Even if you are a strict devotee to digital photography, you owe it to yourself to try using a Diana+ camera. The Diana+ camera is used extensively in a style of photography known
as lomography. Lomography encourages a "shoot from the hip" style where there is no set up or significant thought for the photo. It sounds like something that you can do with any type of camera, right? Well, kind of; you can recreate the effect of a lomography camera in Photoshop but it really is not the same thing. Here are just a few reasons why every photographer should invest in a Diana+ or other comparable camera.
It is a throwback: The Diana+ is a recreation of the Diana camera that was produced in China in the sixties. The new Diana+ has the same all plastic construction as the original. The body is plastic, the viewfinder is plastic, even the lens is plastic. And the operation is sixties simple; just guess at the distance you are shooting (either 1-2m, 2-4m, or 4-infinity) and then choose how much exposure you want and boom, you're done. The only downside of the antiquated camera is the antiquated film it uses; 120mm. But after shoot a few rolls of film you quickly adapt to the odd film size and ratios.
K.I.S.S: "Keep It Super Simple." This motto had to be in mind when the designers built this camera. Do you want to take a double exposure? Just click the shutter twice; you do not have to worry about some fancy set up with this camera. Feel like a nice panorama? There is a film mask included that lets you take an endless panorama (and a tripod mount to keep things steady).
Ease of Approach: If you ever take photographs of crowds or people in public places you may have noticed that it can be difficult to get strangers to pose or do anything but hurry away from your big camera. The Diana+ is somehow different, it is small, plastic, and it looks like a toy. Maybe it is because nobody can take this little thing seriously, but I have never had an issue with people purposefully avoiding this camera.
It is a throwback: The Diana+ is a recreation of the Diana camera that was produced in China in the sixties. The new Diana+ has the same all plastic construction as the original. The body is plastic, the viewfinder is plastic, even the lens is plastic. And the operation is sixties simple; just guess at the distance you are shooting (either 1-2m, 2-4m, or 4-infinity) and then choose how much exposure you want and boom, you're done. The only downside of the antiquated camera is the antiquated film it uses; 120mm. But after shoot a few rolls of film you quickly adapt to the odd film size and ratios.
K.I.S.S: "Keep It Super Simple." This motto had to be in mind when the designers built this camera. Do you want to take a double exposure? Just click the shutter twice; you do not have to worry about some fancy set up with this camera. Feel like a nice panorama? There is a film mask included that lets you take an endless panorama (and a tripod mount to keep things steady).
Ease of Approach: If you ever take photographs of crowds or people in public places you may have noticed that it can be difficult to get strangers to pose or do anything but hurry away from your big camera. The Diana+ is somehow different, it is small, plastic, and it looks like a toy. Maybe it is because nobody can take this little thing seriously, but I have never had an issue with people purposefully avoiding this camera.
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Gabrielle Manimtim
07/21/2009
I have a Diana F+ camera myself and I'm just getting into lomography. I agree with all of those shining points, great article!
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