Flashback One35 V2 Review: This Non-Disposable Digital Camera Is Chaotic Fun

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A hand holds a black and yellow point-and-shoot camera labeled "Flashback" over a wooden surface. "PetaPixel Reviews" text is visible in the lower left corner.

Lots of photographers might dismiss the Flashback One35 V2 as a gimmick; a digital non-disposable camera aimed at image-conscious Gen Z users more interested in aesthetics than artistry. That characterization, however, misses the mark.

There is a clear tension right now between the generations in photography: the Head of Instagram waded into it recently when he declared that camera manufacturers pursuing perfection are going in the wrong direction. I would imagine that he thinks Flashback, a startup from Australia, is just the antidote.

A clear competitor to Camp Snap, the Flashback One35 V2 costs just over $100, it’s incredibly light — sliding into just about any pocket — and most importantly, it’s very fun.

Before using the camera, I didn’t bother to check things like the focal length, the sensor size, or the resolution. Of those details, all I can tell you is that it has a 13-megapixel sensor. This camera isn’t about the specs, it’s about the vibes.

A man in a hoodie stands outside at night holding snow, surrounded by falling snowflakes and dimly lit by a soft light, with a snowy fence and plants in the background.

A large mechanical bull sculpture stands inside a modern building with circular skylights, surrounded by shops and people. The bull is dark with visible gears and wires, towering under the curved glass roof.

A dark, grainy photo shows three people dressed formally at night, and a clear image of a hand holding a black and yellow disposable camera labeled "Flashback.

The Flashback App

Since the camera looks exactly like one of the old disposable film cameras, it doesn’t have any controls other than the winder, the shutter button, and the flash. But it’s still a digital camera, so the accompanying Flashback app is a crucial component.

At the top of the app is My Camera. When Flashback One35 is turned on via the nostalgic winder, the camera appears there, and it tells you how much battery is left and how many shots are left on the current film.

This is also where you can choose from four film simulations: #flashbackclassic, #flashbackmono, #flashbackbeta, #flashbackcine. A self-timer is in the app, a handy little feature for when you’re taking a group photo that you would like to be in.

A mobile app screen shows a digital camera named "Flashback ONE3" with battery at 41% and 25/27 photos taken. Menu options include Self-Timer, Unload to Lab, and Change Film Type. Navigation tabs are on the left.

The app can be a little buggy; it crashed on my iPhone 16 on more than one occasion. Viewing the photos on the Gallery tab isn’t a great experience either; it’s far better to download them onto your device to view them there. But at least it organizes your photos into folders which tell you which film type you used and there’s a beta feature to have your “Negatives” exported to you — a useful feature for those who might want to build their own film recipes.

A smiling person in a gray hoodie and cap sits at a wooden table, holding a small brown dog. A remote control is on the table, and soft lighting illuminates a cozy indoor setting in the background.

A small dog wearing a sweater runs on snow-covered ground in front of an old stone amphitheater with bare trees in the background under a clear blue sky.

A person in a dark coat and hat stands in front of a large, glass-arched building illuminated with blue light at dusk, with tall buildings in the background against a purple sky.

A white, neoclassical-style building with tall columns and boarded-up windows. The word “VENO” is displayed in large letters on the roof. The building appears abandoned and is surrounded by barriers.

A narrow, winding street in a city, lined with old buildings and various shop signs. The road has a painted arrow and double yellow lines. Two people walk in the distance under overcast skies. The image is in black and white.

A small dog in a jacket stands on grass at night, looking at the camera. Leafless trees and tall grave markers are visible in the background, creating a moody atmosphere.

To Wait or Not to Wait

When you first get the camera, it’s set to Film Camera Mode, which means you have to wait 24 hours before you can see the photos. When I first got it, it was New Year’s Eve and I was with family and friends. I was excitedly shooting rolls and then going through the odd experience of waiting for the photos to be developed.

A mobile app screen shows messages about photo development status. Two notifications say "Your roll is being developed. Come back later to see your pics!" with 20 and 24 hours remaining. A note warns photos may be deleted if the app is uninstalled.

I wound up getting bored with this novelty and switched it to ‘Digicam Mode’ instead, which lets you see the photos as soon as you’re ready to unload them. Obviously, you can’t see the photos on the back of the screen (since there is no screen), so you still get an analog experience, which is nice.

A close-up of a hand holding a black and yellow digital caliper or measuring tool, displaying "25" on a small digital screen, over a wooden surface background.

Shooting Experience

Here’s my one major gripe: I’m a tall, 6-foot-4-inch man and my fingers are kind of long. I repeatedly got my middle finger in front of the lens. Even after I became aware of the problem, I just couldn’t help it.

A historic stone building with a clock tower is shown at sunset. The sky is clear, a few people walk along the path, and bare trees line the street. The top of the photo is slightly darkened by a shadow.

It got so bad that I started pressing the shutter with my middle finger instead of my index just to keep it out of the way. When shooting vertically, I used my thumb to trigger the shutter. But hey, an imposing digit on a photo is all part of the disposable camera charm, I think?

Black and white photo of the British Museum’s neoclassical facade, featuring tall columns, a pediment with sculptures, a flag on top, and people gathered at the entrance on a cloudy day.

Then there’s the framing: the viewfinder doesn’t really mean all that much. I mean, sure, you can look through it and see this distorted view of the world, but the crop and the composition aren’t closely related to what the lens is seeing. It’s better just to point and shoot; you look cooler doing that anyway.

The Photos

When you nail a photo on this camera, it’s undeniably nice. And to me, that is standing close enough to the subject so the flash illuminates them and the background is a couple of stops darker.

Three people, two women and one teenage boy, smile and pose together in a dimly lit room with walls covered in music and band posters, including ones for Black Sabbath and Acid Witch.

A person wearing a beanie, flannel shirt, and jeans is rollerblading on an indoor skate ramp, captured mid-air in motion blur. The setting appears to be an industrial skate park.

Two people in winter jackets and hats pose playfully outdoors at night, smiling and making expressive gestures toward the camera. The background is dark and not visible.

There were plenty of situations in which it didn’t do so well: the snow, for example, it really struggled to find the right exposure settings. But in most daylight settings it looked good enough. Obviously, with a smaller sensor, it doesn’t perform well in low light without the flash.

Two small dogs, one with dark fur and one with fluffy light fur, sit close together indoors. The image is overexposed, giving it a bright, washed-out appearance. Clothing and a window are visible in the background.

A dark cityscape at night with scattered lights from buildings and windows; tall skyscrapers are visible against the night sky.

Conclusion

I had great fun with this camera, and it caught the eye of many other people who were curious about this nostalgic and novel device. While it’s aimed at casual photographers who want to take nice pictures of their friends for social media, I think professional photographers could also use it… hear me out. Say you’re a wedding or an events photographer, it’s a great alternative camera that you could shoot a roll on, just as a little extra something for the client. Heck, you could even give the camera to a guest and let them run riot with it — the client might love it.

Nine retro-style cameras in various colors and designs, including beige, black, white, translucent, and models with colored stripes, are arranged neatly on a gray surface.

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