How Is a Disposable Camera Manufactured?
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Lens & Body
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The body of a disposable camera is a modern variant of the old "box camera" concept introduced by Kodak. Box cameras were made to be inexpensive to manufacture. Users were expected to either send the camera back to the manufacturer or bring it to a camera shop for processing.
Lenses in disposable cameras are made of molded plastic. Most disposable cameras contain a single plastic lens that focuses the light on the film plane. A few disposable cameras offer very limited multi-element zoom lenses. Disposable camera lenses are fixed aperture, often in the range of f/11 to allow the image to be in focus from around 4 feet to infinity.
The lens is press fitted into the molded plastic body. Mechanical linkages are built in to the body to advance the film, release the shutter and, if the camera has a flash, turn on the flash.
Film & Flash
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Film is loaded into the camera. In some cameras, the film is pulled from the canister by the winding mechanism. These types of cameras require the film to be rewound before processing. Other cameras place the film in a lightproof box. Winding the film advance on these cameras pulls the film across the film plane and rolls the exposed film in the canister.
Most disposable cameras are loaded with 400 or 800 ISO film. Because of the small aperture on the camera, faster film is required to produce acceptable images. Some cameras are sold with 1200 or 1600 ISO film. Most disposable cameras are loaded with color film, but a few are available with black and white film.
Many disposable cameras contain a flash. Wires connect the flash tube to triggering and control circuitry. A is installed to charge the capacitor that fires the flash.
Once the components have been assembled, many disposable cameras are enclosed in a cardboard cover printed with instructions for use and brand information about the camera. Other disposable cameras are simply sealed and labeled with stickers for instructions and brand information.
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Camera Recycling
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Many companies "recycle" disposable cameras by re-loading them with film and replacing the battery. Recycled cameras are often taped using black electrical tape to light proof weak joints in the body and other places where light leaks could occur. If a camera is too old or too damaged from processing, the plastic components are easy to recycle by more traditional processes.
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