investigation into a single-use camera

[nibot]

The chance discovery this evening of an abandoned "disposable" Kodak camera gave me the opportunity to investigate my theory that these can probably be reloaded at home for reuse. Indeed, taking the camera apart proved quite easy, and there is no danger of harming the exposed roll of film.

After removing the paper covering, four plastic clasps, one on each side of the camera, are exposed. Unclasp them. Now the secret is to stick a pin/paperclip/etc into the little rectangular hole between the viewfinder and the winder. Presto! The whole thing falls apart. The film is in a semi-standard 35mm cassette which can be developed by normal means. Caution: be sure to carefully discharge the photoflash capacitor, since it packs a rather strong punch (possibly fatal?) and will remain charged even after the battery is removed.

Now, can the camera be reloaded? Unfortunately there is a small problem. The film cassette included in the camera ("Kodak ISO 800 film, for use in Kodak single use camera" Process C-41, 39 exposures) differs from standard 35 cassettes in that it has little sprockets on the bobbin which interface with the winder mechanism in the disposable camera. One can insert a standard 35mm cassette but unfortunately it is impossible to advance (actually, retract) the film due to the lack of sprockets.

In a new (unexposed) disposable camera, the film is spooled on a secondary bobbin inside the camera. As pictures are taken, winding the camera pulls the film back into the original cassette, so that the film is entirely "rewound" by the time the film is exhausted. I.e. the film direction is the opposite as in a normal camera.

I think it would be possible to reload the film without requiring a darkroom, since there seems to be a sprocket hole accessible from the bottom of the camera, via which the unexposed film can be wound out of the cassette and onto the temporary bobbin, preparing the camera for use.

Even if the camera can't easily be reloaded, this disassembly still leaves one with the nifty photoflash unit. The optics might be good for something, but I'm not sure what. (You can put a piece of paper behind the optics to form an image.) There doesn't seem to be any iris or exposure control. The camera just relies on ISO 800 film being sufficiently versatile to work with constant exposure settings in a variety of conditions.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Dang, you *are* a geek! ;)

[nibot.livejournal.com]

Yes.

BTW, [how] do I know you?

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

My guess is that I noticed you via the MacPhee interest.

[tjernobyl.livejournal.com]

Those little caps sure do pack a punch-- they bit my fingers many many a time when I had a crate of stripped cameras...