Review of the Diana F+ with Sample Photos using Lomography LomoChrome Purple and LomoChrome Turquoise in St. Lucia! | Teaming Up with Lomography to Save 120 film!

 

(By using the links and/or codes below it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

When Lomography contacted me about a collaboration with them to help save 120 film, I was more than happy to contribute in any way that I could! I didn’t realize 120 film was endangered, so it was definitely a bummer to hear that. 120 film is a huge part of my life as a photographer and I can’t imagine a world without it, to be honest! You all know that I’m obsessed with the Holga camera and that I specifically like shooting square format 120 film. Well, Lomography has the Diana F+, which I would consider a sort of sister camera to the Holga. Most photographers are either Team Holga or Team Diana. I’ve actually had my Diana F+ for a least a decade, but I had a 35mm back on it for years, to sort of differentiate it from my Holga. But it ended up sitting on a shelf for the last handful of years (which I will say, it’s very cute up on a shelf)! Lomography was wondering if I’d be willing to shoot their 120 LomoChrome Purple and LomoChrome Turquoise film with the Diana F+, and I was so excited! As much as I love the Holga, I’ve been interested in trying out some other 120 cameras lately just for something new and fresh. I switched the 35mm back on the Diana F+ to the 120 back and took it with me on a recent trip to St. Lucia with my family! You can also check out my YouTube video about the Diana F+ in St. Lucia here!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DIANA F+

The original Diana camera was produced in the 1960s but only lasted until about the 1970s due to newer cameras coming into the market. It was an affordable box camera with limited controls and was really more of a novelty or gift item. But it became a bit of a cult classic when photographers like Mark Sink began using it to capture images of celebrities like Andy Warhol in the 1980s! Lomography decided to bring it back and created their own version, the Diana F+, in 2007. The Diana F+ is known for it’s lo-fi artistic, soft focus and vignetted corners that add a dreamy, surreal quality to the images.

MAIN FEATURES

The Diana F+ is super simple and easy to use once you get the hang of it. As with all toy cameras, they are very lightweight, often have a plastic lens and body and aren’t particularly sturdy. Toy cameras are typically known for their light leaks, loose-winding film rolls and blurred images. However, all you need is a bit of patience and you’ll discover the magic of the camera! The Diana F+ has four aperture settings (f8, f11, f16, pinhole), two shutter speed options (1/60, Bulb) an optional flash and a tripod mount. My favorite feature, of course, is that it can do multiple exposures! Since it requires manual film-advance, you can take as many photos over top of each other as you’d like before advancing to the next frame. Part of the fun of toy cameras though, is that you often forget whether you’ve advanced the film or not. This can end up with unexpected double exposures, which personally I’m always here for.

Diana F+ // Double Exposure // Lomography LomoChrome Purple Film

PROS

Considering the Holga is my favorite camera in the world, the Diana F+ is essentially right up there with it. The only problem is that I haven’t given the Diana F+ a fair shot! I sort of attached myself to the Holga and didn’t look back. But after trying out a few film rolls for this collaboration with Lomography, I have a newfound love for it and can’t wait to bring it with me on my next trip! I’ll be heading to Portugal in May and I’m hoping I can squeeze it in my bag!

I consider the fact that it is lightweight a huge pro for me. I travel a lot and I’m always looking for cameras that are light and easy to carry around. The Diana F+ fits easily into my bag and doesn’t weight it down. I also love that it has an interchangeable back so that I can switch to 35mm whenever I get tired of 120. Or if I have my Holga set up with 120 film, I can go with 35mm in the Diana F+ to keep things interesting. The 35mm back might be hard to find these days, though you may be able to find them on eBay here if they’re available. But the Diana Mini takes 35mm film and is super fun and cute! There’s also a Diana Instant (Fujifilm Instant Square film) and a Diana Baby 110 if you prefer those film formats instead! You can also try out the Diana Instant Deluxe Kit which comes with all sorts of fun lenses and filters to get experimental with. I bought one of their older deluxe kits that featured the 120 version of the camera with a 35mm back when I purchased my Diana F+ years ago and it was totally worth it. I personally love the Fisheye lens! You can try to find one of those older deluxe kits on eBay here.

Diana F+ Fisheye Lens // Lomography LomoChrome Purple Film

In my opinion, it’s everything about this camera that makes it great. The soft, dreamy focus and blurry vignetting. The cute, shiny, colorful housing and fun lens options. The multiple exposure and pinhole features. The adorable flash and gel filters. The lightweight body and various options for film format (35 mm, 120, 110 and instant film). Ugh, it’s just everything all at once and I love it.

