As editor-in-chief and hottest member of Blasted Science, I consider it my duty to solve this mystery. The solution? Find out where all of the cameras get sent. Purchasing new disposable cameras is still possible in many stores, but what idiot would spend upwards of four bucks for something they should be able to get for free? Spending money, obviously, is not an option. This is because local stores send the film off to be developed elsewhere. However, it’s a safe bet to assume that many people have no local access to old disposable cameras in bulk. Some people may still have access to film development centers. There’s no way to solve this problem for everyone. Getting free cameras just doesn’t work anymore. Every single store I’ve tried so far, Walgreens, Walmart, etc., ship the cameras off to be developed somewhere else. In most cases, the store would happily give them away for free. In the old days, one could walk into a local photo development center and simply ask to take all of their used disposable cameras off their hands. The problem is, disposable cameras are getting harder and harder to come across. Common uses include tasers and coilguns, both of which you can expect to see on this site at some point. In other words, this thing packs some serious juice. The capacitor is usually between 100-200 ♟ at around 300-400 Volts. Flash circuits contain two useful parts: a capacitor and its charging circuit. The prize inside every disposable camera is the flash circuit. There’s no substitute for them: they contain a specific part that’s almost impossible to find elsewhere.

There are a ton of DIY projects that require disposable cameras. In this modern world, many aspiring budget DIY enthusiasts will run into a problem: finding used disposable cameras is almost impossible.

Flash circuit from disposable camera