A Little Guide for All Diana F+ Lovers

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A few days ago I started wondering how to use my Diana F+ with 35 mm film without the Diana 35 mm Back, so I just started looking in the Lomography community for a tipster on how to do it. After a few clicks here and there I found a nice one showing how to properly do it. It was good until I noticed that in order to get the frames to space evenly I had to remember how many turns per frame or clicks per frame. So, all I had to do was carry a small chart with the numbers… easy, right? No, it is a really long list that is a bit hard to carry around all the time.

Then I wanted to know what was the proper exposure times I had to use when using the pinhole option. Again I started looking through the community for another tipster and I found an excellent one that had all the info I needed. Again, a long list of numbers I had to carry around! So, this list thing is getting a bit crazy don’t you think? I know, the articles recommend to put them in your neck strap but seriously, it’s starting to look more like a notepad than a neck strap.

I also did a search on Lomography and found a great tipster giving all the numbers and how you could put it on the neck strap. yeah, why not? it’s a long strap, right? Wrong! By now the strap is full with the information of pinhole exposure times and knob turns to each frame. So, it got me thinking.

How can I have all that information handy every time I need it? The answer came in the form of a card I mean – we all carry some sort of card at all times right? Debit or credit card, and maybe an employee ID. We always have it handy in the wallet or purse. So I came up with a handy card size guide with all that information to print and laminate that I hope you’ll find useful.

Thanks to esmondsit for the article A Proper 35mm Film Mod for Diana F+, gm_mcleod for the article A Pinhole Exposure Guide Neck Strap, and pandaisdead for the article Diana F Users Can Have an Aperture Around Their Neck.

Capture your memories in classic soft-focused squares! Get your Diana F+ from our online shop or from one of our worldwide gallery stores.

2012-02-01 #gear #tutorials #camera #aperture #exposure #guide #tipster #hand-craft #diana-f-top-tipster

Mentioned Product

Lomography Diana F+

Take timeless and dramatic photos on 120 film with the Diana F+. Create stunning soft-focused images and customize it with sweet lenses or even an instant back for additional effects and flexibility.

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17 Comments

wolkers · 2012-02-01 12:17
Did you cover the window at the back? That is extremely important when using 35mm film due to the missing paper back. The light coming through that tiny little window can ruin your entire film... trust me, I'm unfortunately quite experienced in that... ;)
skrutt · 2012-02-01 15:46
Great guide! I dont own a Diana F - yet - but I have a Holga that Im gonna use a 35mm film with. And I will take a look around and see if I have the same clicks as it is on the Diana. Will save your little info-card! :D
nightmare_696 · 2012-02-01 17:33
very useful!! I'll try it!!
I normally use 35mm but I do 1 and half turns o 1 and 1/4.
wolkers · 2012-02-01 18:37
I've got the 35mm Back, which is really worth its money. I've actually treated myself with an amazing Diana F+ Deluxe Kit. And the 35mm Back is real magic, if you use another lens (like Super Wide or Telephoto) on it. But well 35mm Back or no 35mm Back, the whole guide on aperture and shutter speed is extremely helpful, especially for beginners. :)
wolkers · 2012-02-01 18:59
I can recommend that 35mm Back to everyone, especially if you're living somewhere in Bavaria, where your enemy No.1 using 120 Film. That's basically why I started using only 35mm Film. I've had a Holga 35mm Back and the one for the Diana, and the Diana Back is really worth its money as you can rewind the film in the camera and so you can shoot away without minding about how many frames are left. So if you got the piggies/money, I can recommend your investment :D
neanderthalis · 2012-02-01 19:53
That is a fun guide and a great cheat sheet for pinhole. I have to agree with @wolkers . That 35mm back is a little gift from heaven. I like it for travel because I can carry one camera and could use either 120 or put the back on and use 35 just as easy. I like 120, but trying to find a developer or more film stock is a pain at times. I also like to match the 38mm lens with 35mm film.
wolkers · 2012-02-01 20:06
@neanderthalis: My first lab gave me - exuse my language - a royal pain in the ass. Those dudes wouldn't develop square format! At least I found a lab now, that can develop all my screwed films, my doubles, my b/ws, my redscales. But buying 120 Film here is like looking for snowflakes in the Sahara, developing such films would probably cost around 10-20 Euros (I'm paying 2.30€ for a usual film with prints) and that is hardly ever affordable for a excessive shooter like me.
Also beginners love 35mm film, because it's cheap and easy to use, and to get started with all analogue.
And I basically always interchange between instants and 35mm film
freepeanuts · 2012-02-02 14:01
this is really awesome! thanks!
runefox · 2012-02-02 15:38
Great little cheat sheet, thanks for sharing! I've been carrying around a little notebook with stuff in for ages, but this makes much more sense than my scribbles :D
cheesus · 2012-02-02 22:40
Does this really work?
cheesus · 2012-02-02 22:40
well i mean the film part
joseman · 2012-02-12 20:36
I'm so happy with this tipster!. 4 days before my vacations to the beach, this guide made my day. It will be really helpful for me. Thanks!
skinnyrencie · 2012-02-23 07:09
Using 35mm in medium format cameras is tricky but you made it a lot easier! Thanks for posting this :-)
freyfrey · 2012-04-02 09:15
I love you! great tipstering!
alvarorubio · 2013-11-24 20:11
Very useful tipster!! It answers all the questions beginners like me have. It'll come in handy. Thanks a lot :)
spookydirt · 2014-01-14 22:19
got a Diana f+ coming in post this week - your chart is going to be *so* useful! many thanks!
france_pance · 2015-09-28 02:15
I'm guessing printing out this card would also require remembering how many shots you've already taken? Or does it tell you somehow?