Topic: Diana Flipped lens

[gregor]

A few months back I flipped the lens on one of my Dianas. Using it selectively it looks like it will work out nicely for some shots.  From the top photo down,  #1 & #2 below, the tunnel vision effect is a bit intense (for my tastes).  3 & 4 are much more to my liking.  Here's a few to enjoy and/or critique:

Gregor




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[hookstrapped]

I like these a lot.  The great tonality of the images helps.

How do you flip the lens?

[gregor]

Hi hookstrapped:

I removed the lens barrel on one Diana, and pried it apart to get the lens out, and one another Diana I also removed the lens barrel and cracked the lens so I could remove it. Then put the barrel back on the 2nd diana, securing the flipped lens with a couple of very small drops of super glue (super glue tends to spread out and turn white so the amount I used was very small). 

The diana lens isn't easy to remove as it sits in a groove in the barrel. If you're much more patient than me you could use one diana, carefully splitting the barrel in a clean break and patch that back together with superglue after flipping the lens and placing into the groove.

[Hannah]

Oh, I love it!

[hookstrapped]

Hi hookstrapped:

I removed the lens barrel on one Diana, and pried it apart to get the lens out, and one another Diana I also removed the lens barrel and cracked the lens so I could remove it. Then put the barrel back on the 2nd diana, securing the flipped lens with a couple of very small drops of super glue (super glue tends to spread out and turn white so the amount I used was very small). 

The diana lens isn't easy to remove as it sits in a groove in the barrel. If you're much more patient than me you could use one diana, carefully splitting the barrel in a clean break and patch that back together with superglue after flipping the lens and placing into the groove.

Thanks.  I have an old camera toss casualty that I can use, plus another that I don't like the lens forward.

[beck]

I've flipped out on my Diana once and didn't really care for the results. These don't really do anything for me but I will say good try. Maybe with a different subject matter and the like I will. I cannot help but think the nicer and groovier results one gets with a BHF (Brownie). Now I have seen some really nice work from some of those cameras. I say poke around and try to win my socks over with something more solid. I will buy lunch.

[gregor]

I'll agree that the brownie shots I've seen have a better feel to them.  This was my first moderate modification of the diana (other than standard add ons like CU and other filters).

This is the 1st roll and I doubt I'll use it much.  I am pretty fond of the low light interior shot of the bed - but that's likely because it's personal - my cat, my bed. But it has a certain resonance beyond the personal.

Thanks for the comments Rebecca.

[Stu]

I like the last two in particular. I think because it feels more successful if noticeable but subtle.
Draws your eye in, rather than takeing over the shot.

I may have to give it a go.

[hookstrapped]

I tried my hand at this with an old Diana-F and am intrigued by the results.  Thanks for the inspiration!

[hookstrapped]

A couple more...  Wow, I really like this.  Have you done any portraits with yours?

[moominsean]

i've flipped lenses on various cameras before and, like beck, it doesn't do a whole lot for me. doesn't offend me or anything, it's just not a working blur, i think. or it's just too much blur. a bit contrived.
but still fun to play around. when you flip a holga lens, you ned to be within a couple feet of your subject or it's all just blurry.

this shot is a flipped banner lens in a holga.

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[gregor]

No portraits but if you do I'd pull back to about 10 feet (on my camera at least since the tunnel vision effect is so severe - yours looks less so).

I'm liking what your doing. the last two work for me, and especially the B&W !

[hookstrapped]

No portraits but if you do I'd pull back to about 10 feet (on my camera at least since the tunnel vision effect is so severe - yours looks less so).

I'm liking what your doing. the last two work for me, and especially the B&W !

Thanks.

I was talking to Beck over at toycamera about the variation in the amount of tunnel vision / edge smear.  Yours is pretty pronounced; mine less so, and the example Beck posted even less so.  I was thinking the only variable in the mod is the distance the lens ends up from the film plane.  I just twisted the lens out with its housing from the focus threads.  Then to prepare the flip, I cut away the threads with an exacto knife and placed the knurled lens housing into the hole.