Before Princess Diana conquered the hearts of many people, there was already a Diana who made the hearts (of photographers) beat faster. We are talking about the Diana plastic cameras.
As Diana is a family of plastic cameras. These were built by the Great Wall Plastic Factory in Hong Kong in the 1950s-1960s. The models were then sold under different names. Some, due to their low cost, were also distributed as promotional gifts.
The photos with the Diana are characterized by blur, vignetting, light leaks and distortion. This is what makes it so charming. She is therefore considered one of the founders of the Toy Camera movement. Decades later, a new edition of the camera was introduced by Lomography, the Diana F+.
The functions are generally very similar. Biggest difference is with the Diana-F, these models have a port for a flash.
The lens of the Diana cannot be replaced. There is no exact specification for the focal length of the camera. Depending on the specimen, there are also slight variations. Quality control, if it existed at all, was a bit lax on the plastic meniscus lens. There is no autofocus on the medium format camera. You have to manually focus on the subject. Focusing is done in three-stage zone focus. The closest focusing distance is 120 cm.
The correct exposure cannot be measured by the camera because it does not have a light meter. Some models do have a selenium exposure cell. But this is a dummy without any function.
There are not many setting options anyway. For exposure times, you can choose between a fixed shutter speed and bulb mode. Batteries are not necessary for the medium format camera. It works fully mechanically.
Films for the Diana
The Diana is designed for medium format. This type of film is still produced by some manufacturers. A good choice for color and black and white images is made, for example, with the Kodak Portra 400* and the Ilford Delta 400*.
The exposure of the film is in 6x6 format, with most models exposing closer to 4x4. A roll of film has room for twelve or sixteen exposures with this film format. The film is manually wound for the next photo.
Other names
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Acme
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Altic
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Anny
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Anny Hot Shoe
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Anny/Reader's Digest
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Arrow
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Asiana
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Avis
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Banier
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Banner
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Barri-Shelli
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Bergere de France
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Binaflex
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Candy
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Codeg
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Conforama
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Debonair
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Debro
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Debutante
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Denhill
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Diana Classic
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Diana JC Penney model
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Diana Squirt Novelty
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Dionne F2
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Edco
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Ellis Excellent
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Flocon RF
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Future Scientist Flash
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GE/Kierluff Electronics
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GenericExcellent
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Generic camoflage
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Globe
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Gray Line
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Harrow
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Harrow DeLuxe
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Jojaflex
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Justen
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Knips
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Lina
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Lina S
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Mark L
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Marwin
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Megomatic
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Merit
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NORTH AMERICAN Champion
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Olivia
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Panax
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Pioneer
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Playtime Candid Camera
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Pokey
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Raleigh
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Rand
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Readers Digest
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Reliance
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Revue
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Rosko
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Rosko Hot Shoe
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Rover
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Samtoy
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Sarco-Flex
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Shakeys
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Sinomax
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Snappy
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Stellar
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Traceflex
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True-View
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Valiant
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Windsor
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Zip Instant Load
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Zodiac
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Acme F
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Dories F
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Hi-Flash F
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Lina F
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Megomatic F
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Rover F
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Stellar F
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Windsor F
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Zip Instant Load F
