The Queen of Hearts isn't the only one capable of beheading! Diana is another lady adept at it. Here are a couple of simple tips to help avoid the problem of chopping people's heads off.
Quite lucky this one, only a small amount of the head is chopped off, not a complete decapitation.
No names mentioned, but it turns out I’m not the only one who, time after time, uses my Diana F+ as a deadly weapon. Anyone who’s used Holgas and Dianas very quickly realises that the viewfinder isn’t accurate. With the Diana, as the viewfinder is above the lens, it’s normally off by being too high — with close ups, this means heads get chopped off.
The problem is called the parallax effect—the viewfinder can only be truly correct at one fixed distance from the camera, and as you get closer, it gets less correct. Because the amount changes over distance, there isn’t a truly solid solution. However, what I do, if I know I’m shooting portraits, is put a tiny bit of masking tape over the very top of the viewfinder.
This doesn’t solve the problem, but it does remind me of it. Then when I’m about to take a photo I aim, and lift up a little, just a little. You’ll need to practice this!
One last word, this technique also works wonderfully for when you want to use your 35mm back, I use two bits of tape for that to obscure the extra that doesn’t get shot!
The Diana F+ is a new twist on the ‘60s classic cult camera. Famous for its dreamy and soft-focused images, the Diana F+ is now packed with extra features such as panorama and pinhole capabilities. Available in our Online Shop.
7 comments
neanderthalis
Great tip. I see you have treated your Diana to a case.
adam_g2000
@neanderthalis I always do, I figure that the cases protect them and that in the end it's cheap insurance! ;)
neanderthalis
@adam_g2000 the case looks good. I know putting cases on them is something I should be doing more. Looking forward to more of your tips articles.
juliaperalta89
carlota_nonnumquam
This is a really great tip! Thanks! :)
furn7973
Good thinking, Batman!
vo1cem