Saturday
Jan232010
Video: DIY 35mm, Part 2 - Unloading the camera
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 2:04PM DIY (do-it-yourself) 35mm for Diana or Holga is when you load 35mm film in a camera built for 120 film.
This Part 2 video demonstrates how to unload 35mm film from your 120 film camera. It doesn't matter if you have a Diana or Holga or whatever, the procedure is essentially the same.
I cannot overemphasize enough that your film is light sensitive. Do this procedure in complete darkness, as in a film changing bag or blacked out room (NO light). Otherwise, you will damage your film.
The first part of this procedure, DIY 35mm for Holga or Diana can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBiMV4QFZG4
Reader Comments (7)
Okay, here's my question for you: How do I take decent pictures indoors without the flash? I have a Diana Mini, and no matter what I do, the pictures just come out too dark. Any suggestions?
Hi Kristie- It is very difficult to shoot indoors without a flash. What is required is a fast lens, which the Diana does not have,maxing out at F/8. For comparison, a good 35mm slr can have a lens that can open up to F/1.4 or better which is a much larger aperture than what the Diana Mini has.
What does that mean? Let's say that in a room with a lamp or two on, the SLR requires an exposure of 1/4 of a sec, at F/1.4 on a ISO 200 film. To get an equivalent exposure with a Diana Mini with an aperture of F/8 would require a 2s exposure.
The F/stop progression goes like this.
F/1.4 - 1/4s, F/2.8 - 1/2s, F/5.6 -1s, F/8 - 2s
These are all equivalent exposures, under a hypothetical situation. The correct exposure in a real situation will depend on how much light is present.
Now, to get back to what it would take to shoot with the Diana Mini indoors. We can't change the lens, because we're stuck with f/8 being the fastest lens available. We can extend the exposure, but our only shutter option is N (1/100s) and B (open for as long as you hold the shutter down). You can use the B setting, but doing so will require a support of some kind. You need to brace the camera or mount it on something like a tripod. This will help reduce camera shake. You should also use a cable release, because pushing down on the shutter lever can also cause camera shake, which will give you blurry photos.
Another thing we can do to improve our chances of getting a photo is to increase the film sensitivity. Using a higher ISO film can help the Diana Mini get a better low-light exposure. Look for film with ISO 800 or 1600.
Awesome video! I still need to cover this on my blog as a lot of people are asking how to do it.
Nice new layout you have here as well
All the best
Durkin
You have no idea how much this helped me. You have good ideas with the clothespins. THank you so much!
peace
Maria.
Can the film be processed and printed normally at a film lab or drug store?
Hi J.A.,
The film can be processed at any 1-hour lab, but since the frames are wider than standard 35mm, and unevenly spaced, they won't be able to print them. For that, you will have to find a lab that has medium format (120 film) capabilities.
The best way to deal with it is to have the lab process and (IMPORTANT), not cut the negatives. Then scan them on your own scanner. This sounds expensive, but a refurbished flatbed scanner with medium format capability can be found for relatively low cost ($100-150). Do a google search for Epson Scanner Refurbished and click on the Epson.com links. Look for the Epson 4490 or v500. The cost of the scanner will quickly pay for itself after you have shot some rolls of film.
hi! i recently bought a diana mini and used three rolls of color negative 400, 100 and 200 35 mm film but when i developed it, the films were broken, most of the pictures were blank and some pictures couldn't be developed. what did i do wrong?