Simul Studio

How to get the disposable camera look on your phone

Hard flash, warm skin, a little grain and nothing too perfect. The disposable camera look is back, and it comes from a very simple machine. Here's how it works, and how to get it from your phone.

400
Fig. 1 — Colour negative, ISO 400

Shoot with your phone's flash on, open the photo in Simul Studio and pick Fuji Superia 400, the kind of ISO 400 colour film used in single-use cameras. Add a little grain, and on iPhone finish with a date stamp.

Original phone photo, before editing
Original
The same photo with Simul's Fuji Superia 400 look
Fuji Superia 400
The same photo with Simul's Kodak UltraMax 400 look
Kodak UltraMax 400
Original phone photo, before editing
Original
The same photo with Simul's Fuji Superia 400 look
Fuji Superia 400
The same photo with Simul's Kodak UltraMax 400 look
Kodak UltraMax 400
Original phone photo, before editing
Original
The same photo with Simul's Fuji Superia 400 look
Fuji Superia 400
The same photo with Simul's Kodak UltraMax 400 look
Kodak UltraMax 400

Real Simul Studio output: the same phone photos rendered through each film look, with no other edits.

Why disposable camera photos look like that

A single-use camera is mostly a roll of film with a lens attached. Fujifilm's QuickSnap Flash 400 uses a plastic 32mm f/10 lens with fixed focus from about one metre to infinity, a single shutter speed of around a hundredth of a second, and ISO 400 colour negative film.

That small aperture keeps most things roughly sharp, but not crisp. The single shutter speed means the flash does a lot of the work indoors and at night, so subjects come out bright and backgrounds fall away. Colour negative film is forgiving, so mistakes turn into warmth and grain rather than ruined frames.

A short history of the camera made to come back

Fujifilm launched the Utsurundesu, sold abroad as QuickSnap, in July 1986 on 110 film, and a 35mm version followed in July 1987. Kodak announced its own, the Fling, in February 1987.

They were sold to be handed in whole for developing, and both companies built recycling systems for the shells. Fujifilm says it shipped 89.6 million in 1997, the peak. Demand fell with phones, then started rising again from around 2021.

How to get the look in Simul

  1. Turn on your phone's flash and shoot from about one to three metres, the range a single-use flash covers.
  2. Open the photo in Simul Studio and pick Fuji Superia 400. Or try Kodak UltraMax 400 for Kodak's take on the same kind of film.
  3. Add a little grain in the darkroom, and resist making it crisp: disposable photos are soft.
  4. On iPhone, add a date stamp for the full effect, then export.

The look works best on people, parties, night outs and holidays: moments, not landscapes. Don't fix every blink or tilt. The imperfection is the point.

Free download

Questions

Is there a disposable camera filter for iPhone?

Simul Studio recreates the disposable look with ISO 400 colour-negative film looks, adjustable grain and, on iPhone, a date stamp. Use it in the live camera or on photos you've already taken.

Which film is in a disposable camera?

Most use ISO 400 colour negative film. Fujifilm's QuickSnap Flash 400, for example, uses Superia X-TRA 400 with 27 exposures.

Why are disposable cameras popular again?

Fujifilm reports demand rising since around 2021, and describes the appeal as the grain, the texture and the wait to see your photos. Prices have risen too: Fujifilm's own store price went from ¥1,980 to ¥2,860 in April 2025.

Do I need a subscription?

No. Simul Studio is free to try, and a one-time purchase unlocks unlimited exports.

Keep reading

Simul Studio's looks are film-inspired recreations. Simul Studio isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Kodak, Fujifilm or Ilford; film names are used only to describe the look.