Diana Camera

A Diana Camera, also known as a “toy camera,” is an inexpensive, base quality camera. Housed in a plastic body, the traditional Diana camera was made in Hong Kong during the 1960s and 1970s. Soon after the Hong Kong model of the Diana camera was produced, many other companies came out with their own versions of this toy camera.

While later variations of the Diana camera could take 6 cm x 6 cm pictures, the original models took up to sixteen pictures that are 4 cm x 4 cm. Consequently, these cameras tended to waste film.

Because of the poor quality plastic used, light would often infiltrate the camera, damaging the film. Similarly, the lens of the Diana cameras were sub-par, producing fuzzy photos or pictures without much contrasts.

Because these crude cameras were generally considered toys, they were generally given to children. In fact, most Diana cameras became prizes at fairs, amusement parks or parades. Yet, they were occasionally used by more adept photographers to produce various aesthetic effects.

Photos taken by Diana cameras tend to be blurry with heavy vignetting (a photography term describing heavier blurring at the edges of the picture).