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Anyone out there have any experience with single-use digital cameras? We're weighing pros and cons of those vs. regular film type - number of photos, quality of photos, cost of camera, cost of developing (my understanding is that the digitals don't allow you to download them on your own), and so on.

CVS has them for $20, plus another $10 or so for developing (25 photos - 4x6 prints and photo CD). It allows you to erase bad shots so you have "only the best" images. The decent quality 35mm disposables are $12-15, typically 27 photos, plus developing (no idea what that's running nowadays). Obviously, you can't see the photos before they're developed.

Uly, opinion as the professional photographer of the group? Anyone else with experience from family events?

gsabc wrote:Anyone out there have any experience with single-use digital cameras? We're weighing pros and cons of those vs. regular film type - number of photos, quality of photos, cost of camera, cost of developing (my understanding is that the digitals don't allow you to download them on your own), and so on.

CVS has them for $20, plus another $10 or so for developing (25 photos - 4x6 prints and photo CD). It allows you to erase bad shots so you have "only the best" images. The decent quality 35mm disposables are $12-15, typically 27 photos, plus developing (no idea what that's running nowadays). Obviously, you can't see the photos before they're developed.

Uly, opinion as the professional photographer of the group? Anyone else with experience from family events?

I've never had any experience with single use digital. Sorry. The main problem with either one is that people sometimes forget to use the flash or use it before the flash has recharged. That might be the one advantage of the digital. You can see the result and do it again with the flash. As an example, and I don't know what kind of camera was used, but frogman's pictures with Ed and Nancy could have used a flash.
Good luck!

I forgot, is the photographer bringing a shooting assistant? If so, that assistant can get candid table shots.

ulysses5019 wrote:I forgot, is the photographer bringing a shooting assistant? If so, that assistant can get candid table shots.

Husband & wife team. Two for the price of one. I'm sure there will be table shots of some sort, but also candids. We're allowed something like 500 (550?) photos on the CD we get, and 100 in the wedding album itself. They can't ALL be the formal stuff.

gsabc wrote:Anyone out there have any experience with single-use digital cameras? We're weighing pros and cons of those vs. regular film type - number of photos, quality of photos, cost of camera, cost of developing (my understanding is that the digitals don't allow you to download them on your own), and so on.

CVS has them for $20, plus another $10 or so for developing (25 photos - 4x6 prints and photo CD). It allows you to erase bad shots so you have "only the best" images. The decent quality 35mm disposables are $12-15, typically 27 photos, plus developing (no idea what that's running nowadays). Obviously, you can't see the photos before they're developed.

Uly, opinion as the professional photographer of the group? Anyone else with experience from family events?

Since just about everybody has a digital camera these days, I'd just ask people to bring their cameras (most probably will anyway) and to please email you a copy of their take (or upload or whatever). Then you could also credit the taker in your memory book or whatever.

I think with free disposables, everybody will snap away and not care what they take or if it's a good shot, say 'cool! free cameras!' and take them home with them or all the kids will grab them off the table (or actually be given them by the parents!) and create havoc.

We used regular single use film cameras. We did not get all of them back. Some had no pictures on them. Of the ones with pictures, many of them were very poor quality.

Best shots we got that were not from the photographer were those taken with guest's personal cameras that they then sent to us. We also had a friend of ours who is a b&w photography nut and he brought his camera and took a bunch of shots, organized them into an album and that was his gift to us.

gsabc wrote:Anyone out there have any experience with single-use digital cameras?

I have used one, but it was a few years ago. The picture quality wasn't anything special; no better or worse than single-use film cameras. The pic below was taken with one. And you're right about the fact that you can't download them yourself. If I remember right, there were fewer pictures per camera than with a disposable film type.

I love the disposable digital cameras. I usually buy them when they're on sale at CVS (19.99 with $10 extra bucks) but you might not have time to wait for that sale.

I don't have a digital camera. I don't have any camera actually. I brought a few of these with me to Italy and I love them. People are always amazed at the quality of the photos. They look like they were taken with a relatively good camera.

The only drawback is, unlike a true digital camera, you cannot flip through all the photos. You can only view and delete the last photo taken. And once you delete one, you can't view any of the previous ones (so it's not like you can keep deleting to keep going backwards - you only get one shot). That being said, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to look at the photo when you take it, assess the quality and either delete or keep shooting.

As much as I love them, however, I don't know that they will make an appreciable difference at the wedding. The reason that I say that is everytime I use one in front of anyone, they have no idea how it works. So people might be confused. They might not realize it has the digital erase feature, or that they can't go back to previous shots. So you may negate the effect of that by having people treat it like a normal disposable camera. I don't know though. I've never seen them used at a wedding, I've only seen the normal disposables. You can actually get multipacks of those at iParty (meant to be used at weddings) a lot cheaper than the ones at the other stores, but I'm not sure of the quality of those either.

marrymeflyfree wrote:

gsabc wrote:Anyone out there have any experience with single-use digital cameras?

I have used one, but it was a few years ago. The picture quality wasn't anything special; no better or worse than single-use film cameras. The pic below was taken with one. And you're right about the fact that you can't download them yourself. If I remember right, there were fewer pictures per camera than with a disposable film type.

Is that sunny Norway?

ulysses5019 wrote: Is that sunny Norway?

