
When I began using a plastic camera my choices were either the Diana or the Holga. Simply put I chose the Holga because I read that it produced less light leaks. I’ve been using the Holga now for 5 years and I've only recently purchased a Diana F+. In my opinion there are huge difference between them least of all the aesthetics.
The Holga is a simpler and sturdier camera, and I find more reliable in producing images. Although I’m still learning the Diana, and in the early stages, I’ve burned through a lot of film just trying to achieve a good negative. The Diana has more settings, and I find that the cloudy, partly-cloudy, and sunny settings are not accurate when paired with the suggested iso 400 film.
I’ve been following the iso 400 rule, and setting the camera according to the recommendations for lighting outside, sometimes with a flash and sometimes not. I will only say that I’ve reached the point where I’m done burning up film. It’s expensive, and the weight of failure is trying. What’s my solution? The basics of the no rules rule and do my own thing with a notebook and iso 125 film – in other words I’m starting from scratch.
I do like the Diana F+ it seems to produce dreamier images than the Holga, and I haven’t noticed any light leaks yet; so there is the hope that once I crack the exposure and distance code uniquely branded to my Diana, then I can use it as the quick-shot camera that I bought it for - people. I don’t think that I’ll ever have the courage to let it bump around my bag like the Holga because I wouldn’t want to damage any of its settings levers or cause them to break off.
Re-load, deep breath and round 2.
The Holga is a simpler and sturdier camera, and I find more reliable in producing images. Although I’m still learning the Diana, and in the early stages, I’ve burned through a lot of film just trying to achieve a good negative. The Diana has more settings, and I find that the cloudy, partly-cloudy, and sunny settings are not accurate when paired with the suggested iso 400 film.
I’ve been following the iso 400 rule, and setting the camera according to the recommendations for lighting outside, sometimes with a flash and sometimes not. I will only say that I’ve reached the point where I’m done burning up film. It’s expensive, and the weight of failure is trying. What’s my solution? The basics of the no rules rule and do my own thing with a notebook and iso 125 film – in other words I’m starting from scratch.
I do like the Diana F+ it seems to produce dreamier images than the Holga, and I haven’t noticed any light leaks yet; so there is the hope that once I crack the exposure and distance code uniquely branded to my Diana, then I can use it as the quick-shot camera that I bought it for - people. I don’t think that I’ll ever have the courage to let it bump around my bag like the Holga because I wouldn’t want to damage any of its settings levers or cause them to break off.
Re-load, deep breath and round 2.