Instant lust.

I was texting one of my friends the other day, talking about how I'd keep in touch whilst I'm in Portugal and the discussion has led to what I consider a worthy blog post. You see I mentioned how our apartment doesn't have internet and I'm not sure if any local places will have free wi-fi. He casually dropped in the idea of letters which I was all for. And in reply I said it was a shame Polaroid film isn't as cheap as it used to be as I think it'd be a great idea to send a random snapshot with each letter. This led to a furious search online for the cheapest Polaroid film available with little luck. Thanks to The Impossible Project, Polaroid film is once again available to the masses. But only if those masses have money to burn. Even eBay is selling it for crazy prices. Being a very poor student type, I have zero pennies. So sadly a fresh pack of Polaroid film is out of the question for this holiday.

So I began to look into alternatives as I didn't wish to give up completely on the idea of instant snapshots to send to my friend.

The first alternative that came up is the Fujifilm Instax Mini. Although the camera itself is a little pricey, the film is considerably cheaper than Polaroid so it's an affordable option.

The prints are a dinky credit card size compared to the Polaroid classic square format. But that makes them perfectly wallet/purse sized. I think I'd probably end up filling my purse with my favourite snaps if I had this. You could also utilise them as on the spot business cards with the right pen to pop your contact details on. Much more fun and memorable than getting someone to jot down your email address on a scrap of paper. And how about it for giving your number to a person of romantic interest? I know with modern technology you can just put your number directly into someone's phone but what about a silly pic and your phone number scrawled along the edge? Far more interesting I'd say. How could anyone resist?

The only downside for me with the Instax is the idea of lugging around a third camera. I'm already gonna have my Canon and my Diana F+ (not to mention several accessories) in a bag at all times on this holiday so adding a third does not appeal.

So what's the alternative to a third camera? How about a different back for my Diana F+?

Yup awesomely enough the Lomography society have created the Diana Instant Back. This nifty bit of equipment simply turns my regular Diana F+ into an instant camera. And even better? It uses the same film at the Instax so once again the film is in my price range (well once I've got some money).

Now I know what you're thinking. How different can be it to carry the actual Instax camera around compared to the Diana Instant Back? Since I have neither I can't give you an exact answer but truthfully I suspect the difference isn't actually all that much. And surely it'd be easier to just snap pics with the Instax rather than fiddling with changing the back on the Diana F+? Yup probably. But do you get to change the lens with the Instax? Nope.

Now since I own the Diana F+ deluxe kit, I have all the various available lenses for it as well as two different flashes and the lens splitzer. This is why I was drawn to the deluxe kit in the first place, the full spectrum of accessories included. So whatever I put on the front of my Diana F+ would come out in the instant film. Fish eye? Yup. Wide Angle? Yup. Telephoto? Yup. It goes on. This obviously opens up the possibilities available when the Instant Back is applied. And you can see gallery proof of these on the Diana Instant Back microsite. Just look at those photos! I'm torn between fish eye and close up being my favourites.

So as you've probably worked out the Diana Instant Back is way more appealing to me than the Instax Mini. My mind boggles at all the crazy shots I could get and how much fun I'd have with it. Of course I'd be a bit worried about some shots not coming out right since I'm still figuring out the Diana F+ but that's always been a risk with instant film anyways. And is of course all part of the fun of analogue photography.

Sadly being the woefully poor student I am, I can't afford either of these at the moment but when the next lot of student loan comes rolling in, I may well consider in investing in the Diana Instant Back. Unless someone wants to lend me the money in the meantime? Anyone?

I'll leave that one with you ;)

Laters,

P x