Kodak Snapic A1 Review: A Simple $100 Point & Shoot Film Camera!

A Simple Point and Shoot Film Camera That Gets the Job Done

The Kodak Snapic A1 was released in late 2025, and as soon as we saw the specs and the $100 price point, we had a feeling it would find an audience. Not because it’s the most advanced new film camera, but because it has a good balance between price, simplicity, and image quality.

After putting multiple rolls through it here at The Darkroom, we can confidently say this: the Kodak Snapic A1 is surprisingly good 35mm point and shoot film camera that shares some exposure characteristics with disposable cameras, but is significantly more capable. If you understand what it is designed to do, it performs very well.

What the Kodak Snapic A1 Is

At first glance, the Snapic A1 looks like a compact, modern 35mm point and shoot film camera. It’s small, lightweight, pocketable, and extremely easy to use. But unlike most traditional point and shoots with automatic exposure systems, the Snapic A1 uses a fixed shutter speed and aperture combination. It features:

Fixed exposure of f/9.5 at 1/100
25mm glass lens
Dual zone focus system
Built-in flash with multiple modes
Auto film advance & rewind
Multiple exposure mode

That fixed 1/100 at f/9.5 exposure is optimized for bright daylight. In sunny or well-lit conditions, it produces evenly exposed images. In lower light, you’ll need to use the flash. This is where the crossover with disposable cameras comes in. Like a disposable, it’s designed to work best in bright conditions and rely on flash in lower light situations. But beyond that exposure design, the Snapic A1 is more advanced.

Why the Glass Lens Makes a Big Difference

The most important upgrade over disposable cameras is the glass lens. The Snapic A1 uses a 25mm glass lens, and that alone significantly improves sharpness and clarity. Plastic lenses found in disposable cameras often produce softer, lower contrast results. The Snapic’s lens delivers noticeably cleaner images.

Combined with the f/9.5 aperture and the naturally forgiving wide-angle perspective, the camera produces surprisingly sharp results when used properly. The 25mm focal length is also unusually wide for a compact point and shoot film camera. That makes it great for:

Travel photography
Candid and environmental portraits
Street photography
Landscapes

Focus System and Flash Performance

Unlike disposable cameras with a single fixed focus zone, the Snapic A1 includes dual zone focus:

Close focus: approximately 3 to 10 feet
Far focus: approximately 10 feet to infinity

It’s simple but effective. When shooting portraits or nearby subjects, switch to the close setting. For landscapes or street scenes, use the far setting. Paying attention to this detail significantly improves image sharpness.

The built-in flash is strong and reliable, with multiple selectable modes:

Auto flash
Flash always on
Auto red-eye reduction
Flash off

The LED indicator blinks while charging and turns solid when ready. The red-eye reduction works well, and the flash output is powerful enough for indoor shooting. The camera runs on AAA batteries. We recommend rechargeable USB-C AAA batteries to make the setup more sustainable and convenient.

One unexpected bonus feature is the multiple exposure mode. You can activate it via the LED display, take your first frame, and then use the front switch before capturing the second exposure. It’s a fun creative addition at this price point.

Best Film for the Kodak Snapic A1

Because the Snapic A1 uses a fixed 1/100 shutter speed and f/9.5 aperture, ISO choice plays a major role in exposure results.

For color film, we recommend ISO 200 for most situations. It offers the best balance for daylight shooting. Strong options include:

Kodak Gold 200
Kodacolor 200 aka ColorPlus 200

If it’s overcast or you plan to shoot indoors with flash, ISO 400 can work:

Kodak Ultramax 400
Kodak Portra 400

While 400 ISO color film has enough latitude to handle bright conditions, it can get quite bright on sunny days, especially if flash is used. For consistency, 200 ISO color film is our top recommendation.

For black and white photography, ISO 400 works exceptionally well due to its generous exposure latitude.We recommend:

Kodak TMAX 400 for maximum sharpness
Ilford XP2 400 for flexibility
Kodak Tri-X 400 for classic grain
Ilford HP5 for lower contrast
Kentmere 400 for affordability

Black and white film is especially forgiving in a fixed-exposure camera like this.

When you’re ready to develop your 35mm film, The Darkroom develops color (C-41), black and white, and E-6 slide film in-house using our traditional dip and dunk process. You can order online or through our mobile app for fast, professional film developing and scanning.

Results + Final Thoughts

After putting multiple rolls through the Kodak Snapic A1, the consistent takeaway is this: if you use it correctly, it delivers very good images. The 25mm glass lens produces solid sharpness, the wide angle gives your photos an immersive feel, and the dual focus zones offer noticeably more control than basic fixed focus cameras. Auto advance and auto rewind add a level of convenience that makes it feel modern and easy to carry every day.

It has quietly become one of those companion cameras that’s small enough to bring anywhere and simple enough for beginners, yet still interesting for experienced film shooters. It’s not trying to compete with high-end autofocus point and shoot cameras. It’s designed to be straightforward and reliable, and within that space, it performs well.

Is it perfect? No. Exposure compensation or ISO selection would make it more flexible in mixed lighting. But at $100, it offers a sharp glass lens, dual zone focus, multiple flash modes, and multiple exposure capability in a compact, travel-friendly design.

We’re already seeing more Snapic A1 rolls coming through the lab, and the results have been strong. If you pick one up, we’d love to see what you create. And when you’re ready to develop your 35mm film, The Darkroom is here to help.