Topic: Strange diana lens

[al]

Another week hunched over a hot scanner trying to wade through several months of films. 

I took a new (well new to me) Diana clone on a couple of interesting trips this summer and after scanning several rather dull 36exp 135's I was looking forward to the two diana rolls.  Now, every diana I have used previously, while they all had their little individual quirks, produced roughly the same effect.  Not this one!  It's sharper around the edges and is out of focus in the centre!   Sounds quite interesting, but it's a bit annoying when you snapped off a couple of rolls only to find that the bits you hoped would be in focus aren't... and the bits you'd hoped would provide some tasty bokeh are nice and sharp    It wasn't a total disaster, there were a few happy accidents because of this effect but it's reminded me to always shoot a test roll before taking a new bit of kit away on holiday - twice!!


I was playing around with the shots in photoshop and noticed how the lens characteristics vary with light colour across the lens, here's an example:


Original colour scan.  Note the blured shutters in the middle



Monochrome + Red filter applied in photoshop.  Note the centre area looking very blury and the scroll in the top right corner looking reasonably sharp (for a plastic lens!!)



Monochrome + Blue filter applied in photoshop.  The centre is now sharper, the scroll in the top right is less sharp than with the red filter



So I need to find a nice cheap supply of ortho film for this camera!  Alternatively, with a red & blue filter I can select the lens focusing for each shot 

[hookstrapped]

I had one like that.  Oh well...

[Ed Wenn]

This is why many of us go through several Dianas/clones before deciding which one is the keeper. A bit like Marshalls, no two are the same. The blur in the middle is a bummer though. Retro photographic sell Ortho film, BTW.

[al]

This is why many of us go through several Dianas/clones before deciding which one is the keeper. A bit like Marshalls, no two are the same. The blur in the middle is a bummer though. Retro photographic sell Ortho film, BTW.

Exactly, but you still expect that most Marshalls will give a vaugely British valve sound... this was like plugging in having the notes come out backwards!      

I have my favourite one but I tend not to risk it on dodgy stag weekends (although this turned out to be the most civilised stag do ever!)

Still, the odd effect did give a nice tilt shift feel to this otherwise pretty basic tourist snap

[Ed Wenn]

Agree. It works really well in this last one.