Fujifilm QuickSnap Active review: a fun waterproof disposable camera that’s missing one key feature

A refresh of a waterproof camera in Fujifilm’s phenomenally successful QuickSnap series of disposables, the QuickSnap Active is a one-use-only point-and-shoot. It may not look much like the disposables you may have grown up on, but it’s essentially the same deal – you get 27 exposures with fixed settings, and once you’re done, you send the camera off to be developed.

The key difference is that it’s encased in a hard plastic shell that makes the camera completely waterproof down to depths of up to 10m (33 feet). This, combined with the easy-to-use controls on the housing exterior, makes the Fujifilm QuickSnap Active a good candidate for beach visits, pool parties, boat trips and any number of other situations where it might get wet.

Fujifilm recommends it for snorkeling too, but – well, we’ll come onto that. I took the Fujifilm QuickSnap Active out for 27 frames to check out how it performed.

Specifications

Price

The Fujifilm QuickSnap Active is priced at $24.75 / £22.99 – a couple of dollars more expensive than Fujifilm’s other QuickSnap cameras like the recent QuickSnap Black and White. It’s also more expensive than the similarly waterproofed Kodak Sport, which goes for around $16 / £18.

Development is not included in the price, as it is with some disposables, but images can be processed easily via standard C41 color print film processing, so you should be able to get it done without spending too much more.

Design & handling

The Fujifilm QuickSnap Active is an immediately striking object – looking essentially like a disposable camera wrapped in a clear plastic bubble. The waterproof housing makes it a chunky proposition, though the curved edges make it easier to hold. It’s still not exactly what you’d call large – 170g isn’t heavy, and I found I could just about jam it into a pocket, albeit with some effort. The waterproofing definitely works; I gave it a complete soaking in rivers and fountains, with no ill effects suffered.

The controls on the exterior of the housing are much larger than they would be on a standard disposable, with the standard geared wind-on wheel at the rear replaced by an enormous green dial on the top, and the shutter button usurped by a press-down lever on the front of the camera. This makes the QuickSnap easier to operate in water, and also has the side-effect of making it easier for children to use.

The press-down lever makes the same downward movement regardless of whether you have wound the film on or not – you have to listen for the tell-tale shutter ‘clunk’ to be sure you’ve captured a photo. Also, unlike smaller disposables, it's a tricky camera to use one-handed – I found taking a selfie to be quite impractical.

While it’s waterproof down to depths of 10m, there is one major impediment to the idea of shooting underwater with the QuickSnap Active – it doesn’t have a flash! There’s no built-in flash to speak of, meaning you are totally reliant on available light. Anyone who has ever shot underwater will immediately be able to tell you that light diffuses quickly even in shallow water, and it’s all but necessary to bring your own. Sure, ISO 800 film and a slightly slower shutter speed (1/125 sec, as opposed to 1/140sec on the QuickSnap Black and White) will help a little – but they’ll only take you so far.

Accordingly, Fujifilm’s own promotional materials for the QuickSnap Active specify that you’re only really going to be able to shoot underwater with the camera in ‘Clear water in daylight on sunny days,’ and that is quite a few qualifiers, isn’t it? For my money, this is a better camera for beach trips and other situations where you just don’t want to have to worry about it getting wet, rather than for dedicated underwater shooting.

Performance

As mentioned, the QuickSnap Active uses ISO 800 film – Fujifilm doesn’t specify exactly what the stock is. I’d describe its colors as naturalistic with a touch of warmth – in pleasant daylight, the camera produces attractive images. The grain is pretty pronounced, noticeably more so than in Fujifilm’s ISO 400 disposables, but I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. Nobody who buys a disposable is gunning for tack sharpness, and many find grain to be desirable for the vibes.

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It does mean that details can get muddy quickly at distance, especially given that it’s working in tandem with a plastic lens, and in general, the closer you can get to your subjects the better. The slightly slower shutter speed means it’s also worth taking extra care to keep your hands steady, as a little camera-shake will produce images that are unappealingly blurred.

The aforementioned plastic lens is pretty gnarly – but you’d expect nothing else from a camera of this type. Photograph a subject with strong, straight lines and you’ll see pronounced bowing from the lens distortion. Corners of images are also pretty rough – but centre sharpness is decent enough. Ultimately, with a steady hand and good light, the Fujifilm QuickSnap Active is more than capable of producing good-looking images.

Not great-looking – it's a disposable. But good enough for $25? In my view, absolutely.

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Verdict

The list of requirements for a disposable camera is not very long, and the Fujifilm QuickSnap Active ticks them off. Its ISO 800 film produces images with warm, attractive colors, and its point-and-shoot operation is so easy that anyone can pick it up and use it. The layer of transparent armor that surrounds it means it’s safe to use at the beach, by the pool or on a rafting trip – even if I’m not quite convinced of its utility as an underwater camera, thanks to the lack of a flash.

Renewed interest in disposables has made the market more competitive and there are lots of alternatives jostling for your attention, including the Kodak Sport, which is actually waterproof down to deeper depths of 15m – though given that it also lacks a flash, you might struggle to get usable images all the way down there. Ultimately, it may come down to which camera’s images you prefer the look of.

Alternatives

We’ve discussed it plenty already, but the Kodak Sport is a very similar proposition available for a slightly lower price. Compare my images with Matthew’s and decide which look you prefer.

If you like the look from a disposable but aren’t keen on the waste, the Harman Reusable 35mm Film Camera can be reloaded, but it is not waterproof.