How'd ya guess? That's on a little barrier island in the south...the land off in the distance is Denmark.

sunflower wrote: The only drawback is, unlike a true digital camera, you cannot flip through all the photos. You can only view and delete the last photo taken.

Ahh, that's right...I had forgotten about that until you mentioned it.

At least everything that's developed will still be a surprise for the happy couple this way.

Here's Fanny! wrote:Since just about everybody has a digital camera these days, I'd just ask people to bring their cameras (most probably will anyway) and to please email you a copy of their take (or upload or whatever). Then you could also credit the taker in your memory book or whatever.

I vote for this suggestion. There are the people who have their own cameras and will be experiencing the whole even through their viewfinders already and then there are those who don't want to be bothered with taking pictures, particularly with some unfamiliar, newfangled disposable.

marrymeflyfree wrote:

ulysses5019 wrote: Is that sunny Norway?

How'd ya guess? That's on a little barrier island in the south...the land off in the distance is Denmark.

I thought it looked familiar.

I would vote for skipping the disposable cameras, for the following reasons:

a. You're already getting 600-650 professional photos. From a practical standpoint, how many freaking pictures is anyone (besides your daughter and wife, of course) going to want to see a month after the ceremony?

b. Most of the photos on the disposables will be artfully arranged compositions of people's shoes, bathroom stalls, and the always impeccable Aunt Harriet chewing with her mouth open.

c. You will subject the entire wedding party and all of the guests to dialogue similar to the following:

"Everybody say 'cheese.' Hold still, Harry. Wait, let's get Marvin and Sally in this picture, too. Scooch down, Evelyn. You're in front of Albert's face. Okay. Billie Sue, your bra strap is showing. You might want to fix that. Now, we're ready. Oh, there's Bob. Yoohoo, Bob! Get over here! Yes, right there in front, behind Evelyn. Oh, you know what I mean. Are we ready? Okay, here we go, on three. One. Two. Wait. Sammy, stop pulling your sister's hair. Bob, can you do anything with him? Okay, one...two...wait!"

c. You will subject the entire wedding party and all of the guests to dialogue similar to the following:

"Everybody say 'cheese.' Hold still, Harry. Wait, let's get Marvin and Sally in this picture, too. Scooch down, Evelyn. You're in front of Albert's face. Okay. Billie Sue, your bra strap is showing. You might want to fix that. Now, we're ready. Oh, there's Bob. Yoohoo, Bob! Get over here! Yes, right there in front, behind Evelyn. Oh, you know what I mean. Are we ready? Okay, here we go, on three. One. Two. Wait. Sammy, stop pulling your sister's hair. Bob, can you do anything with him? Okay, one...two...wait!"

Yeah, that's my job.

silvercamaro wrote: b. Most of the photos on the disposables will be artfully arranged compositions of people's shoes, bathroom stalls, and the always impeccable Aunt Harriet chewing with her mouth open.

Jeff and I both took pictures of the toilets at Jeff's cousin's wedding. (This is the cousin who is working for Trivial Pursuit.) I personally would appreciate the wacky wedding pictures, because I would know that my guests were having a fun time taking them.

NigerianPenisDrugs wrote: Jeff and I both took pictures of the toilets at Jeff's cousin's wedding. (This is the cousin who is working for Trivial Pursuit.) I personally would appreciate the wacky wedding pictures, because I would know that my guests were having a fun time taking them.

One should be careful when associating NigerianPenisDrugs with "wacky".

I should be more careful about what screen is signed on when I post.

NigerianPenisDrugs wrote:

silvercamaro wrote: b. Most of the photos on the disposables will be artfully arranged compositions of people's shoes, bathroom stalls, and the always impeccable Aunt Harriet chewing with her mouth open.

Jeff and I both took pictures of the toilets at Jeff's cousin's wedding. (This is the cousin who is working for Trivial Pursuit.) I personally would appreciate the wacky wedding pictures, because I would know that my guests were having a fun time taking them.

That's why you let people take them with their own cameras and send them to you for free. Especially since I don't think that 'wacky' is real high on GW's list of wedding stuff.

This way people who appreciate the wacky still get it and those who don't aren't paying for it.

ulysses5019 wrote:

marrymeflyfree wrote:

gsabc wrote:Anyone out there have any experience with single-use digital cameras?

I have used one, but it was a few years ago. The picture quality wasn't anything special; no better or worse than single-use film cameras. The pic below was taken with one. And you're right about the fact that you can't download them yourself. If I remember right, there were fewer pictures per camera than with a disposable film type.

Is that sunny Norway?

I'm trying to guess the context of that photo. It appears that there had been an eco-disaster, with widespread chunks of fresh-ground black pepper strewn upon the rocks. In your innate goodness and altruism, you volunteered to help clean up the mess, and even donated your sweater to soak up the mess. Did I get that right? If not, what's the deal with all the black specks?

Also, I need to talk to you about Norway sometime. I think I'll be going there this fall.

If you can just get someone to misbehave at the reception there will be lots of pictures and internet videos.

ulysses5019 wrote:
I thought it looked familiar.

TheConfessor wrote: Did I get that right? If not, what's the deal with all the black specks?

Giant peppercorns for the North Sea stew. Or snails.

Also, I need to talk to you about Norway sometime. I think I'll be going there this fall.

You still have my number, right? Call me sometime for the scoop.

btw, mmff - that is a fabu photograph.

t.

I thought wa already talked baout this.

Am I losing it?