Has anyone had any experience with one of these cameras?
If that link is not working, it’s for a Lomography Diana+Aviator plastic medium format camera being sold on urbanoutfitters.com. I’m curious about these, but have not really heard of them before.
Anybody? Beuhler?
SEMI-Automatic 
October 1, 2009 at 4:34 pm
WILDLY overpriced. Here’s a direct link that may work:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=16606592&itemdescription=true&navAction=jump
Basically just a hipster camera for medium-format work. My take on it is that 120 is so expensive and rare already that it’s not worth running through a plasticam, especially when you could get an armload of inexpensive 35mm cameras at Goodwill for that kind of cash, and be able to get them developed at a typical 1-hour place.
I got a Lomo 35mm colorcam as a gift, and it’s cool, but it’s not $50 cool.
October 1, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Nope.
A year or so ago I was intrigued by a chinese manufactured Holga 120 format camera. It is new as well, all plastic, so seems similar to this Diana+Aviator.
Around here (midwest), I’d have trouble finding any 120 format film, let alone trying to find someone to develop it (and I wasn’t quite into setting up my own film lab), so I removed it from my serious contention.
The Holga’s can be found for about half the price of that Lomography one…just thinking that if you are looking for a cheap medium format camera, you may find better luck with a Holga.
October 1, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I haven’t taken the toy camera plunge either, but I have a number of nice 120 format cameras that I have used, including a Bronica ETRS and a Yashicamat LM.
The thing with 120 film is to buy from a place like Freestyle photo, via the interwebs, and then send it out for processing. Or, if it’s B/W, you can develop at home (as I do), then scan or (as I do) print in the darkroom.
I think of these types of cameras as keeping 120 film alive, which is a good thing. However, I don’t think there’s much special about Diana or Holga cameras otherwise, especially if you price a used 120 folder or Brownie-style 120 box camera, or even an older TLR on the auction sites.
~Joe
October 1, 2009 at 10:24 pm
1950s medium-format cameras that were el-cheapo even when they were new turn up all the time at thrift stores and flea markets. With the Lomography craze, you’re spending extra for a camera that deliberately takes bad pictures!
If you want to explore no-frills medium-format, my recommendation is to find a Brownie Hawkeye Flash. They’re everywhere, inexpensive (I wouldn’t pay more than $10 for one), you look cool carrying one around, and if you get to feeling artsy you can flip the lens around for a funky effect.
October 2, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Can you still buy the flash bulbs for that?
October 3, 2009 at 2:56 am
Doubtful. But I’ve accumulated a mess of ’em over time. I never use flash anyway. The long exposure setting is way more fun anyway.
October 2, 2009 at 12:01 am
I’d forgotten about lens-flipping. You should be able to come into a cheap pseudo-TLR camera and do this yourself. I have an old Argus 75 around here that I use for through-the-viewfinder shots, and I just flipped the taking lens around in about 15 minutes using an eyeglass screwdriver and a little wiggling. I think the camera set me back maybe $5? And it takes 620 film, which is the same size as 120.