Diana F+ by Lomography & Illustration

lomography diana f (buy similar)
After much debate about whether to get the Instax Mini by Fujifilm or the Diana F by Lomography, I decided to buy the lovely Diana F from Urban Outfitters back in the Summer. I knew this wouldn't be something I used all the time so I opted for the cheaper choice and I did prefer the look of it. I finally went to get the film developed a couple of weeks back and was really excited to see how they would turn out. My plan was to write a small review alongside the developed photos that I really wanted to share with you all. Now, here is when I tell you about my disappointment. The film was completely blank. Yes. Blank.

So, all I can do is give you my honest opinion on the camera and show you a fabulous illustration drawn especially for me by SP Apparel, which can now be bought on jumpers, tees and tote bags here.

illustration: sp apparel
I don't want this review to come across all grumpy, so here are a lists of pros and cons, for a quick (and slightly less negative) review. For those of you who don't want to know about the camera, I hope you enjoyed the illustration of the pug!
Pros
Appearance. The look of the Diana F was definitely the selling point for me. It comes in a variety of colours and I chose mint green because who doesn't love pastel colours?

Creativity. If you know how to use the camera (I thought I did, but apparently not) you can produce some amazing photographs and unlike polaroid cameras, you have a lot more creative rein over your photos.

Cons
Feels Cheap. The camera looks sweet and all, but once I handled it, it felt cheap and not durable in the slightest. Almost feels like a kids toy, like a fake camera or something.

Fiddly. I'm unexperienced with these type of cameras so I wasn't bothered when I had to look up on YouTube 'how to insert the film', but using it just annoyed me to hell and back. You're meant to be able to see on the numbers on the film through a hole in the back of the camera, but I couldn't (maybe I just had dodgy film) therefore every time I wanted to take a new photograph, I had to take the back off, twist the film round and pop the case back on, which sometimes got jammed.

Getting Film Developed. Initially the camera is cheaper than the Instax Mini but the expenses soon add up when you have to buy more film and on top of that pay to get it developed. At least with polaroid cameras you're photos are instantly developed. Also, not everywhere develops the film needed for the Diana F which makes life a little more difficult.

Overall, I don't recommend this camera, unless you're confident in using it and you'll make the most of it. I now have the Instax Mini by Fujifilm and love it to bits.

Have you got one of these cameras or one similar? What's been your experience with them?