The Disposable Camera Challenge

[lordfly]

Edited: New rules, and some notes to get started.

I'm very tired, and cranky, and going to bed soon, so quickly:

Fairly often, gear wars erupt here on the beginner's forum. What gear should I get? What camera should I buy? How many lenses do I need before I can put a watermark on my pictures? If I buy a 7d will I really be "pro"?

These questions, as well as the "nikon vs canon" debates, are usually invitations for a slugfest ending in derision, slander, rended garments, or all three.

Taking a cue from Ken Rockwell, that lovable scamp, I propose a challenge.

1) Keep all your gear at home.
2) Drive to a Walmart or a Walgreens.
3) Buy the cheapest disposable camera you can find.
4) Take pictures.
5) Develop them, get them put on a CD at the one hour place, and post the best here.

Notes:
1) Take pictures of anything you want.
2) No post processing; how good can you get without relying on digital magic?
3) Have fun. Or else.


Any takers? Being the broke sourpuss I am, I really want to believe that gear doesn't matter.

 

[edouble]

I am in.


I recommend the rules modified to :
- buy a disposable...absolute cheapest available
- get them developed (well not really developed) on CD
- NO ALTERATIONS FROM ORIGINAL EXPOSURE.....NONE!
- upload them to a flickr group ie. TPF Disposable Challenge

 

[mrshaleyberg]

I'll do it too! I'm curious to see what people will come up with!

 

[Abby Rose]

That sounds like fun! I'll do it.

Though I dont know what I'll do without my aperture priority setting.

 

[girl_with_brain]

Any subject? It may be easier to compare pictures of apples to apples

 

[swedberg311]

agreed we should have a set subject. and I dont like this whole no post idea.

 

[Overread35]

- buy a digital disposable...absolute cheapest available

Wait how do you get a digital disposable?
As in it takes 30odd shots and then breaks - that sounds soo wasteful - even more so than the film disposables that you have to all but smash open to get the film out

 

[swedberg311]

nice catch, i didnt even notice that.

 

[edouble]

- buy a digital disposable...absolute cheapest available

Wait how do you get a digital disposable?
As in it takes 30odd shots and then breaks - that sounds soo wasteful - even more so than the film disposables that you have to all but smash open to get the film out

I havent bought a disposable camera in 15 years atleast. I have seen "digital disposable" cameras in checkout lines. After quick research on the topic I read that these so called "digital disposable" cameras are indeed film.

I will edit my previous post.

 

[Abby Rose]

I dont think we need a set subject. It's not a contest, is it?

 

[swedberg311]

he said the winner gets a pat on the back

 

[Abby Rose]

What is the "best" way to develop the film? I see that lordfly says to get them on CD... how does that work?

The last time I used a disposable camera I dropped it off at meijers and picked up my pack of pictures a day or two later. And I was about 10 years old. Is it different now?

 

[GeneralBenson]

I might join in on this. Sounds like a great idea. I"ve really been wanting to get an old Pentax K1000 and load it up with Tri-X B&W film, and just shoot some stuff all manual exposure, manual focus and no review until you get your film back. I think it would be very challenging and great for creativity since there's only the composition and the moment to focus on.

 

[white]

Sounds fun. I'll do it.

 

[white]

What is the "best" way to develop the film? I see that lordfly says to get them on CD... how does that work?

You either pay for prints, at something like .50/print x 24, which is probably more expensive than just getting the negatives digitized and put on CD.

Or you could be hardcore and just have them develop the negs and scan them yourself.