Diana F+ with 35mm back // Double Exposure

Diana F+ with 35mm back

Diana F+ with 35mm back // Double Exposure


CONS

For some people, toy cameras in general just might not be their thing. They aren’t super reliable because they’re unpredictable and finicky. But that’s kind of the fun of the whole thing! Some of the main issues of these cameras include light leaks, loose film rolls and blurry images. To avoid light leaks, always make sure to load and unload your film in a dark place and definitely not in direct sunlight (unless you’re like me and enjoy taking that risk to see what happens)!

Diana F+ Pinhole Setting // Light Leaked // Lomography LomoChrome Turquoise Film

For the loose film rolls, that’s sort of part of the game. If you load your film to be quite tight in the first place, it tends to help. And when you’re advancing to the next frame, it’s best to wind somewhat slowly so that it winds tightly. With the Holga, I’ve learned to insert a small piece of thick paper underneath the take-up spool to help. I haven’t quite figured out how to manage it with the Diana F+ yet, but I’ll let you know when I do!

To prevent blurry images, make sure you’re shooting in bright sunlight and that you hold the camera as still as possible. You can also use a 400 ISO film to bring a little more light into your images. However, just know that the higher ISO you go, the more grainy your film will be. I always take a 100 ISO film if I’m headed to the beach or a bright location, and a 400 ISO film if it’s a cloudy day or if I’ll be shooting indoors at all. You can also use the flash to help prevent image blur and to brighten your images if you’re in a dark environment.

Diana F+ 120 // Neopan Acros 100 // Flash // Fisheye Lens

Diana F+ 120 // Neopan Acros 100 // Flash // Fisheye Lens

FINAL THOUGHTS

One of the best things about the Diana F+ is that you can be a beginner, amateur or professional photographer and the camera is still just as much of a mystery to use. It takes patience, creativity and an open mind to experience it’s magic. But believe me, it’s worth it. My favorite moment is life is when I’ve created an incredible multiple exposure with the Diana F+ or Holga camera. It’s an experience that I believe every photographer at every level should have. It forces you to be creative and try new things.

For my collaboration with Lomography, they sent me a roll of LomoChrome Purple and LomoChrome Turquoise to try out with the Diana F+. I’ve included all of my favorite photos from my trip below using these films, as well as a handful of my fav images I’ve taken in the past with the Diana F+.

WHERE TO BUY

Diana F+ 120 camera on Amazon

Diana Mini 35 mm camera with flash on Amazon

Diana F+ Instant Square Deluxe Kit on Amazon

Diana Baby 110 on eBay

FILM RECOMMENDATIONS

Lomography LomoChrome Purple Film (35mm & 120)

Lomography LomoChrome Turquoise Film (35mm & 120)

Lomography Color 400 120 film on Amazon

Kodak Gold 200 120 film on Amazon

Thanks so much for stopping by! And don’t forget to stop by my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a lovely day!

<3 Myles Katherine

 

Review of the Pentax PC35AF-M with Sample Photos in Boston & Salem, Massachusetts

 

(By using the links and/or codes below it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

To be honest, I have no idea where my Pentax PC35AF-M came from. It just showed up in my camera collection one day. I think I might have picked it up in a thrift store but I’m not sure! For years, I kind of skipped over it, choosing other cameras instead when I’d pack my camera bag. Recently, I was cleaning out my office and stumbled across it again. When I opened the lens cover, I realized the lens was a 2.8F lens. It made me wonder why I hadn’t given this camera a chance yet! So I loaded it up with a roll of 35mm film and took it with me on a recent trip to Boston & Salem, Massachusetts. I even took it with me to a few fashion shoots I had in Portland, Oregon but somehow I lost that roll of film. I’m pretty devastated about that because I’ve never lost a roll of film. Maybe I’ll come across it one of these days. Or maybe I somehow shot over it and will end up with a roll of double exposures. I sure hope so!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PENTAX PC35AF-M

The Pentax PC35AF-M is a 35mm point and shoot autofocus compact camera produced by Asahi Optical Corporation in Japan. It was originally released in 1984, which doesn’t sound that old for a vintage camera, but these days that means it’s 40 years old! In my opinion, they seem to hold up very nicely because of their solid build. The PC35AF-M was a follow-up to the original version of the camera, the Pentax PC35AF. The only difference was a motorized film-advance. The PC35AF was Pentax’s first autofocus compact camera, which is pretty amazing considering how well these little cameras have held up.

