NEWS: Flashback Start-Up Blends Disposable Nostalgia and Digital Sustainability With the ONE35 Camera

A new tech startup based in Australia has launched an innovative “non-disposable disposable” camera, the ONE35. Flashback founders Kelric Mullen and Mackenzie Salisbury have built a digital camera that looks exactly like a disposable film camera.

The design purposely excludes a screen, comes “pre-loaded” with 27 exposures, and takes 24 hours to “develop” the film in their mobile app. Sustainability is top of mind for this company and the ONE35 is made from recycled plastic. Aiming to reduce the waste associated with disposable film cameras while still providing the nostalgic experience of analogue, Flashback hopes to provide a product people will love but also one that will inspire a movement to spend less time on the phone and more time living in the moment.

You might not know the Flashback ONE35 is a digital camera by looking at it. Perhaps the USB-C port might give it away but the remaining elements resemble a disposable film camera perfectly. There is no screen, only a simple viewfinder. A bright flash can be turned on through a switch in the front and an electrical readout on the top tells users how many exposures they have left. The winding mechanism and shutter release are both mechanical. Focus is fixed, just as it would have been on a disposable.

“We’ve purposely removed the very concept that has made digital photography so valuable to date” asserts Mullen. In doing so, the group hopes to “bring a little romance back to everyday photography”.

After users have completed their allotted 27 exposures, these can be transferred wirelessly to a mobile phone app but they take 24 hours to “develop”. The mobile app also loads film rolls onto the camera and there are multiple film types to select from. Inspired by classic film stocks, Flashback has engineered these “film simulations” to be as close to the original look as possible.

“Our film types are developed with a careful eye on the chemical nature of photographic film. More than just a filter, each film actually constructs the photos from individual grains instead of pixels, giving an authentic retro look!”

Concerned with sustainability, the start-up has designed the camera to use recycled plastic, a rechargeable battery, and packaging made completely from cardboard. All firmware updates will be completed via the app with the promise of never making the ONE35 obsolete.

“The Flashback ONE35 was born partly as a reusable alternative to disposable cameras. We see no place for a single-use plastic product like this to be increasing in popularity in 2023. Worse than this, in our own country we found that disposable cameras aren’t recycled after being used: they’re simply thrown in the trash. Our vision is that wide adoption of Flashback can make disposable cameras obsolete, without sacrificing on the experience.”

Start-Up Success

Mullen and Salisbury started Flashback when they noticed many of their friends and people they knew using disposable cameras. Analogue photography’s popularity has surged with more people wanting a contrast to the lack of authenticity felt from use of filters on apps like Instagram and Tiktok. The two Flashback founders thought the use of throwaway plastic cameras was wasteful and wanted to offer an alternative solution.

“What started as two best friends with a crazy idea has grown into a team balanced with technical and design skills. We’re not experts in all areas, but we have made friends along the way and taken advice where we needed it.”

Campaign Details

Flashback’s ONE35 was funded within thirteen minutes on the day of opening the crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. There is a stretch goal for a new colour variation of the camera that will be unlocked at 1850 backers. At the moment, the Kickstarter is only 49 backers away from this.

While early bird offerings have sold out, you can still get a ONE35 with a pledge of AUS 125 which is roughly GBP 66. From there, additional pledge options are available with more accessories and benefits including a vegan leather case and branded lanyard.

Flashback waited a little longer to launch the Kickstarter because they wanted to have a working prototype manufactured in the same way as it would be in production in addition to having functional software. All that’s left to fulfil the campaign is a wireless certification, mobile app QA, and mass production tooling. Flashback notes that due to the volume of response to the campaign, things might take a little longer to scale up.

A Growing Movement

Flashback doesn’t only want to provide a sustainable solution to plastic waste but inspire and build a greater movement worldwide. They hope to encourage people to put their phones down and be more present in the moment.

“We see a world where people are more encouraged and empowered to truly experience the moment they’re in, free from the filters, free from the pressure, and free from the unreasonable expectation to always capture the perfect shot.”

The Kickstarter campaign runs until July 4, 2023, and can be found here. Follow Flashback on Instagram and Tiktok for updates as well.

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