Editing Disposable camera (section)

{{Short description|Single-use film camera}}
{{tone|date=September 2023}}
[[Image:Kodak front up.jpg|thumb|300px|Kodak Ultra [[disposable]] camera with inbuilt flash]]
A '''disposable''' or '''single-use camera''' is a simple [[box camera]] meant to be used once. Most use [[fixed-focus lens]]es. Some are equipped with an integrated [[photographic flash|flash]] unit, and there are even waterproof versions for [[underwater photography]]. Internally, the cameras use a [[135 film]] or an [[Advanced Photo System|APS]] cartridge.

While some [[disposable]]s contain an actual cartridge as used for loading normal, reusable cameras,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ferraniait.com/dcsfilm/dcs.htm |title=Ferrania Dual Cassette System |publisher=[[Ferrania|Ferrania Technologies]] |access-date=2006-11-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023213016/http://www.ferraniait.com/dcsfilm/dcs.htm |archive-date=2006-10-23 }}</ref> others just have the film wound internally on an open spool. The whole camera is handed in for processing. Some of the cameras are [[recycle]]d, i.e. refilled with film and resold. The cameras are returned for "processing" in the same fashion as film cameras.

In general the one-time-use camera represents a return to the business model pioneered by [[Kodak]] for their Kodak camera, predecessor to the [[Brownie (camera)|Brownie]] camera; it is particularly popular in situations where a reusable camera would be easily stolen or damaged, when one's regular camera is forgotten, or if one cannot afford a regular camera.