CR5 battery. These batteries are available locally at battery and electronics stores and also available on Amazon. I’ve used the Panasonic 2CR5 as well as the Energizer 2CR5 and have had good results from both.

If you get a 1N with the optional BP-E1 battery pack then you could simply load AA batteries. These battery packs are no longer produced but if you can pick up a used one its a simple addition to your Canon 1N SLR.

Can I use a flash with the Canon EOS 1N?

Yes! All of the Canon branded flashes work great with the 1N. There are also several non-Canon flashes that work great with the camera and are much more affordable. You can pick up an older used flash or buy a brand-new one. The 1N utilizes TTL to help you get a better result while using a flash. I personally recommend the Canon Speedlight 600EX II-RT. It’s a little bit pricey, but the features and build quality make it totally worth the price!

Does the Canon EOS 1N have autofocus?

Yes! It features a 5-zone autofocus utilizing TTL phase detections. The focus zones consist of a series of five little boxes that are placed across the middle of the image. You select with zone you want to use and then place and half-press to focus. The autofocus is a little slow compared to more modern cameras, but it is accurate.

How much does the Canon 1N cost?

You can expect to pay between $100 to $350 for a used Canon 1N according to my research looking at Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, and a few used camera dealers. The condition of the camera affects the pricing the most.

Canon EOS 1N Review

I bought this camera as a compromise. I actually wanted a Canon EOS 1V, but the prices of the 1V were outside of my budget. I spent quite a bit of time looking at used camera sites and Ebay before I finally found a camera that was in good shape at a decent price. While I generally do love the camera, it does have a few issues. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of the Canon EOS 1N:

Pros

• Familiar form factor with other Canon SLR/DSLR bodies

• Popular lens-mount (Canon EF)

• Availability of both new and used lenses

• Modern features like autofocus and TTL flash

• Auto-winding film

• Rugged design

Cons

• Batteries are a little inconvenient to find sometimes

• Battery has some connectivity issues (I have had to recently insert a piece of tape to keep the battery pressed against the contacts)

• There’s a common issues with the shutter becoming stuck and not cycling, but is easy to fix (has only happened to me once when I first got the camera)

• Focus is limited to only 5 zones and is a little slow (great for portraits, not so great for events…)

Should You Buy the Canon EOS 1N?

Absolutely! If you’ve already invested in the Canon eco-system, you can pick up a body and use all of your existing accessories, which is a huge win. If you’re just getting started but know you want to live in the Canon eco-system then anything you buy will work on all of the existing Canon equipment (with the exception of the newest mirrorless devices that use the new RF lenses). Also, if you’re interested in getting into film but don’t want to go the fully manual route that many of the older 35mm SLRs require you to take, then the 1N is a great camera at a great price-point that offers enough modern features to get you started. Just rotate the mode selection into P for Program and shoot away and you’ll get great results almost every time!

There are a lot of great features and specific settings that can help you get a lot out of the 1N - but honestly, I don’t use most of them. I mainly use mine for shooting 35mm film at weddings and special events when I need the speed of autofocus and the ability to use the lenses I already have with me. When I get an opportunity, I will also be picking up and Canon EOS 1V and will more than likely retire this camera. But its still a great workhorse and is dependable in spite of its age!

If you need more information, make sure and download the user manual below! It’s got everything you need to know about using the camera on a daily basis!

Check our Online Store for the Canon 1N

We occasionally carry these in our online store! Click here to see if we have any in stock!

Recommend Films to use with the Canon EOS 1N

If you’re a beginner, here’s some links to some great film to get you started with your Canon 1N.