Diana F+ instant back problems

[ivalice92]

Hi guys, i've just started to use a diana F+ instant back. I finished a pack and 8 of them came out recognized. However there are some green strip on the photo and this is the same for all of them. like this one. So i duno whether there were not enough light for the film to be exposed or is there any problem with the film. Thank a lot

 

[cgipson1]

You get what you pay for..

I thought "hipsters" liked light leakage and blurry photos... Quote from a review: "Features: Classic/cheap plastic construction"

Review and giveaway: Lomo Diana F+ film camera with Instant Back | TechCrunch

 

[compur]

Diana & Holga and similar cameras are known for light leaks and often require taping up to seal them. What is expiration date of the film?

 

[ivalice92]

I used fujifilm instax mini expiring 08/2013. But you know after a night the leaked light became faded which is now like a small white spot

 

[Proteus617]

Damn. $164 for a DianaF and an instax back. The irony is that a roll of good 2inch gaff tape is around $18. $18 is around the price I paid for my last 2 or 3 Polaroid 250s. Either way, the solution to those light leaks is going to run you around $20.

 

[laurelch]

Hi guys, i've just started to use a diana F+ instant back. I finished a pack and 8 of them came out recognized. However there are some green strip on the photo and this is the same for all of them. View attachment 4782 like this one. So i duno whether there were not enough light for the film to be exposed or is there any problem with the film. Thank a lot

Hi there. I have had the same problems! Except that you can't see anything in my pictures, except those green lights. The one time I've had success with the Instant Back is this picture:


I'm rather fond of it, it was an accidental double exposure but those green lights are still there... and I don't know if they're light leaks or what. I took this image in complete darkness, using a ringflash with a blue filter on it. And this was very close to my face. Call me stupid, but I can't figure out if that means that I had TOO much light in all the other cases? Because the film is 800 speed, if I remember correctly. Have you found any solutions to this? I try different lighting and experiment, but they all turn out totally black with the green. If this one worked, I don't believe that it's all a light-leak problem, as some people have suggested here.

 

[limr]

Not enough light would cause the black prints. Is the shutter firing consistently? Are there exposure settings on a Diana and are they set for the proper speed? I don't know how the instant backs work on a Diana either, but maybe it's a faulty connection with the shutter. As for the green streaks - they do seem like light leaks to me.

Or just ditch it and get an actual Land Camera for a fraction of the cost

 

[vintagesnaps]

The settings on plastic and bakelite cameras usually give fewer options to adjust for exposure and may not do as well in lower or mixed lighting. I notice the first one seems to have been taken from in between buildings with brighter light above.

Maybe it'll take figuring out if there's a setting that would work better with the Polaroid back, probably one that would open up the lens more; or it might do better out in better more even lighting conditions. I wouldn't think the Fuji film that just expired would be going bad; the Impossible film in my experience has been more tricky to use (interesting, but experimental).

In the second case, what camera and settings were used for the photos that didn't turn out? In the one with the ringflash I'm guessing those spots could be light leaks. I got a 4 pack of small rolls of gaffer's tape in black, gray, and white; you could try covering the seams of the camera and see if that gives different results.

 

[georgeisabamf]

That's the beauty of the Diana and other toy cameras to me. Light leaks and other flaws are a benefit in my opinion.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I have fun experimenting sometimes, using plastic/bakelite cameras, Impossible film, etc. - I got an SX-70 and love using that camera, just had it out over the weekend. I think it just depends on what you're photographing and what type of look you want - the 'leakiness' is probably anyone's personal taste.