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Reusable Disposable Cameras?
Darth Cider asks: "A friendly film developer showed me how to open a disposable camera. Nothing to it, just pry them open. They're reloadable, and the flash versions contain two ordinary AA batteries, worth keeping. The film can be removed without tools for developing whether you return the camera or not. So I'm wondering about Kodak's Max HQ, with two-element aspherical lenses said to be as good as those in their 35mm cameras. Advanced flash unit, too. Haven't found one on the shelf to check it out. Anybody tried to hack this camera? Retail price is said to be under $20." This might be something to look into if your planning any photo projects for fun.
Disposable cameras with flash normally have warnings on them, and for good reason. A friend and I took one apart and hacked out the circuitry that charges the flash. By poking the switches with a wooden spoon we could charge the flash up and then discharge it. Then my friend broke the flash bulb.
He then charged the circuit up. But because the flash was broken, there was no obvious way to discharge it. So he picked up someone's penknife and shorted across the flash terminals.
Nice bang. Nice flash. Nice shower of sparks. And two tiny notches taken out of the blade of the penknife. We didnt want to find out what it would do to soft wet flesh...
Baz
Not at Wal-Mart, that's for sure. There, they use a very large, (Appeared to be a foot long or more), standard screwdriver to open the disposables. They jam it into the seam on the end, then rip the entire flap off. Of course, they could be trying to open it properly, and succeeding in the same way they succeed in providing lower prices, customer service and cleanliness.
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I'm told (was it from reading the package) that when you turn the camera in, the components of the camera are 'recycled' into making new ones. I certainly don't know the process, but it makes sense if some of the components have a good price/weight (for shipping) ratio.
Never tried reusing one, though. Sounds like a simple project to tinker around with.
Considering that the hamburger joint was a good 100 feet away, and that it flame cooks them on an open grill (suffice to say, this wasn't a McDs or Booger Sling), had there been gas fumes that far away, everyone pumping would be dead (lack of oxygen), and the Circle K would have exploded long ago (actually, the burger place I mentioned is called Lucky Boy, near the corner of 16th Street and Osborne in Phoenix, AZ - great burgers, if you don't mind the wait).
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I opened one up on the way to the developer once. It was a long car ride and I got bored. In the one that I opened (a Kodak MAX something...) the film was 35mm, but it did not have a normal sprocket for the camera to wind it with. It was a strange shape so that normal film couldn't be wound it it, nor could the film be used in a normal camera. You actually take pictures in reverse order from normal.
In addition, in a normal camera, you wind film out of the canister, then rewind it back when you're done. In a disposable, you are actually rewinding it while you shoot each picture, it comes unwound inside the camera already.
Here is a bit of information about reusing disposable wide angle cameras.
Speaking as on who spent better than nine years shocking the crap out of myself on these, I can agree the hastle is not worth the effort. Instead of going over old ground, let me say this. The lens quality, while "comperable" to a 35mm camera is still crap. The focus is fixed, there is no exposure compensation. The film will recieve indiquate exposure with an underpowered flash. These cameras are for inexperianced users who are not particulatily picky. Don't bother. spend the $200 and buy a camera with autofocus and a real exposure system. You will be much happier. Yes, you can make tazers out of the old flashes.
Dirty Pirate Hooker
Most disposables just use 35mm film. Depending on the camera, they might need to be reloaded in a darkroom, but there are some which do not.
You might want to dig through the results of This google search for more details.
Heck, if this encourages you, why don't you get one and rip it open and let us know what you find?
I've worked as a photo developer for about 2 years (and about two years ago) .. the problem is that the film has a different shaped sprocket at the top of the spool. You cannot load regular 35mm film canisters in them without modifications.
The big question is, why bother? You can get a cheap 35mm camera with better optical quality for around $30 or less; and it will last longer than a disposable unit. Now go out to your nearest K-Mart and buy one of those kids' cameras and give up the silly idea of "hacking" something useless.
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Just the flash units. With a small addition of a photo SCR and the removal of the reflector, these can be stuck inside table lamps as slave flash units. (get the kind that auto recycle after the picture, not the cheap ones you have to hold the button to charge). In a dimly lit room, the slaves make the table lamps look lit, but without the reddish tint. They also don't provide the green tint of compact florescents either. I like putting them in the plastic housing from some dead compact florescent lamps as a diffuser and to hold them in the lamp socket. Be sure to remove the old bulb and electronics and seal the base. A photo SCR needs only a couple very cheap components to make it a photoflash trigger. If you can't find a photo SCR, a regular SCR and small silicon solar cell from a dead solar calculator hooked up the the SCR gate works wonders. If you are not an eletronics builder, a pre-made slave trigger can be found at most good photo shops. Obsurve polarity!
The truth shall set you free!
sitting around in a hotel room at about 2 AM on class trip, me and my rommates got bored and started dismantling these. they were pretty much the only camera everyone was using so we had plenty.
kodaks are the easiest to take apart. when you're done taking pictures wind the wheel for a while to get the film wound all the way into the canister. pop the tabs on the sides of the camera and take outthe film and AA. now pop the tabs on top and bottom. as mentioned earlier the flash circut can zap you. for the saftey concious (being people who wont work on a power supply turned on and plugged in) take a metal object with an isluated handle (screwdriver, needlenose, hammer) and touch both terminals on the big capacitor. as soon as the afterimage of the sparks goes away, pop that circut board out. you now have a flash or a low end tazer. simlpy put the battery back in and press the button. when we were fiddling with these we got zapped about 20 times before we got smart enough to cover the board circut board with tape.
the other posters are correct in that the camera is reloadable and reusable. practice first with old film. take the case off, and remove the flash if you dont want/need it. wind it around the spindle on the left using a screwdriver to wind the film out of the canister. you will need to recalibrate the dial that tells how many pics are left. that done place the cover back on. when you use good film load it inside a very dark room or a box with holes for your hands (available at photo stores, but if youre ganna reuse a disposable camera.....).
i can see these cameras used about 3 or 4 times, after that the tabs probly wont hold the case together, and hey you never can have too many flash boards.
sorry i rambled but im heavily caffinated right now.
I've taken some of those flash units apart, and the caps are only rated at about 350 volts. They don't store a heck of a lot of energy, but 350 volts is more than enough to give you a nasty poke.
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This only works with some varieties of flash unit; the polarity or wiring of the "ready" light versus the trigger circuit is wrong on some others.
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