Tag Archives: Retro

Diana Mini Review : Ultra compact abet challenging fun

Irony shot on instagram from 2013
Diana Mini ironically captured on instagram. In classic Blue black

The Diana Mini has been one of Lomography Society International (LSI) best-selling products and is a gorgeous re-imaging of their simple 120 film Diana F+ in mini form taking 35mm film. But like its big brother, it is a camera of 2 halves good and bad. But do those halves balance out in this toy class manual shooter ?

Continue reading Diana Mini Review : Ultra compact abet challenging fun

Diana F+ Review : Or How I Learned to love the Plastic bomb

Diana F+ Edelweiss Variant
Diana F+ Edelweiss Variant (note plastic chuck on left for wedging shutter open in bulb

Lomography’s plastic classic left me strangely disappointed when it arrived. I’d been impressed by its little brother, the Diana Mini, but this seemed a shoddier affair and worryingly idiosyncratic. However a few rolls later and I’m warming to it. Continue reading Diana F+ Review : Or How I Learned to love the Plastic bomb

Halina 3000 Review : Stylish re-invention or outdated Junk

The Halina 3000 and it’s unmetered siblings the 1000 and 2000 have the gorgeous retro  silver and black look that is so en vogue at the moment in modern camera styling. Oddly their underpinnings are actually more 60’s rather than 70’s when they were sold. But is it any good ? Continue reading Halina 3000 Review : Stylish re-invention or outdated Junk

Halina 6-4 Review: Point and shoot 120 class with Pilkington Glass

Halina 6-4 120 roll film camera
Halina 6-4 120 roll film camera. Note kickstand under lens

This 120 roll film camera is a bit of an oddity for Haking a company with a TLR (Halina A1) and a smattering of pseudo TLRs (e.g. the Halina Viceroy. But it perhaps serves as model for how Haking cameras were to become in the 35mm age and the styling is more like a 35mm than 120 film camera of the era.

And for a basic 120 film P&S, it is pretty good. Continue reading Halina 6-4 Review: Point and shoot 120 class with Pilkington Glass

Halina 1000 Review – 70’s plastic fun to take on the Diana Mini

Halina 1000
Halina 1000

The Halina 1000 is wee bit of an oddity.  Launched in the 70’s it was  the little sis of the  Halina 2000 & Halina 3000. Unlike those  scale focus, multiple settings cameras, the Halina 1000 was pretty much all plastic fixed focus fun with minimal settings. Pretty basic by the standards of the day but now presents sharper alternative to the Diana Mini in the Toy Camera class. Continue reading Halina 1000 Review – 70’s plastic fun to take on the Diana Mini