They’re every where, they’re cheap – they can be dangerously “fun”. Things to do with disposable cameras!
Booby-trapped Magic 8 Ball, turn it over and FLASH!
Here’s a simple, but powerful, coil gun made from the flash circuit of a disposable camera, a large cap, a coil of magnet wire and an ink pen shaft (and a few other parts).


Homemade Strobe Photography. Take high speed photos! Before you take apart a single-use camera, you need to know that there is a large electrolytic capacitor inside the camera. See the instructions in MAKE 04, pages 109 and 110, for how to disassemble the camera. Above, the set up and a balloon being popped!
Stunning camera! Chris at Pyroelectro made this highly detailed tutorial on how to modify a single use camera to shock its user when they try to take a picture. Dirty trick, so please be careful.


A friend of mine seriously damaged her vision when her flash bulb went off in her face :/
This is a bad idea.
Generally speaking flash bulbs are designed to be safe for the subject being photographed. More often than not we take pictures of faces. Do you mean it exploded?
Generally speaking flash bulbs are designed to be safe for the subject being photographed. More often than not we take pictures of faces. Do you mean it exploded?
Generally speaking flash bulbs are designed to be safe for the subject being photographed. More often than not we take pictures of faces. Do you mean it exploded?
The normal camera to eye distance is over 2 feet. At 1 inch the flash would be 576 times as bright (inverse square law). If your iris was wide open I could see how that could cause you to not see.
The normal camera to eye distance is over 2 feet. At 1 inch the flash would be 576 times as bright (inverse square law). If your iris was wide open I could see how that could cause you to not see.
The shocking camera design shows good sense in having the shock go through two fingers of the same hand. Don’t build this such that the contacts touch the left and right hands, and allow the current to go through the heart.
Still a dumb idea. However, a good way to get beaten, expelled, sued or arrested.
Still a dumb idea. However, a good way to get beaten, expelled, sued or arrested.
Still a dumb idea. However, a good way to get beaten, expelled, sued or arrested.
// What's Trending
Raspberry Pi Design Contest
Seventeen Sneaky Secret Hides
Teardrop Camper Trailer
A Maker Wedding
Dad Builds Son an Iron Man Arc Reactor
What to do with an 800 Lb Eucalyptus Slab
10 Things to Connect to Your Raspberry Pi
Bringing a Classic Marklin Z-Scale Model Railroad to Life With Arduino
// What's Shared
A better way to slice a pumpkin
DIY Nerf Darts
100 Dollar Store Organization Ideas for Craft Rooms and Beyond
In the Maker Shed: Minty Boost USB Charger
Mad’s Mouse House
Lace Princess Crowns
I Have a (Puzzling) Dream
Play the Rings of a Tree Trunk Like a Record
// Most Commented
Plastic Bags into Plastic Blocks: Revisited
10 Hot New Boards to Watch
Why the Maker Movement is Here to Stay
MAKE Asks: Roadside Hacks
DIY Hacks & How To’s: Convert From Battery Power to AC
Ten Tips for Hand Saws and Blades
How To Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
What to do with an 800 Lb Eucalyptus Slab
Trending Topics
Get our Newsletters
About Maker Media
Subscribe
to MAKE!
Get the print and digital versions when you subscribe