The Best Disposable (Single-Use) Cameras!

Despite being one of the most affordable options overall, the Darkroom disposable camera stands out as the best value. It’s an upcycled Fuji QuickSnap-style camera, which we’ve found to be one of the best designs thanks to its compact size and simple, reliable build. One of its biggest advantages is the flash that can be toggled on and off, making it easy to turn on and leave on so you don’t miss shots in lower light.

It’s also loaded with Kodak 400 speed color film, offering solid versatility with pleasing tones and reliable results across a variety of lighting conditions. On top of that, it includes a free Darkroom film mailer, making the entire process from shooting to developing incredibly easy. At just $16.99, it’s hard to beat in terms of overall value if you’re looking for a disposable camera that delivers both convenience and quality.

Despite being the most common and cheapest of the 8, overall, the Kodak FunSaver performed best. Its 800 iso color negative film has great exposure latitude making it much more versatile – it could shoot in open sunlight without blowing out the highlights but also did very well in low light. Its grain is very subtle and has very pleasant warm tones. All 8 cameras have plastic optics but the Kodak FunSave seemed to be sharper than the rest. If you’re looking for cheap disposable cameras that produce great results, this might be the best choice.

See images shot with the Kodak Fun Saver

When a behemoth like Kodak updates a hugely popular single use camera, it grabs people’s attention. Sporting a dual-lens setup and the iconic Tri-X 400 film inside, we had the opportunity to test out this black and white single use camera in both outdoor and indoor settings. And, as we develop a lot of single use cameras as a traditional dip and dunk lab, we’re excited to see the iconic Tri-X black and white film in Kodak’s clever little power flash camera.

See images shot with the Kodak 400TX

Of all 8, the Quick Snap is the easiest to use.  It’s the smallest and has a practical flash switch that allows you to keep the flash on.  For all the other cameras you need to press the button to charge the flash for every shot but for this camera, you can keep the flash constantly on by pushing the flash up which will glow red when ready.  Having a good flash is important for this camera because has finer grain 400iso film which means needs the flash for the lower lit scene, unlike the 800 iso cameras.  The Quick Snap is best used in open daylight with no flash or in low light with flash.  Its colors are nearly as pleasant as the rest – it often goes magenta for skin tones and whites.  If you’re looking for a cheap daylight camera that excels for landscapes this camera would be a great choice.

See images shot with the FujiFilm Quick Snap

This camera, along with the rest of the Simple Use cameras has some major differences from common disposable cameras- they can be reloaded with film and used multiple times which is super cool, they also have 36 exposure compared to the rest which is only 27 exposures, and they have flash gels which can give you a wide range of unique flash effects.  The Lomo 400 cold comes with Lomography’s 400 color negative film has decent exposure latitude, relatively fine grain, and very pleasant tones.  The plastic optics produce a slightly softer image but a much more unique look than the traditional Kodak & Fuji cameras.  It also costs more than most disposable cameras but if you plan on reloading it will be much more cost-effective than buying a bunch of single-use cameras.

See images shot with the Lomo 400 Simple Use

This camera is physically the same as the Lomo color 400 but is packed with a unique film, LomoChrome Purple 400 which mimics color infrared film in some ways.  The photos this camera produces are other-worldly.  It’s a fun camera and of all the Simple Use cameras this is the one we recommend most because LomoChrome Purple isn’t a cheap film to buy so it’s fun to shoot once then once the roll is done, take it out and load another 400 iso color negative film in the camera.

See images shot with LomoChrome Purple Simple Use

This is the only black and white camera of the Lomo Simple Use cameras.  It’s packed with Lady Grey 400 which is a black & white film that has very noticeable but pleasant grain and decent tones but it falls short of the quality B&W film the Ilford cameras are packing so if you don’t plan on reusing this camera and you want black & white we highly recommend the Ilford disposables.

See images shot with Lomo B&W 400 Simple Use

This 400iso B&W disposable camera is surpassingly sharp and is great for open daylight shooting but not in low light.  The XP2 film has a very fine grain, great contrast, beautiful tones, and can be developed as C-41.  It’s a great camera for classic nature landscapes and cityscapes, as well as natural light portraits.

See images shot with Ilford XP2 Single Use

This camera is truly unique due to the fact that it has the classic true b&w HP5 Plus 400 iso film in it.  White the HP5 has more noticeable grain than XP2 the tones, contrast, grain, and exposure latitude are far superior – just look at the details in the shadows!  This b&w disposable camera is a great overall shoot that performs well in open daylight, low light without flash, and in low light with flash.  Of all 3 B&W disposables, this the one recommend most.  Even though you could reload HP5 film in a Lomo Simple Use, the Ilford plastic optics are still sharper.

See images shot with Ilford B&W HP5 Single Use

With its 800iso grain film and no flash, you’ll only want to shoot it in daylight or underwater that’s being hit by light.  It produces better slightly better skin tones than the Fuji Quick Snap and does better in low light due to its 800iso film.

What’s the best waterproof camera? Click to find out.

Loaded with Kodak Max 800 which is a stop faster than the Kodak Fun Saver 400 – this allows it to be more versatile in lower light areas like underwater. Its’ rugged build and waterproof down 50ft make it ideal for winter water and extreme outdoor activities. If you don’t plan on shoot underwater though we highly recommend the Kodak Fun Saver which produces higher quality images. Wine this camera is encased with a plastic cover it seems to be less sharp and due to no flash, it’s not ideal for indoor use. Of the two underwater single-use camera, the Fuji Waterproof Quick Snap and this, we definitely recommend the Kodak which produced slightly sharper images and more consistent image quality.

What’s the best waterproof camera? Click to find out.