Dismissed as useless by pros, toy cameras are loved by many for their dreamlike results. Lee Osborne looks at the fun, lo-fi end of the photo spectrum

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a camera as “a device that consists of a lightproof chamber with an aperture fitted with a lens and a shutter, through which an image is projected onto a surface for recording”. Today I’m going to look at cameras that really challenge this definition, especially the “lightproof chamber” part. Welcome to the wacky, frustrating and hilarious world of toy cameras.

Toy cameras are real in that they work and create images, but they’re at the seriously cheap and nasty end of the camera spectrum, with flimsy construction, terrible plastic lenses, and unreliable mechanisms. Prone to randomly failing on the job and needing copious amounts of duct tape to make them functional, you’d wonder why anyone would bother – until you see what they can do. Creative photographers the world over use them for the strange, dreamy and unpredictable results they can create – and they’re a lot of fun. There are hundreds of models to choose from, but I’m going to focus (see what I did there?) on a couple of the most famous ones.

Diana and Her Sisters
The 1960s Diana camera started the craze for toy cameras among creative photographers. Made by Hong Kong’s Great Wall Plastic Factory, they were mostly exported to the UK and US, and were incredibly cheap. Lots of them ended up as promotional giveaways or competition prizes. The camera itself has a seriously bad plastic lens, and a flimsy plastic body with a distinctive blue upper section. You can very approximately control aperture and focus, but good luck with those things behaving predictably. The viewfinder is purely ornamental. The camera takes 120 roll film, giving you 16 square shots on a roll.

There are dozens of variants, sold under different names and with slightly different features, but that blue upper body is the unifying feature. My own Diana is called a Debonair. If you’re a compulsive collector, getting hold of all the variants will quickly become a lifelong quest.

The lens produces distorted and inconsistently focused images, with some very strange colours. Images are often affected by light leaks. So, obviously not to be used for accurate captures. But the Diana has long been a favourite with photographers who can make her vices into virtues. The San Francisco Art Institute even incorporated the Diana into its photography courses in the late sixties, with other establishments following suit.

It’s a tricky beast, and needs quite a lot of care in use. The best results can be had on bright sunny days with colour film, giving your shots a dreamy and timeless look that’s just unmistakable. Anyone serious about toy camera photography needs one of these.

A Camera for the People
Another product of Hong Kong, the Holga first appeared in 1982, marketed as an affordable camera for the Chinese working class. The most commonly available film in China at the time was 120, although 35mm Holgas were also made. It’s a squarer beast than the Diana, and shoots 12 images per film. The controls are even more basic on these, with the exposure switch needing a modification to the camera before it does anything at all. Rather hilariously, the lens barrel has OPTICAL LENS inscribed on it, as if there are other kinds.

The Spying Game
Just about anything made for the 110 film format can be considered a toy camera. These include cameras disguised as cigarette packets or beer cans – ones that make you feel like a spy. The tiny negative format guarantees grainy lo-fi results. Another favourite is the Coronet 4-4 Mark 2, known as the “British Diana”, which came with a brown plastic case notorious for its strange smell. Smaller in size, it uses the more unusual 127 film format, and I’ve had great results with mine. I bought it on eBay in 2015, and when it arrived, I discovered it contained a surprise – a partly used film inside. I was very curious to find out what was on it, so I found a specialist company to develop it. The results were amazing – eight shots of a retired couple on holiday in Eastbourne, clearly taken in the late sixties, seeing the light of day for the first time. The complete story and the pictures are on my blog: journeyman.online/eastbourne.

Resources
The big name in toy camera photography these days is Lomography (lomography.com), which produces films, cameras and accessories, including a modern replica Diana. There’s lots of cool stuff on their site, but some of it is very expensive. The best places for picking up cheap toycams are charity shops and car boot sales, but credit where it’s due – Lomography is the last remaining manufacturer of 110 film.
Another great site for camera reviews is Canny Cameras (austerityphoto.co.uk), which features both film and digital toycams.
Look out for the annual World Toy Camera Day (the third Sunday in October), when enthusiasts share images and often host get-togethers and photoshoots. The #worldtoycameraday hashtag can be found on all the usual social media platforms.
You can develop film yourself if you have suitable equipment, or use a mail order lab –honourable mention goes to Photo Hippo in Burnley (photohippo.co.uk) for producing great images from the endlessly abused rolls of film I’ve sent them.

This article is from Idler #111.

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