I been wanting to try the instant cameras from Diana and see what is has to offer. So far, I am more familiar with FujiFilm, Holga and Polaroid.
Lately, I hear reviews and news about Diana’s line of instant cameras and thus, I’m growing a little curious each day about this brand.
So finally and thankfully, I was given a chance to try three of their wonderful instant cameras.
These are Diana Mini 35mm Camera, Lomography Glitter Diana Mini Camera and Diana Mini Gold.
In this post, I’ll give you a general glimpse of what these cameras has to offer along with their advantages and disadvantages. Take a look!
1. Diana Mini 35mm Camera
This camera is truly “mini” in size. It’s actually small enough to be put in a purse or even in big pockets. At first glance, it may look like a toy, but it can actually create high quality images. Here are some of its features.
- Standard development process
- 35mm film
- Switch between 36 square full-frame and 72 rectangular half frame
- Exposure setting
- Tripod mount
- Can be used with Diana flash
- Comes with carry strap, lens cap, manual, “Shoot Forever” book
- Made of tough plastic
- 1-year limited warranty
Pros
- Exposure – you can choose what type of exposure setting you would like. You can choose among the different exposure settings such as ‘cloudy’ and ‘sunny’. The ‘B’ and ‘N’ are for the shutter option. I used ‘B’ to have prolonged exposure as the shutter will stay open as long as I put my finger on the button. The ‘N’ option serves for the automatic shots. These settings are great, which gives you more freedom in manipulating your photo.
- Portability – I love the fact that I can travel light with this camera. Since it is ‘mini’, it means that I can bring it almost anywhere I would love to. I can take photos almost anytime and anywhere since it’s very portable.
Cons
- No flash – at this point, you need to know the fact that the camera does not have flash. I know that the promotional photos of the Diana Mini may seem like it has a flash, but it’s quite misleading. You need to buy the Diana flash first to enjoy the benefit of flash and taking pictures under a low-light condition.
- Trouble with loading the film – this is kind of challenging especially for first-timers. I was looking at how it should be done and thankfully, I got my film rolling. If you’re not able to properly load the film, it will not advance correctly for the next shot. To make things worse, if this happens, it’s difficult to fix the problem without ruining the whole roll of film. So I suggest that you read the owner’s manual properly or suffer the consequences.
2. Glitter Diana Mini Camera
If you like to be trendy and even make your camera part of your fashion statement, then you might want this instant camera. It has a touch of glamour and looks real expensive as well. But of course, you can have this camera at the price less than $40. Check out some of its features below.
- Made of plastic and metal
- Can easily be wiped clean
- Length of 3.75 inches; height of 6 inches; width of 1 inch
Pros
- Fashionable looking – any girl would love this camera. It’s very compact and has an overlay of silver glitters. It is especially designed by the creative minds of Lomography.
- Rich in features – actually, this camera is almost the same with the normal Diana Mini 35mm. The main difference is the appearance of the camera. So you get to enjoy the features of the normal Diana Mini with this camera which includes long exposure settings, aperture setting and portability.
Cons
- Low resolution – this is expected for instant mini cameras. When it comes to image resolution, it is not as good as the digital cameras. Nevertheless, I think that’s the whole point with instant cameras. They lean more on the vintage side of photography.
- Plastic body – plastic may not be too effective when it comes to protecting your camera from damage. Even its lens is also plastic.
3. Diana Mini Gold Edition
This camera will surely add style and fashion to your photography. Coated with bright gold color, the Diana Mini camera will provide you vintage and great looking photos. You can use any 35 mm film to shoot photos. It has the following features:
- Chic chain strap
- “Shoot Forever” book
- Option of attaching Diana Flash (this is sold separately)
- Instruction manual
- Lens cap
- Colored gel flash filters
- Tripod mount
Pros
- Fashionable – there’s no many cameras today that’s colored gold, right? So you can surely bring this to your party or any event and be proud of its shining color. In addition to this, the gold color will make you extra fashionable and stylish.
- Unpredictable results – some people might not like this, but for me, I love how it can produce different shades of color and sometimes, unpredictable results. It’s just one of the unique features of Diana Instant cameras. So if you’re a photographer looking for a stable camera, I won’t recommend this to you.
Cons
- Loading the film – before using this camera, I read other people’s review and most of them are talking about the difficulty on how to load the film. I wasn’t so convinced about the argument, until I tried it myself. Of course, because of my experience with camera, I handled the problem easily. But for newbie, I think you need to be extra careful on loading the film. READ the instruction manual thoroughly to avoid future problems.
- Too small – I know this is an advantage of itself, but sometimes, it can easily turn to a disadvantage. Since it is smaller, there is higher chance that it will be lost. In addition to this, the gold appearance of the camera may invite thieves. So you better be careful where you put it.
- Flash is huge – well, the flash is made huge because Diana would like to mimic the vintage cameras. But because it’s too big, the camera will even tip over when you carry it with your strap. Apart from that, the flash is powerful and functional.
Conclusion
Now that you have the three best sellers of Diana Mini cameras, I’m sure that you have a general idea of what to expect. Each of the cameras offers unique features. So it is up to you to identify your real need and preference to make the right decision.