Anyone remember these dreadful things...?

[ChrisLumix]

I'm talking about disposable cameras! They were a feature of the late 80s and 90s, but may even be still around? The idea was, they were basically just rolls of 35mm film, surrounded by a flimsy piece of plastic with a rudimentary lens. Some of us may have even used them (but won't confess, of course). My only temptation was with the panoramic version, which basically took a single shot across two frames of film. 

 

Don't look too close at this one - it has some ghastly JPEG artefacts, and I've tried to remove some scan artefacts too. But I will say - apart from the obvious lack of foreground interest - I can rarely if ever take such a scene with a conventional camera. Yes, I know multiple shots can be stitched together in Photoshop, or a 16:9 shot can be further cropped. But the one advantage of these cheap and nasty panoramic cameras, is one could frame the final shot in the viewfinder with the scene right there in front.

 

After all that spiel, here is the picture (taken in the countryside around Kirby Lonsdale).

 

 

[JohnP]

I think I will stick to stitching... 

[bugmeister]

The disposables are still around, we sometimes use them for a one-shot challenge at our camera club (each person can only take one shot on a theme before passing the camera on)

 

The panorama you posted does have some processing artefacts, but the overall effect is rather nice

[Leon]

we put a disposable camera on the tables at our wedding, being one of 4 "lads" who all grew up together was a BIG mistake (I'll not go into detail) 

 

 

I like your piccy though, and I love the Kirby area, not been to Devils bridge for ages

[ChrisLumix]

Yes it was a scene that couldn't fail really

 

I wonder if one of my surviving 6 or 7 panoramas is of Devil's Bridge? I'll put it up sometime and you can tell me if it is. 

[Martyn]

I'm talking about disposable cameras! They were a feature of the late 80s and 90s, but may even be still around?

 

 

They certainly are, you can buy bags of them for parties and weddings etc, The idea is that you put one on each table or give one to each of the kids and ask them to take lots of pics. After the event you can use the images to make a supplementary wedding album.

[annie]

I always used to by the underwater disposables when we went abroad...

 

 

they were pretty good fun, we just launch them at each other in the pool or the sea...