Holga camera - is it worth $20?

[JoeFriday]

I was flipping through a camera catalog last night and something caught my eye.. a medium format camera for less than $20, brand new.. the Holga

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the Holga name.. has anyone actually used one of these 'disposable, more or less' medium format abominations?

while looking up info online, I came across many enthusiasts who think they're fun to goof around with.. as one website describes it....

Takes 6.45 or 120 square formats
One 1/100 sec shutter speed (hey, who really needs more than one?)
2 f-stops, f8 & f11
Hot shoe for electronic flash (sorry, this one ain't dedicated)
60mm wide angle lens chock full of distortion, flare, soft edges and light falloff
Comes with a neck strap
Absolutely no guarantees from anyone
Mostly plastic, including the lens

of course I don't expect razor-sharp images, but 'artistic' comes to mind

here's the official website.. http://www.holgacamera.it/

comments of any sort are encouraged

 

[Pherdinand]

An old joke about Trabant and gasoline, paraphrased to fit your question:
How can you double the value of a Holga? Load it with film... 🙂

 

[Jason_K]

of course I don't expect razor-sharp images, but 'artistic' comes to mind

If you're looking for slightly soft, or very soft, artistic images I'd say it's worth $20. It's really a fun little camera - kind of like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. "You never know what you're going to get."

I've got some Holga images here:
http://www.sportsshooter.com/jkaye/slc/

There are some other websites that have info as well:
http://www.digitalsucks.com/

http://www.holgamods.com/

This one's really quite funny (it is, of course, a joke):
http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/leica-h/

 

[Pherdinand]

A photo.net member called s.liu has a large number of great photos taken with holga's and pinhole holga's. Look him up.

 

[Krasnaya_Zvezda]

I love my Holga. There is no other camera that I can think of (except the similar Diana) that you can look at the photo, and immediately identify what camera was used. I think the look of a Holga shot has an old-style quality to it that has a unique asthetic. You're right, they are much maligned, but great fun. And by the way, although it is supposed to have two f stops, that is incorrect. There is a switch on the camera to go from f8 to f11----- but it does nothing.
Hey, you can go even a step better and pick up a Holgaroid for $119, I've got one of those too. Holga with a polaroid back mounted on it. Shoots Type 80 film, hard to find except by purchasing online.
For 16 bucks, you can't go wrong. Get the Holga!
Some of my Holga shots attached.

 

[nihraguk]

superb shots , KZ - i haven't quite come up to that standard in terms of the photos i make with my holga.

got mine for around USD50 if i remember correctly and considered it quite a bargain, considering how much the lomographic society is trying to sell it for.

what i personally like about the holga is the fact that it forces you to not micromanage the shutterspeed/aperture... you just frame the shot (and hope that the VF is reasonably accurate), and overexpose rather than underexpose.

i got the Holga with the glass lens and flash -- but i'd suggest getting the one with the hotshoe instead, so that you can use whatever flash you want with it.

 

[pshinkaw]

My local camera shop has a stack of Holgas for about that price. I have never indulged in one beacsue I have this feeling that both of my Brownie Hawkeye's will do anything a Holga can do and might actually be better.

http://members.tripod.com/~CClemens/Brownie/Hawkeye.htm

-Paul

 

[David Eger]

here is my holga story and well since they are all a bit different take it as you will but I was driving to the camera store to drop off a roll of film and saw these huge leaf piles. I had my daughter with me and thought it might make a good picture to throw her in them. I bought a holga and some film and went and shot. I did leave in the 6.45 adapter for them and they look great (they are in my gallery) the next few rolls I removed the adapter and shot 6x6 (also in gallery) they look real cool. 1 roll the back fell off mid roll (film still came out cool) I then taped the back shut after that. anyway the roll I have in now has the two holes in the top of the film gate taped off so mabe this might cut down on the light leaks but again this camera Rocks. I used to be real picky about my images everything had to be perfect no scratches or dust. great exposure and clean lines. Then I started with the holga and it is a study in giving up almost all control. I just throw 400 speed film in the thing and shoot (half the time I don't change the setting on the camera to cloudy or sunny) I will say that the counter is weird on the back if you see the numbers next to the 16 you are shooting 6x6 and only have 12 pix but push the door down (it takes a bit of pressure0 and you are taking 16 for the 6.45. ) also I thought the pix sucked when I got them back from the lab but with a little time either in the dark room or in Photoshop the images can look real cool.. Check out my gallery for my holga pix...

get it it's so much fun...

 

[john neal]

You should definitely try the Holga, especially at $20. I have 3 and find them great fun.

Have a look over at www.toycamera.com to see some enthuisasts results, plus another great forum.

 

[Krasnaya_Zvezda]

superb shots , KZ - i haven't quite come up to that standard in terms of the photos i make with my holga.

got mine for around USD50 if i remember correctly and considered it quite a bargain, considering how much the lomographic society is trying to sell it for.

what i personally like about the holga is the fact that it forces you to not micromanage the shutterspeed/aperture... you just frame the shot (and hope that the VF is reasonably accurate), and overexpose rather than underexpose.

i got the Holga with the glass lens and flash -- but i'd suggest getting the one with the hotshoe instead, so that you can use whatever flash you want with it.

