The Diana Mini is the younger sister of the Diana F+. And it’s freakin’ adorable.

Diana cameras are often mentioned in the same breath as Holga cameras. I’ve loved my Holga 135 BC since 2011 when I found it in an Urban Outfitters as a newlywed strolling in Savannah, GA. Based on my undying affection for my Holga, it was a pretty safe bet that I’d love a Diana as well. I finally decided to take the bait when a new edition was released in mint green, my signature color.

Like a Holga, the Diana Mini is a plastic ‘toy’ camera. And, also like a Holga, the Diana was originally produced in Hong Kong in the 1960s. The original Diana was made by Great Wall Plastic Company. It was made so cheaply that it could be used as a promotional giveaway, the kind of thing you might win as a prize at the fair or find emblazoned with the logo of your local pizza shop. It also made an excellent little “intro camera” for photography students, the kind that never planned to take more than one class.

The newer versions of the Diana (including the Mini and the F+) are made by Lomography, a company that specializes in somewhat quirky gear and lo-fi results.

The film style known as ‘lomography’ emphasizes the imperfections and characteristics of analog films. Lomography leans into a soft focus and elements which would usually be considered ‘errors’, such as light leaks, color shifts, film grain, saturation changes, and vignettes. The Diana Mini excels at this style — with her plastic lens, low-fidelity nature, and light-leak prone body.

The Diana Mini uses 35mm film. This was my personal reason for choosing it over the larger 120 format Diana F+. As pretty as the larger Diana is, I don’t want to deal with the hassle of obtaining the (more expensive) 120 film. Nor did I particularly want to deal with figuring out how to MacGyver a way to load the 35mm film into a 120 slot (although, in true Richard Dean Anderson fashion, it is possible).

The Diana Mini admittedly feels a bit flimsy in the hands due to it’s tiny size, especially compared to my more solid Holga, and I do think the handling of the larger Diana might be more enjoyable. But the tiny and lightweight nature emphasizes that this camera is for play, not seriousness.

A small switch on the back of the camera toggles between half-frame photos or square format. You can swap formats at any point during the roll, although you might get some weird overlaps. I enjoy shooting half-frame (see my blog on the Kodak Ektar H35N here), so I will likely utilize the half-frame option most of the time.

The Diana Mini comes with a flash. The original Diana cameras sometimes did not come with a flash (a Diana F indicates flash included) and the flash is always removeable. The flash requires batteries, but the camera itself does not require power and is entirely manual. If planning to use the camera in bright light, you can remove the flash altogether and leave it at home. The focus is adjusted by twisting a small ring on the front of the camera (around the lens). This part is a little finicky especially compared to the satisfying turn of the focus knob on my Holga.

Nancy Rexroth, a photographer known for her photographs made with the Diana camera, once said that: “Plastic cameras are a simple and loving tonic for those who are frustrated and needing joy in their art work. How can you be at all serious, while using a camera that makes the sound of a wind-up toy every time you advance the film?” [Source: BlakeAndrews.Blogspot.com]

To make beautiful images, sometimes it’s not about perfect settings, lighting, or mechanisms. Joyful photographs require having a bit of fun.

I would certainly recommend the Diana Mini if you wanted to try a whimsical (and unpredictable) little tool for practicing 35mm photography.

You can find your own Diana Mini (or full-size Diana F+) at retailers such as B&H Photo. The original Diana cameras (for the die-hard enthusiast) often turn up in antique stores. You can also try GoodwillFinds.com. At the time of this blog post, GoodwillFinds had three Dianas for sale, all priced less than $30, including one still in the box.

See more of my Diana Mini images here.

"Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field." - Peter Adam