Lomography

Diana Mini Review by OuroborosX
written by ouroborosx on August 21st, 2009 , 15 comments (11 votes)

Where do I even begin to explain the awesomeness of this little camera. First of all, let’s start with her style. Diana Mini is simply adorable. When I got the first sample to shoot with, I tried to keep the camera on the downlow, because I knew that when people saw her they’d get a little too excited to keep her a secret. When I showed the camera to the girls at work, they started squealing… no joke. It’s just too cute to see this little camera that looks like a big camera… it’s like the big camera’s baby, if that makes any sense. Add the flash to the Diana Mini and the cuteness just goes through the roof.

But this is a camera review, not a fashion show, right? Well, looks are where Diana Mini’s size ends, because when it comes to shooting, this camera packs a serious punch. We have all heard the wonders of the two formats, square and half-frame, and no joke, that’s just an awesome combo. You can switch formats mid-roll, which seriously rules. You can also completely ignore the stops (well, not completely—don’t plow through the stops because you could break your camera). You can shoot continuous panoramic, because each time you release the shutter, it resets the stops. So shooting on square mode, your stops can be shorter than the camera stops, and thus the Dianarama effect can be achieved very easily.

Also, let’s not forget that you have some nice control with this camera. You can shoot two aperture settings, and normal and bulb for those long exposures. And of course, let’s never forget multiple-exposure. This little beauty handles them like a giant.

Loading the film is simple, and when she’s packed with a juicy roll of 35mm xpro film, she just seems happy. Solid, tight, sexy, ready for anything. She fits in your pocket, in your bag under a book (sometimes I reach deep into my Sidekick bag and I can barely find her because she’s hiding under another camera).

And then there is that awesome click. I have to say, I have never shot with a camera with a more satisfying shutter release than the Diana Mini. Wait till you try it, you’ll see.

All in all, this is a MAJOR addition to the Lomography camera collection. Truly a must have camera. Get ready to be enchanted by Diana Mini.

Check out some of my first photos. Hope you enjoy.

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