DispoLens is a 3D-printed body-cap with a recycled disposable-camera lens on it, made by DispoStudio in Switzerland. The lenses are from Kodak FunSaver and Fujifilm QuickSnap cameras, and you don’t know from which yours is from. FunSaver cameras have a 30mm f/10 lens, while QuickSnap cameras have a 32mm f/10. They’re pretty similar, and it probably doesn’t matter much at all if it’s from a Kodak or Fujifilm disposable camera—either one will produce a near-identical image.
You can’t buy the DispoLens from Amazon or any camera stores, only from DispoStudio’s Etsy shop, where you’ll find it for $51.02 USD. My copy, obviously, is for Fujifilm X-mount, but they also make them for Sony E-mount, Nikon Z-mount, Canon RF-mount, Micro-4/3, Leica L-mount, and Leica M-mount. DispoStudio has a couple of other products, too.
There’s not much to the lens. You twist it on like a body cap. Once it clicks into place, you’re good to go. On your Fujifilm camera, make sure that you have Shoot Without Lens enabled, or else it won’t work.
This lens is “focus free” which means that it is prefocused. About five or six feet to infinity is “in focus” but nothing is especially sharp. The lens is soft throughout the frame, but more so as you move away from the center. Probably eight feet to maybe 50 feet is the most sharp. This is all a part of the charm, which some people will love, and others won’t.
DispoStudio says that “DispoLens recreates all visual organic imperfections that come from using a disposable camera lens, like halation, chromatic aberration, vignetting, softness and imperfect image projection. Please keep in mind that DispoLens does not recreate the colors that film cameras are typically known for.” However, that’s where Fuji X Weekly Film Simulation Recipes come in. If you want a ’90’s film look, I have a number of Recipes to try! Pairing the DispoLens with a Fujifilm camera, my Film Simulation Recipes, and a flash is a great way to recreate the nostalgia of disposable-camera photography from your childhood.
For this project, I used my Fujifilm X-E4, the DispoLens, a Godox Lux Junior flash, and my new Kodak Portra 800 v3 Film Simulation Recipe. I shot 27 frames, just like a disposable camera—I’ve included most of those pictures below.
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How does the DispoLens compare to the Xuan Focus Free 30mm F/10 Body Cap Lens? The image quality is very similar—probably identical—but the build quality is much different. The DispoLens is significantly superior. It looks better, and seems much less likely to accidentally break. If you want a disposable camera look, the DispoLens is a great way to achieve that. Find it on DispoStudio’s Etsy page.
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Captured with a Fujifilm X100V + Kodak Max 800 Recipe + 10% CineBloom filter + Flash
A lot of people are interested right now in achieving a 1990’s film look. If you’re unfamiliar, the specific aesthetic is that of cheap 35mm point-and-shoot and disposable cameras. You know, the 4″ x 6″ prints from the 1-hour photo lab that’s in your (or your parent’s) photo album or picture box. If you are older than 25 (and maybe as young as 20) there might be some nostalgia associated with this look. If you own a Fujifilm model, it’s not too difficult to achieve the ’90’s film aesthetic straight-out-of-camera.
While Kodak was king of film, a surprisingly significant extent of this aesthetic was influenced by Fujifilm. There are a few key reasons for this.
First, Fujifilm’s QuickSnap disposable cameras were a huge hit, and Kodak was often playing catch-up with their FunSaver line. While both were really popular, odds are that if you are looking at a disposable camera picture, it was captured on a QuickSnap, which often used a Fujicolor Superia film.
Second, for those pictures captured on reloadable point-and-shoot cameras, while Kodak sold more film, Fujifilm sold a heck-of-a-lot, too. The majority of pictures were likely shot on Kodak emulsions, but a very large chunk were captured with Fujicolor film.
Third, a lot of 1-hour photo labs used Fujifilm’s machines, chemicals, and paper. Even if the film was Kodak, Fujifilm still had an influence in the final picture aesthetic. The majority of snap-shooters in the 1990’s in the U.S. were dropping their film off at cheap labs inside drug stores or box stores, such as (for example) Walmart. Because Fujifilm sold their photo development equipment and supplies at a slightly lower price than Kodak, many of these labs went with Fujifilm over Kodak. Also, if you had the film scanned by the 1-hour lab (and placed on a CD), it was likely done with a Frontier scanner by Fujifilm.
