Ilford Disposable B&W Cameras: XP2 Super

Ilford recently released disposable or one-time-use cameras with two of their signature films: XP2 or HP5 Plus. I saw the announcement for these cameras earlier in the year and was waiting to get my hands on these one-time-use cameras from Ilford.

I am a fan Ilford films and so when they unveiled two new B&W disposable cameras, I thought this could be a nice idea while traveling for a bit of fun. As of date, I see that Ilford has the camera in two versions with either their C-41 Black & White film, the XP2 Super, or the true Black & White HP5 Plus. Both are ISO 400 films.

Some tech specs about the Ilford cameras:

Number of Exposures: 27
Flash: Included (up to 3m/10ft)
F/stop: 9.5
Shutter Speed: 1/100
Lens: 30mm
Minimum Focus: 1 meter

I have been waiting for an opportunity to test the cameras. I chose to test the Ilford XP2 Super 400 first as the processing is cheaper.

My first stop was an evening street fair in Honolulu. At 6:30 pm the flash and aperture seemed more suited.

I also tried a flash/ no flash comparison and found the flash suitable.

The next day I took it with me on my weekend motorcycle ride. I stopped off at this spot I like near a farm with a great view. Being that I thought the F9.5 & 1/100 was a bit too slow for a sunny Hawaii day, I brought along an Orange filter for contrast and to lower the light entering the camera. I held a 52mm filter in front of the lens and managed to keep my fingers and filter ring out of the images.

For comparison, no filter first and filter second.

The film is actually the reverse of many cameras. It is unwound in the camera and each picture winds it back into the canister. It says that you should get 27 images, but I managed to get 29. Lucky me.

There is a huge caution of not opening the device because a risk of high voltage shock.

All in all, I would recommend them. It is easy and convenient to stick in your pocket or take on a trip. The built in flash is handy if you find yourself indoors or out partying at night. I am eager to try out the HP5 Plus model as I really enjoy that film more than XP2.

Aloha!

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written by neanderthalis on 2013-07-26 #gear #test #black-and-white #ilford #review #c-41 #disposable #b-w #35mm-films #xp-2-super #hp-5-plus