The Diana came about in the early 1960’s: a plastic camera with a square mask to create 4 x 4cm square images on 120 film. Because it was essentially as simple a camera as one could make — it was plastic, prone to light leaks, and inexpensive — it was considered a “toy” camera. Originating in Hong Kong and mostly given away at public entertainment events such as fairs and carnivals, these cameras have since ended up all over the world and continue to have a cult following. With their light leaks and a variable number of other imperfections, many photographers claim that no two Diana cameras are alike, in the same way that no two photographers have the same “eye.” The result is a poor quality, vignetted, low contrast, and often blurry image. Typically these were less than desirable qualities of a camera in the minds of most photographers, but the Diana changed that. It caused hobbyists and professional photographers alike to think a little less about every shot, to let happen what was going to happen, to let go of some of the control of how to image would turn out, and to “shoot from the hip”. (more…)