INITIAL THOUGHTS

So far, I’m pretty impressed with this camera. It doesn’t look like much but it seems to be becoming a bit of a cult classic in the camera community. It’s still relatively affordable though ($50-200) and I’d recommend scooping one up while you can. You can find them on eBay and places like Mercari. The lens is incredibly sharp for the price and it has quite a heavy, sturdy body for its size. I think this camera still flies under the radar though and I’ve heard of people picking them up in thrift stores for next to nothing. Hopefully you’ll be one of the lucky ones that finds one this way!

FEATURES

If you’re a fan of compact, easy-to-use 35mm point and shoot cameras, this one definitely won’t disappoint. The shutter button makes a strangely satisfying electronic sound and the photos are quite sharp for the price point of this camera. The autofocus system is different than others when it comes to point and shoots, in that you have a bit more control over the subject distance. If you partially depress the shutter button, it shows you in the viewfinder which subject distance it’s choosing. If you decide to change subjects, you can remove your finger from the shutter and redepress the button for the new focusing distance.

I love that is has a pop-up flash. There’s a fun little red button on the side that you pull down and the flash just shoots right up! It gives you a bit more control over the flash, rather than it just popping up on its own when you’re in a low light situation like some other point and shoots. When I was in Boston, I’d bring this camera out with me every night. Since it had a flash and a 2.8F lens, it does pretty well in most lighting conditions and makes a fun nighttime camera.

This camera also has a self-timer, a back-light feature, an ISO switch and automatic film advance. The battery compartment tends to pop open but I just make sure to tape it and I don’t have any problems. It just takes two AA batteries which is super nice. It’s such a pain when I pick up a camera that takes some weird, hard-to-find battery.

The only downside for me, personally, is that there is no multiple exposure feature. There is a rewind switch on the bottom of the camera though, so you could always rewind the film and shoot over it for that effect. I just prefer to have a built-in multiple exposure option.

SIZE & WEIGHT

This camera is great as a grab-and-go or for street photography. It’s somewhat inconspicuous, though maybe a bit too large to fit in a pants pocket. I had no trouble fitting it in my coat pocket, but it does leave a hefty and questionable lump! To me though, this camera is small because I’m used to dragging around giant cameras. It’s surprisingly heavy for it’s size, 12.2 ounces. The older version of the camera, the PC35-AF, weighs a little less though because it doesn’t have that motorized film advance.

ISSUES & FAULTS

Overall, I haven’t noticed anything terribly faulty with it. I did have an issue with the most recent roll of film I shot with it, though. For some reason, I was having trouble getting the film to wind back all the way after I was done with the roll, so when I opened the back I ended up light-leaking a few images. It doesn’t really bother me because I love light leaked photos, but I do want to figure out what happened. I plan on paying more attention the next time I use the camera so I can fix it!

As I mentioned previously, the fact that it doesn’t have a multiple exposure option is an issue for me, but that’s not a dealbreaker for everyone.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you come across a Pentax PC35AF-M, definitely don’t leave it behind. With such a sharp lens, this makes a great addition to any camera collection. Plus, the fact that it is so sturdy and substantial leads me to believe that these little cameras will last quite a while. Not to mention that it comes with a built-in springloaded lens cover that helps to protect that 2.8 lens. I haven’t experiemented with the back light feature yet, but I think it’s really going to come in handy if I ever remember to use it!

WHERE TO BUY

eBay

KEH Camera

Poshmark

Here are a few of my favorite film options:

Kodak Gold 200

Lomography Color 400

Lomography Color 100

Kodak Portra 160

Kodak Portra 400

Kodak Colorplus 200

I’m going to think twice before leaving this camera behind now. I like to keep at least one 35mm point and shoot camera in my bag at all times and I think it’s going to be fighting in the battle with my Contax T2, to be honest. My Contax isn’t always the most reliable. Plus, if I lose it while I’m traveling I’m out quite a substantial amount of money. Luckily, the Pentax PC35AF-M is affordable and more easily replaced.

I’ve shared a few of my favorite images from this camera so far, but I’ll be sure to add more to this post as I use it more!

Thanks so much for stopping by! And don’t forget to stop by my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :)

<3 Myles Katherine

SAMPLE PHOTOS (click to enlarge):