Storing your digital camera’s memory card is easy. But what will you do with the old film-based disposable cameras? While some people collect them, others may want to junk it once they don’t use it anymore. Whatever the dilemma is, this article will show you how to deal with disposable film-based cameras that’s not in use anymore.
Step by step guide for film our from Disposable Camera
First of all, open up the back compartment of the camera where you insert or take out the roll of film. If you’re using a flash camera (also known as “disposable”), there should be an opening on one side for inserting and pulling out the film. For non-flash types, you can simply pull down or push on one side so that you can manually pull out the film from the inside.
You should find a round knob at the bottom of the camera that usually has the word “rewind” or “counter” written on it. That’s where you need to apply pressure and turn it in a counter-clockwise direction until it stops – do not force it, just gently turn and let go once you feel it stop. This is how we will release tension so that we can easily pull out the film from its compartment as whole without any damage done to anything. If you own one of those non-flash types with an opening instead of a side compartment, simply pull down one side until you feel some resistance, hold your finger there and keep pulling until something comes off (it’ll be the film).
Once the film has been fully exposed (meaning no image is left to show), you can now pull it all out. Do not touch any of the images as they might be still wet and will smear easily. Set up your scanner or photo printer and lay down your film on top. Scan the first frame as a test print, if it’s good continue with the rest (if not, check your equipment since you may need to calibrate them again). Once you’re done scanning, let dry before touching any images. You can use a flatbed scanner for this or simply place it on top of a stack of paper and leave under direct sunlight for several hours – just don’t forget to keep turning until dried completely. It’ll take maybe a day, depending on the weather.