Are disposable film cameras good for wedding guest tables, or should I use cheap compact film cameras instead?
Asked 12/4/2012
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I’m considering leaving simple cameras out for guests at a wedding. I’d like a mix of colour and black-and-white images, and I’ve seen disposable cameras with ISO 800 colour film and ISO 400 black-and-white film. Is it worth using disposable cameras for convenience, or would it be better to buy a few inexpensive non-disposable compact 35mm film cameras so I can choose the film? I’ve also thought about cheap old digital compacts, but film seems more in keeping with the novelty. Are disposable cameras good enough for this use, and are there any practical black-and-white options?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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Just found out this line of products from Ilford. The description is the following:
The ILFORD XP2 Super Single Use Camera gives the convenience of being able to have the film processed at any High Street photo-processing centre using C41 colour negative systems, with proof prints made on colour paper. These can either be close-to-neutral black and white prints, or colour toned monochrome prints, and are ideal for deciding which negatives to print on black and white paper.
The ILFORD HP5 Plus Single Use Camera is intended for processing at locations with standard black and white film processing and printing chemistry, resulting in true, real black and white prints that have a unique look as the images are made from silver.
Originally by user5032. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user5032
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Disposable cameras are mainly about convenience, not image quality. If you want the simplest option for guest use, they can work, but expectations should be modest.
For black-and-white, there are single-use options from Ilford. The XP2 Super single-use camera is convenient because it uses C41 processing, so many labs can handle it. Ilford HP5 Plus single-use cameras give a more traditional black-and-white look, but they need standard black-and-white processing, which is less widely available.
Using cheap reusable compact 35mm cameras gives you more control over film choice and potentially better results, but it adds cost, setup, and the risk of unreliable old cameras. Some classic compacts can produce excellent images, but they may not be cheap.
So the practical choice is: use disposables if convenience matters most; use reusable compacts only if you’re willing to test them and manage film/loading. For a wedding, colour disposable cameras or Ilford XP2 single-use cameras are probably the easiest film options.
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