Is the Diana+ Glass Lens Worth It?

In 2015, Lomography introduced their 75 mm glass lens unit for the Diana+ series of cameras.  Like anything from Lomography, you have to wade through the hyperbole and decide if the latest and greatest thing from them is worth a dent in your checking account.  As lenses, go, it's relatively inexpensive - $49 from Lomography, and perhaps cheaper from resellers.   I acquired mine last year, and initially, I used it with the Diana to Nikon F-mount adapter.  Results were okay, and certainly better than the plastic meniscus Diana lens.  After all, the Diana + glass lens has three coated elements!  It's also a much better built unit than the plastic lens.  Everything about it seems to be more robust.   To use it, you unlock the plastic lens from the barrel, and replace it with the new lens.  Easy.  However, even with a 35 mm frame, you lose the vignetting effect that the lenses give on 120 film.  I finally replaced the old lens on my Diana+ with the new glass lens, and shot a roll with it a few weeks ago.   

I like the Diana+ Glass lens a lot.  I used the smaller frame mask in the camera, which is about 42 mm square, same as the original Dianas.  I did not see much vignetting, so the next roll will be used with the larger mask, to give a 46.5 mm square.  One of the things I enjoy about the Diana+ is its ease of use and versatility.  Lomography gets full marks for taking a fairly basic toy camera and making into a system.

Here are a few scans from the negatives. All but one are from the Vance Birthplace Historic Site near Weaverville, NC.  I used expired Kodak Tmax 400.  It had been a while since I had used the Diana+, and now it's back in my bag for more adventures. Is the Glass Lens worth it? I think so.  

on my deck.