If you want to recreate this ’90’s film aesthetic on your Fujifilm camera, the best starting point is the Classic Negative film simulation, because it is closely based off of Fujicolor Superia film. Any Film Simulation Recipe that uses Classic Negative as the base is going to get you halfway there. For those who own a Fujifilm camera that doesn’t have Classic Negative (X-Trans III and older, plus X-T3 & X-T30), look for Recipes with Classic Chrome (such as Kodak Gold 200 and Kodacolor) for a retro Kodak look or PRO Neg. Std (such as Fujicolor Superia 800 and Fujicolor 100 Industrial) for a Fujicolor look.
I shot with 10 different Film Simulation Recipes that use Classic Negative as the base for this article. As of this writing, there are over 45 Recipes that use Classic Negative, so there are many more to choose from—just because I didn’t use a particular Recipe here doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t work well or that you shouldn’t try it (finding Classic Negative Recipes on the Fuji X Weekly App is easy for Patron subscribers). I do think these 10 are all good options, and they produce a variety of characteristics. Some are more contrasty and some less. Some are more warm and others more cool. Some are more vibrant and some less so. Take a look at each, and if you are drawn more to the pictures in a particular Recipe, give that one a try for yourself.
We discussed Film Simulation Recipes before talking about gear because choosing the right Recipe is more critical than the gear you use. With that said, gear is important, too. One critical component is flash. While not all ’90’s film snapshots were captured using a flash, a lot were, and so it has become associated closely with the aesthetic. I used flash in all of the Recipe example pictures above.
The Fujifilm X100V has a great fill-flash built into the camera, making it an ideal choice for this style. It also has a leaf shutter, which makes flash photography much easier. There are other Fujifilm cameras that also have a flash and leaf shutter, such as the X100F, X70, and XF10 (to name a few), but the X100V is the only one that also has Classic Negative.
One problem with using the X100V is that the fixed lens is too good. It’s not really believable as a ’90’s point-and-shoot (although there are some examples that have high-quality glass). To tone it down a little, I used a 10% CineBloom diffusion filter, which helps to produce a more analog-like rendering.
When using the Fujifilm X100V, choose the Classic Negative Recipe of your preference, screw a diffusion filter onto the lens (you’ll need an adapter if you don’t have one already), and turn the flash On (TTL). You’re now good to go!
Of course, you don’t need a camera with a built-in flash to do this. My Fujifilm X-E4 doesn’t have a flash, for example, but by attaching an external unit, such as my Godox Lux Junior, to the hot-shoe on top of the camera, I can now do flash photography. This is a lot trickier than using the X100V, and takes some practice if you don’t have experience with a flash, but it is certainly one way to do it.
What I do appreciate about this approach is that the camera is interchangeable-lens, which means you can use a more lofi option, such as the 7Artisans 18mm f/6.3 II. This is softer glass with strong vignetting, and perhaps not one you’d use much for other purposes; however, for replicating the aesthetic of a cheap point-and-shoot it is great!
Combining the Fujifilm X-E4 with the 7Artisan 18mm f/6.3 II lens and using the Godox Lux Junior flash is an affective way to replicate a ’90’s film aesthetic. All of the Fujicolor Analog and Agfa Ultra 100 examples above were captured with this combination, as well as some of the other pictures. If you don’t have a built-in flash on your Fujifilm camera, this is a good way to achieve the look.
While the picture quality from cheap point-and-shoot and disposable cameras were not considered great, this is how many important memories and ordinary life moments where captured in the 1990’s. Many people look back with fondness on these photographs. The image aesthetics conjure up nostalgic feelings, so it should not be too surprising that this look is currently in-style. You can achieve it yourself on your Fujifilm camera without much fuss—it’s mostly just choosing the right Film Simulation Recipe and turning the flash on.
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Fujifilm X-E4 with Xuan Focus Free 30mm F/10 Body Cap Lens
With film photography, there are more-or-less two groups: those who used rangefinders, SLRs, TLRs, etc., and those who used cheap point-and-shoots and disposable cameras. Generally speaking, pros and hobbyists used SLRs, while novices who didn’t have much interest in photography primary used point-and-shoots (my parents’ and grandparents’ photo albums are full of these pictures). Of course, there are always exceptions, such as the novice who insisted on using their SLR despite not understanding how it worked, or the artist who used cheap gear for artistic effect.
As you probably know, I like to create approximations of classic analog looks on Fujifilm cameras with Film Simulation Recipes. Much of the time, the facsimile aesthetic is based on film shot on SLRs, etc., but occasionally I like to replicate the look of cheaper gear, such as disposable cameras, Holga, pinhole, 126, light leaks, etc.. I do crazy things occasionally—like when I distressed a camera or when I used tiny lenses—so I’m not afraid to try something that’s a bit unconventional. In the case of this article, it’s the Xuan Focus Free 30mm f/10 Body Cap Lens.