Thank you, nihraguk. I performed some of the recommended modifications to mine, such as painting the interior, adding some plastic film guides, plugging the inherent light leaks (some Holga users would cry "For shame!").
As for the one with the built in flash, I find it works ok--- but the batteries fall out of their compartment without some kind of restraining mechanism (tape). So I don't do flash with my Holgas.
You got the glass lens one, huh? The WOCA? My, you are stylin', indeed!
I should say, when I travel I usually carry about 4 cameras, and I have over 30 shooters that I choose from. Only two ALWAYS go with me: the Leica and the Holga.

 

[Jason_K]

Nice stuff KZ.

Cool Brownie shots Paul. I just got an Estefeta and am anxious to see the results. I don't expect them to be Holga-like but similar perhaps.

 

[pshinkaw]

Nice. I think the eyelevel viewfinder might make it easier to use than a Hawkeye. Do you know what the lens is focused at?

I have several Vivitar PN2011's which might be the 35mm equivalent to a Holga.

-Paul

 

[rover]

I have one

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php/cat/667

 

[Krasnaya_Zvezda]

Great Brownie shots, Paul. The interior shot of 20 sec duration is really exceptional. I like what the "real photographer" said to you: "There is no personal involvement in photography these days." How true. We get so involved in the technical aspects of our toys, but hey, we're gearheads, right?

 

[bmattock]

I have a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye - the image is TOO GOOD! I never expected the lens quality of a simple meniscus lens to be up to par, but it is. Sigh.

OK, so I tried a Kodak Brownie Bulls-Eye - but haven't developed the roll yet.

I also am currently running a roll of 120 through an Ansco Readyflash. I suspect it will be the closest to crappy without actually buying a Holga that I'll be able to manage.

I actually had a Diana when they were new and not a joke (I was a little boy). I believe mine took 127 roll film, but it might have been 120. Can't recall. I remember getting the prints back with those scalloped edges - what did they call those, 'deckled?' and the white borders. I kinda miss prints that looked like that. I believe they were square prints, too. So the neg would have been 6x6 on 120 or whatever 127 is.

I won't pay what Dianas sell for now - I figure I can do something similar without having to be so cool as to sport a Diana or a Holga - although for $20 for a Holga, who knows? The hardest thing so far has been persuading cameras that originally took 620 to take 120 instead (and yes, I've seen ALL the links to pages where they show you how to load 120 on 620 spools, etc. Been there, done that). Thanks though.

Last night, I kinda snuck into the vodka. I don't do that often, but it made me think of Holga, believe it or not! Here's what I was thinking:

Holga Engineer #1: Hey, comrade, guess what?
Holga Engineer #2: Schtoe - I mean, what?
Holga Engineer #1: Our Holga cameras are taking over the world! They sell like hotcakes!
Holga Engineer #2: Ah! People have finally realized that Soviet engineering is superior!
Holga Engineer #1: Um, no comrade. Sadly, that is not the case.
Holga Engineer #2: What? Well then why are our Holga cameras selling so well?
Holga Engineer #1: Because they are so crappy.
Holga Engineer #2: Well, then...generation 2 will be EXTRA crappy!

And so it goes.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[JoeFriday]

Paul, your Brownie shots look like a bit too good for my purposes.. LOL

I'm amazed what you guys are doing with those plastic cameras!

 

[Krasnaya_Zvezda]

Bill, that's pretty funny. Only problem is, shoulda been Chinese engineers. Holga is a product of China. So next time, drink some Tsingtao instead of the vodka.

 

[JoeFriday]

and once again, you're cracking me up at work, Bill!

 

[bmattock]

Bill, that's pretty funny. Only problem is, shoulda been Chinese engineers. Holga is a product of China. So next time, drink some Tsingtao instead of the vodka.

Holgas are Chinese? Who knew? Sorry! Boy is my face red. Red, get it? Red!

Next you'll be telling me that Panda bears are not from Russia either.

But hey! Did you happen to see the movie "Armageddon?" Great one-liners. There is a stereotypical "Russian Space Hero" Cosmonaut in it. Some space-thing is not working, and everyone is in a stew about it:

Lev Andropov: Excuse me, but I think I know how to fix this.
Watts: Move it! You don't know the components!
Lev Andropov: [annoyed] Components. American components, Russian Components, ALL MADE IN TAIWAN!

He then proceeds to beat the heck out of the 'thing' with a hammer and of course it starts working again.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[pshinkaw]

I can't take credit for those Brownie photos. They are by Charles Clemens whose web page they reside on.

My point is that if you want to go retro you don't have to spend a lot of money. A Hawkeye typically sells for $5 or less. Put thimbprint on the clear lens cover that protects the lens and you can probably duplicate a Holga's results.

-Paul