Having trouble loading film in your new Diana Mini? Here we have a simple tutorial on how to properly load your film to ensure perfect shots every time.
If you love your digital camera but are getting more serious in photography, you probably purchased the mini (or a camera similar) to expand your photography capabilities. Or if you used film in the past and are deciding to get back into this wonderful style. You are probably here for the same reason.
Loading the film in a diana mini could be very confusing when you first purchase it. But once you learn the easy way it couldn’t be simpler. The first thing you should do is take a couple of blank shots to ensure everything is working properly.
Slip off the back cover with the lever that says lomography on the bottom, put the new roll of 35mm film on the left side facing down, pull some film across the camera and align it with the sprockets till it goes past the yellow line. But you should still make sure you don’t pull a lot of film out because the spindle will not be able to grab your film.
After you have the film aligned on the sprockets, turn the advance wheel in the direction the arrow is pointing. It may take a couple tries to get the film spinning properly, this causes the most trouble even for experienced lomographers. I usually give it a half turn to make sure its advancing the film right and don’t end up with a mess at the end.
Once you set the film and its advancing correctly, make sure to always double check the film is still sitting on the sensor sprocket “right under the viewfinder”. Once everything is good you just flip the pressure plate back, slip the cover on making sure its closed properly and your ready to shoot!
Once you shot the entire roll and are ready to get your lomographs developed, press the reset button which is the little pin on the bottom right-hand side you will hear a click. Pull out the handle for the film rewind and gently spin it. Be careful in this step there shouldn’t be any resistance. If there is resistance, hold the reset button down the entire time while you rewind the film.
Have fun shooting with your Diana Mini we hope this little directional worked for everyone!
