Whilst out we decided to hop on a train as the weather was nice, however, we had not intended on going anywhere special, and as such we hadn't packed anything for the day. I realised that we had not bought the camera with us, which was a bit disappointing, as I always like to take pictures to capture special moments of my son's life. I thought I would have a look in Boots to see what disposable camera's they had on offer. I can't say that I am familiar with disposable cameras, and have only used them on rare occasions.


I was pleased to see a few different disposable cameras available, we decided that they would probably all produce similar results, so we opted for the Boots own brand. The Boots single use disposable camera is price at a reasonable £5.99, and is currently on buy-one-get-one free, offering exceptional value for money. I did wonder what they would be like, as they were inexpensive. I expected the picture quality to be poor, I wasn't expecting much at all, however, it was still nice to able to take snaps throughout the day.


The camera comes sealed in a foil wrapper that is easy to remove and discard. It has an expiry date of 2 years, which is also noted on the base of the camera itself. It is also advised to get the pictures developed promptly. The camera should be kept out of direct sunlight, away from heat sources, and moisture. As it is only a disposable camera, it has no special features, other than a flash, which is easy to operate by the flick of a button that is located on the front of the camera. A red light indicates when the flash is activated. There are some simple usage instructions printed on the back of the camera.

The camera is lightweight, and fits comfortably in the palm of the hand. The camera has 27 exposures, and is easy to operate. Simply wind the advance wheel until it clicks and is unable to move any further. The remaining exposures are clearly displayed at the top of the camera in the counter window, which makes it easy to see how many more pictures can be taken. The window viewer is a little difficult to adjust to after being used to using a digital camera. I felt unsure if I was aiming the camera accurately at what I wished to capture.


Once ready to take a picture, gently press the shutter button. After taking a picture, you can confidently place the camera into a pocket and not worry about accidently taking pictures, as it needs to be wound on to be able to take the next picture. It is advised to stand between 1 to 3 metres away from what you are photographing. Once the film is finished, the advanced wheel needs to be wound until it displays zero. Once the camera is finished, it can be taken to Boots to be developed; there is a further charge for this. The camera will be recycled by Boots, and you will be left with your pictures.


We had a fun day in the sun, and were able to snap away taking pictures throughout the day. With only 27 exposures you need to be a bit selective over what you want to photograph, as it will soon run out. This means that taking extra pictures of the same subject may not be wise, as this will limit the amount of different pictures taken. We happily snapped away taking pictures throughout the day. The camera is convenient and easy to use, making it simple to capture moments throughout the day. We took pictures indoors and outdoors, and by the end of the day before heading back to the train we still had a few exposures left.


I think my partner was in the same mindset as I, as he happily snapped away taking pictures of random things. I think he was just eager to use up the camera to get it developed to see what the quality was like. By the time we reached our destination, we headed to _Boots_ to drop the camera in for developing. We chose to get standard photos and a CD of the pictures, too. We only had to wait a couple of days before we could see the pictures. The photo processing for standard prints and the CD cost me £6.99, and the CD was an extra £2 but would provide me with the opportunity to upload the photos on to the computer and allow me to keep a back up of them.


As mentioned earlier, I really wasn't expecting much, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The photo quality far exceeded my expectations, the prints were clear, and the colours were vivid. The images were accurately captured, and each photo was of a good quality. I was amazed at the quality of the prints, and how well the pictures turned out. There were only a couple of pictures that were a little distorted where the flash was used, but overall every picture was of a good standard, perfectly capturing the day.


I would happily use the Boots disposable camera's again when needs be. I have a couple more which I purchased to keep for times where I don't feel like taking my digital camera out. I think these are great for days out when there is a slight worry of losing or damaging a digital camera. They are also handy to buy in times where you may have forgotten the camera, as Boots stores can be located in most towns. They would also be handy for children to take on school trips, or days out. For the price these offer great value for money, and provide great quality prints. Never miss special moments in life, and enjoy taking pictures even with a disposable.

(Picture example on ciao)