Rain, Not Rhein – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color“
What is the Xuan Focus Free 30mm f/10 Body Cap Lens, you ask? Well, someone took a cheap third-party Fujifilm body cap, drilled a hole in it, and attached (via glue) a recycled 30mm f/10 lens from a Kodak Funsaver disposable camera. They’re selling them for $26 each. You can actually do this yourself without too much trouble, but for such a cheap price (and with free next-day delivery), it made sense to go the easy route.
The reason why it’s called a “focus free” lens is because it’s pre-focused, and you cannot adjust it (nor can the aperture be changed). I don’t think the distance from the lens to the sensor on my Fujifilm X-E4 is exactly the same as the lens to the film on a disposable camera, so the focus point is slightly different. Xuan claims that from roughly 5′ to infinity is in focus, but that’s not my experience. I believe the focus point is set to about 11′, and the depth-of-field is more like 6.5′ to 37′, and 8′ to 15′ seems to be the sharpest zone.
Bougainvillea Day – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
If you want to shoot with a pancake lens on your Fujifilm X camera, your options are limited. You have options—some excellent options, in fact—but only a handful in total. The Xuan Focus Free 30mm F/10 Body Cap Lens is another pancake choice, but is it good? Is it even worth $26? I used this lens recently on my X-E4, attempting to capture beautiful LoFi pictures—more resembling those found in picture albums, and less like those printing in magazines and hanging on gallery walls. How was my experience? What do I think of the Xuan 30mm lens? Read on to find out!
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Fujifilm X-E4 with Xuan Focus Free 30mm F/10 Body Cap Lens
The Xuan Focus Free 30mm F/10 Body Cap Lens is surprisingly good and unsurprisingly terrible at the same time. The center is sharper than I anticipated—a little soft, yes, but not any less than many kit zooms or even the Nikkor 28mm pancake. The lens is noticeably softer as you move towards the corners, and is especially soft in the corners and along the edges, none of which is surprising. I think if the subject is in the middle of the frame and anywhere from 8′ to 15′ from the camera is where you’ll achieve the sharpest results. There’s vignetting in the corners, which is sometimes obvious and sometimes not. The 35mm-equivalent focal-length is 45mm, making it a “standard” lens on Fujifilm X cameras.
Bokeh is the quality of the out-of-focus area of an image. The depth-of-field of the Xuan 30mm is pretty large, and where you’ll find it out-of-focus are close foreground objects and distant background objects. Bokeh is not especially great, but it’s not typically a distraction, either, so I don’t think it even matters. I had a hard time achieving lens flare, but when I did I thought it was interesting. I did notice some chromatic aberrations, but nothing terrible.
Because of the fixed f/10 aperture, the lens isn’t a good option for low-light or indoor situations, unless you use a flash with it—something that I didn’t do, but that’s how the disposable camera that the optics came from worked. Or use a tripod (I didn’t do that, either).
Wet Sidewalk– Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
What I enjoy about the Xuan 30mm is that it is literally point-and-shoot. No focusing. No adjusting the aperture. I set both Shutter and ISO to Auto, and walk around snapping pictures whenever I think there might be an interesting image. In a way, it’s similar to using Snap Focus on Ricoh GR cameras. As Rob Morgan put it, “See a moment, grab the camera, snap the shutter, put it down, and get back to rocking out.” Well, maybe “rocking out” won’t apply to you, but you get the idea. The only real consideration is where the subject is, because there’s a somewhat narrow window where the subject is sharp, and is otherwise soft, and can sometimes be almost painterly or impressionist, which could be good or bad.
I’ve had a lot of fun with the Xuan 30mm lens, and very quickly got my $26 worth out of it! It’s not something I’d want to use all of the time—only when I’m in the “right” nostalgic mood. I think it would be interesting for a project, such as using one camera, this one lens, and one Film Simulation Recipe to photograph a singular subject over a period of time. Maybe I’ll do that, but I’m not sure what the subject should be.
Example pictures:
Trumpets & Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Garden – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Wicker Chair Through Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Triangle & Stones – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Window Rain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Dark Tree – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Sunlight & Tree Branches – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Tree, Clouds & Blue Sky – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Two Dark Trees – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Backyard Playing – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Not Another Picture, Dad – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Teeter Totter – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Puddle Field – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
Abstract Sky – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 + Xuan 30mm – “Nostalgia Color”
The Xuan Focus Free 30mm F/10 Body Cap Lens is a super-cheap LoFi pancake option that produces soft Lomo-like pictures reminiscent of images captured with disposable cameras. It’s not something to use all of the time, but for only $26 it doesn’t need to be. I’ve had a lot of fun with it, and I plan to use it even more, perhaps for a personal project of some sort.
