Meet Your New Obsession: The Paper Shoot Camera
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Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you have seen how disposable cameras are all the rage once again. While they were once one of your only options when it came to taking pictures on a trip or for a special occasion, there are obviously so many other options now. Though the digital age has become a trap for some, and many of us are trying to find ways to take it back to the classics. When you’re using disposable cameras, you get back the element of surprise. You can’t start flipping through photos immediately, ready to edit them and brighten them up with a preset filter. Instead, they are random memories in time. No deleting them. No looking back. Because of this, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of using disposable cameras… until I realized the environmental impact they had. They are disposable, right?
Because of this, I’ve been trying to find something that takes away all of the waste while keeping the surprise factor. I was looking for reusable disposable cameras (even though that’s a total oxymoron), and trying to figure out how I could travel back in time without so much trash. I was pretty much out of luck until I stumbled upon Paper Shoot Camera on TikTok.
Paper Shoot Camera
Basically, a Paper Shoot camera is a digital camera that acts as a disposable one. Sound confusing? I promise, it’s not. First of all, Paper Shoots are made from recycled material and their cases are made from a material called Stone Paper that is water-resistant, drop-proof, and even biodegradable. This material uses zero trees and zero water to create. They are made to order to eliminate waste and mass production. The lenses are sourced from the same company that produces Apple’s lenses that were to be sent to a landfill as they developed higher resolution products instead. And most of all, they are digital, so you don’t have any waste related to film or plastic camera bodies.
My Honest Review
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Pros
Honestly, I’m absolutely obsessed with my Paper Shoot. I got it as a Christmas gift and I have been using it almost every day since December. There is no better way to capture my memories than with my Paper Shoot. Honestly, it’s also really fun to pull it out and have people ask about it. It’s so thin and easy to take with you, whether you stick it in a bag or in your pocket. It’s so lightweight and pretty heavy-duty. I’ve dropped mine several times and it’s absolutely fine. The photos also come out amazing and have a very film-like quality to them. They definitely don’t look like any photo you could have snapped on your phone. The camera has four filters for you to choose from too that adjusts the lighting and coloring. Personally, my favorite is to stick with the classic first setting. I would absolutely recommend a Paper Shoot to anyone who wants to live in the moment and relax.
Cons
This camera works absolutely horribly at night. In low-light situations, the photos turn out really horrible and you can barely see anything. If you can see something, it looks like a horror movie. When I first found out about Paper Shoot, the website said that it worked fine at night and could adjust to the light like a phone camera, but this is not true. Actually, they have said they are coming out with a flash option for the camera, so I’m interested in seeing how that will help. Another con is how easily the filter setting switch gets moved over. Every time I stick it in my purse or pocket and pull it back out, it’s in a new setting. This isn’t that big of a deal, honestly, but it has ruined a few of my favorite shots. For one, I took a picture with my green milk from Star Wars Land at Disneyland and it was in the black & white setting! Total fail! Another thing is its use of batteries. First, I was using normal AA batteries and they would die so quickly. Then, I got reusable AA batteries and charge it at night (which is definitely better and less wasteful) but the battery life still isn’t incredible. I wish it could charge without any batteries!
Photo Examples
I’ve taken all of my favorite photos from the last few months on my Paper Shoot. Here are some examples I’ve posted on my Instagram:
Do you have a paper shoot camera? What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below!