Topic: Making a Diana more "stealthy"

[astrobeck]

I need to make my Diana more "stealthy"....
I would like to take the top off and make the clicker a bit quieter when winding on. 

Is the top easy to remove or will the cheap-o plastic break to bits being it seems so brittle??

I have a vintage Diana and not one of the newer Lomo ones.

any help is greatly appreciated!!!   

Becky

[charles binns]

Interesting request - I use my vintage Diana and clones for multiple exposures and the noise of the switch clicking is deafening.  No idea how you deadent he noise though, I suspect that you can't - without ruining the camera, anyway.

[astrobeck]

I think it might be a lost cause as far as even trying it without breaking it to smithereens.....

It's just that a few weeks ago I was in a chapel taking photos and the sound of the winding was obnoxious! Thank goodness there wasn't anyone inside!

[charles binns]

I know the feeling -  the noise from multiple exposures is irritating and distracting to say the least.

Mind you if anyone can come up with a suggestion it'll be someone on this forum!

[astrobeck]

and oddly, I once read an interview with Nancy Rexroth, and she said she like the sound of it.....

[Sandeha Lynch]

If you can remove the shutter housing you might be able to do this quite easily.  Right now I'm hacking an Empire Junior and I guess the Diana has a similar kind of swinging plate on a single spring?  If so, have a look at the buffer posts that the shutter tabs knock against at the end of each cycle.  They'll either be hard plastic or metal.   If you look at it with the shutter on bulb it might be easier to see what's happening.  Anyway, if you can 'wrap' those posts with a sliver of wood or a casing of rubber (think electrical sheathing) it will be quieter.  Just be most careful not to interfere with the spring in any way.  Then, while you've got the back open you might lay in some insulation on all the available interior sides, to deaden all vibration - perhaps with bicycle tube rubber or similar.

[Flippy]

I think they're talking about the racheting noise the film advance knob makes...

There is this great camera called the Halina Prefect. Silent winding knob, reflex viewing - very stealth. Lots of vignetting and toy camera goodness. Might be the perfect alternative to a Diana.

[Sandeha Lynch]

Ha ... you're right.

Still, no problem fixing the 'other' while in there.   

[Volker]

Maybe you like this idea :-)

http://www.picturedujour.com/2008/05/30/how-to-make-a-sound-blimp-for-your-camera/67

[Francois]

Actually, on the Diana, I suspect that the ratchet is what prevents the film from winding backwards. Remove it and you'll have spooling problems.
The most quiet winding I ever saw was from old Kodak box brownies. They use a friction plate instead of the ratchet. The only way I can think of making a Diana quiet is to remove the advance knob from a Kodak box and somehow put it on the Diana... never obvious.

[astrobeck]

Holy smokes, a sound blimp! I never heard of such a thing....!
I have a Pelican case but can't bring myself to drill holes in it although having a very cool Pelican pinhole camera would be uber cool.   

I suspect you're right Francois about the ratchet keeping the film from spooling backwards...but I thought if I could easily get in there, I could possibly replace whatever it is making the sound with something less noisy and still maintain the integrity of the Diana.

This all sounds silly to me now, mentioning integrity in the same sentence with a plastic Diana...what am I thinking?!?!?

Oh well, I'll probably just leave it alone for now.  It has the sweetest sweet spot of any camera I have so can't really bear the thought of wrecking it.

Thanks for all the tips though...and who knows, an easy solution may still present itself.

 
 

[gary m]

Could get crazy and cut a Diana lens off and put it on another camera like I did with this Dacora. Winds quitely but stills has that Diana shutter click!

[Francois]

Well, there's always ear muffs

I know a trick of the point and shoot artists. Many cameras won't advance the film until you release the button. So many would simply place the camera in their jacket to wind the film.

[Jack Johnson]

Could get crazy and cut a Diana lens off and put it on another camera like I did with this Dacora. Winds quitely but stills has that Diana shutter click!

Love it!

[astrobeck]

Well, there's always ear muffs

I know a trick of the point and shoot artists. Many cameras won't advance the film until you release the button. So many would simply place the camera in their jacket to wind the film.

then I'd need a periscope to stick in my jacket to see the red window.......

[sapata]

It's just that a few weeks ago I was in a chapel taking photos and the sound of the winding was obnoxious! Thank goodness there wasn't anyone inside!

you've made my day!!

HA! I guess I'm the only one here that likes that noise!!   There's nothing more toy than that sound and I miss when I' using my Holga... but I must admit I've never experienced the feeling of taking pictures with a Diana inside a chapel.

All my original Dianas e clones and my Holga won't preven't the film going backwards even if it's slightly, I have a piece of gaffer tape on the top of the knob to prevent this annoying thing