Just like cassette tapes have resurged following the hipster vinyl obsession, disposable film cameras are back on our radar. This Kodak effort looks to have been ripped straight from the 1990s almost unchanged, with the only difference being fewer places (for now) to develop the film roll. Simple to use and cheap, it'll snap photos that are at least as acceptable as they were the last time around.
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History is a circle, meaning that if you wait long enough, it’ll come around again. That notion was driven home for us when a Kodak FunSaver 35mm disposable camera turned up at the Stuff offices. The technology never died out when digital took over, it just went into hiding. Now it’s back where we can see it.
Yellow jacket
Anyone who remembers old disposables from the 1990s will be at home here, more or less. The Kodak FunSaver is as uncomplicated as it gets. The ISO 800 film is pre-loaded, the built-in flash… isn’t. There’s a button on the front of the bright yellow body that’ll charge it up for your shot. Then there’s a shutter button on top and the little ratcheting wheel to move along to the next exposure. That sound alone will bring back a few memories or create some new ones.
Some versions of this camera offer a mere 27 images, but the newest edition bumps that up to 39 shots before you need to send it to a lab. If the little number counter on the top of the Kodak isn’t enough of a hint, the scroll wheel no longer clicks to a stop when you’re done.
Point-and-shoot?
If using the camera is super simple, there is something to be said for the skills needed to operate an old 35mm film camera. Once upon a time, everyone had a decent grasp of how to take acceptable images with these. Now… not so much. We’ve all been spoiled by the instant nature of digital and the option to just take it again if someone’s eyes were closed.
Instant gratification is further delayed by another factor we thought we’d seen the back of. The Kodak FunSaver actually has to be sent to a lab (you’ll find a list of the nearby options at kodakprofessional.com), meaning you’ll only know how ham-fisted you were when the prints come back. Okay, you can get digital versions of your shots from the lab too, but where’s the fun in that?
Battery included
Not much has changed in terms of usability. It’s still simple to operate. It’s easy enough to use that we gave it to a two-year-old to pop off a few pics. It was the work of minutes for them to get the hang of the flash and start snapping away, though operating the frame advance wheel caused issues for a few minutes longer. Even that was mastered by the time we were two-thirds of the way through the included 39 exposures.
As with disposables from the distant past, the flash must be pre-loaded before you trigger a shot. The front button handles this, with a simple red LED telling you that it’s ready to go. It’s hardly instant, but the battery-operated flash is powered by an included (and sealed-in) battery that will absolutely outlast the camera. Unless you do something silly like snap a few shots and then leave it in a cupboard for several months, but you’d never do that. Right?
Kodak FunSaver 35mm verdict
Purchasing the R400 Kodak FunSaver 35mm disposable is something you’ll only do if you want to. Sure, the camera is cheap, but developing film can be a schlep, and basically any camera phone will offer up better photos in 2025. But distribute a few of these disposables at a party and you’ll see people posing like it’s 1994 all over again. Expect a clamour for the prints later, so everyone can see how your photography skills have atrophied in an age when the assists are always on.
