The Fujicolor Utsurundesu 1600 Hi-Speed (officially marketed in Japan as Fujicolor 写ルンです 1600 Hi・Speed), an analog single-use camera from the Japanese manufacturer Fujifilm. It was a special model within the well-known Utsurundesu product series (often sold outside Japan under the name QuickSnap), as it was equipped with a high-speed film and an unusually short shutter speed for a disposable camera.
Features and Design
The technical design of the model differed in several key aspects from conventional standard models with ISO 400 films. Inside was a color negative film with a very high light sensitivity of ISO 1600. This highly sensitive film allowed shooting in difficult lighting conditions, at dusk, or indoors.
The Fujifilm Fujicolor Utsurundesu 1600 Hi-Speed featured a single-element plastic lens. The combination of the light-sensitive film and the small aperture allowed for considerable depth of field. The focus range extended from 0.8 meters to infinity in daylight. The shutter operated at a fixed speed.
Operation and Flash Control
On the front of the camera is a vertical slide switch to control the built-in flash. It is marked with the Japanese characters for On (入) and Off (切).
The flash is powered by an internal battery. According to the specifications on the back of the housing, the effective flash range was between 0.8 and 6 meters.
The back of the camera provides the user with detailed, illustrated operating instructions in Japanese. A small window on the top shows the number of remaining exposures, which for this specific model was limited to 27 frames.
Historical Context and End of Production
Since high-speed color negative films are complex to manufacture and demand declined with the advance of digitalization, Fujifilm discontinued production of this model and the associated film batches.
Film Development
As is common with disposable cameras, after all frames are exposed, the entire housing is handed over to a photo lab. There, the camera is opened, the film is removed and developed using the standardized C41 process, while the empty plastic parts are recycled as part of the manufacturer's own recycling program.
Today, unopened remaining stocks of this model are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts of analog specialty films, as the high-speed ISO 1600 color film is no longer produced.
