Disposable Digital Cameras
Digital cameras usually sell for $200 and up, a lot more than their film equivalents. But Ritz Camera has begun to sell a single-use…
Digital cameras usually sell for $200 and up, a lot more than their film equivalents. But Ritz Camera has begun to sell a single-use digital camera that costs about as much as, and works like, a disposable film camera. The Ritz Dakota Digital and the Studio 35 Digital from Walgreens hold 25 pictures with a two-megapixel resolution, enough for enlargements of up to 8 by 10 inches. That capacity need not be wasted on bad shots; users can delete a picture if they suspect it is flawed, creating room for retakes. The economy comes at a price: there is no liquid crystal display on the camera to show what the pictures look like. Automatic exposure and flash controls eliminate some potential picture errors, though. A self-timer enables the photographer to run around in front of the camera to get into the picture. The camera costs $10.99, which includes a set of 4-by-6-inch prints, an index print showing thumbnails of all 25 shots, and a photo CD, allowing for further home or commercial printing. The CD also contains Mac and PC software for viewing, saving, printing or e-mailing photos, which need not be installed in the user's computer. Ritz has 1,200 locations around the country under the Ritz, Wolf, Kits, Inkleys, and Camera Shop names. From NYT