Holga camera - is it worth $20?

[jamesj]

i use my holga rarely but i always feel so bad when i see it sit there and gather dust...

i realy want one of those ones with a glass lens...


what are they called....ohhh a WOCA

 

[landsknechte]

Holga filters on Photoshop can come reasonably close, but they're never really 100% right. Heaven knows I've tried for well over a year now. :bang:

A lot of the fun of the Holga is the unpredictability.

 

[JimG]

I think I'll stick with old box cameras. I'm trying to cut down on plastic.

 

[Epimetheus]

I think Holga is worth at least 100$.

I have uploaded most of my Holga pictures on Flickr. Have a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markuspuustinen/

Here is couple of examples....

 

[alan davus]

I don't know anything about Holga cameras but I had a drainlayer called Holga Link do some work for me once. (I'm a plumbing contractor.) He was without doubt the worst tradesman of all time. We ended up calling him the missing link. Thank goodness he eventually packed up and moved to Queensland where all the crap tradesmen end up.

 

[schrackman]

I once was not so enthused about Holgas, but of course that was before I became a Canonet owner. Once I got into film after being a digital photographer for four years, I suddenly realized why film was so special. Now, Holgas appeal very much to me. Now I wish I had one of those little buggers.

Epimethius–love those shots!!

Ray

 

[MIkhail]

I think Holga is worth at least 100$.

I have uploaded most of my Holga pictures on Flickr. Have a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markuspuustinen/

Here is couple of examples....

Excellent images. You are really know what you are doing, composition is right on. Great. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Riccis]

I am a wedding photographer and shoot at least a roll of B&W with my Holgas and Dianas every time... see below...

Riccis

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

I was given my Holga after a show of mine in 1999 in SF as gift and have used it ever since. I threw away the 6.45 insert, put black tape inside and velcro'd the outside. Changing the 'aperture' switch on mine has no effect what so ever both exposures are identical. Works great with TX 400. I've made prints 15" x 15" from the negs.

 

[amateriat]

I don't know anything about Holga cameras but I had a drainlayer called Holga Link do some work for me once. (I'm a plumbing contractor.) He was without doubt the worst tradesman of all time. We ended up calling him the missing link. Thank goodness he eventually packed up and moved to Queensland where all the crap tradesmen end up.

According to galfriend's niece, it's more likely they wound up in Iceland. 😱

Riccis and Simon: truly wonderful work here.


- Barrett

 

[murrayatuptown]

David Burnett, a veteran press photographer, covered the last US presidential campaign with a Speed Graphic with Aero Ektar lens and a Holga. One of his Al Gore shots with the Holga won a 'big deal' award.

Of course, in his case, it's not the camera, it's him...

 

[Chris101]

... Changing the 'aperture' switch on mine has no effect what so ever both exposures are identical. ...

I know. What are they thinking. Look at the lens from the inside of the camera and change the aperture. A square flips over the round hole in the lens, but the square is bigger than the round hole. In both positions, the round hole is the limiting aperture of the lens. It's a placebo f-stop! Kind of like the 'close door' button on an elevator.

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

It's a placebo f-stop! Kind of like the 'close door' button on an elevator.

the strange this is the "close door" button in the lifts in Bangkok really do work unlike many other things here.....! 🙂

 

[IGMeanwell]

I like Holgas ... I have the 120CFN

though haven't used the flash as of yet

Right now my new toy that I haven't finished a roll in is a
Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim

My camera collection has been growing in leaps and bounds... 🙄

hmmm, looks to me like maybe I should go 6x6 with my Holga, I seem to be not getting the full imperfections of my plastic lens

 

[Chris101]

... though haven't used the flash as of yet ...

It was fun discovering where to put the strategic bit's o' tape on the shoe before it worked.

 

[mtbbrian]

I just saw this thread and I never knew there was a toy camera forum here either.
I have been shooting Holgas for more than 13 years and I have three of them.
One Red, One Yellow and a black one, I painted them to color code them a little. In the Red one I use coor slide film the Yellow one color negative film, and the Black one b&w.
Freestyle is a great place to buy them, especially if you are just starting out, but if your are a little more serious about them I would recommend www.holgamods.com. Its proprietor, Randy, modifys them ever so slightly to give them two slightly more reliable f stops as well as a few other things, which I believe are worth the extra $10 he charges above retail.
I feel my experience with my Holgas prepared me for using an RF, because of the
guessing when you look through the viewfinder.
Great thread! Excellent work shown here too!
Brian
Holgas ROCK!

 

[jamesj]

i want one of those vivitar ultra wide and slim cameras but them things are so expensive!

I like Holgas ... I have the 120CFN

though haven't used the flash as of yet

Right now my new toy that I haven't finished a roll in is a
Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim

My camera collection has been growing in leaps and bounds... 🙄

hmmm, looks to me like maybe I should go 6x6 with my Holga, I seem to be not getting the full imperfections of my plastic lens

 

[Shanghied]

I just saw this thread and I never knew there was a toy camera forum here either.
I have been shooting Holgas for more than 13 years and I have three of them.
One Red, One Yellow and a black one, I painted them to color code them a little. In the Red one I use coor slide film the Yellow one color negative film, and the Black one b&w.
Freestyle is a great place to buy them, especially if you are just starting out, but if your are a little more serious about them I would recommend www.holgamods.com. Its proprietor, Randy, modifys them ever so slightly to give them two slightly more reliable f stops as well as a few other things, which I believe are worth the extra $10 he charges above retail.
I feel my experience with my Holgas prepared me for using an RF, because of the
guessing when you look through the viewfinder.
Great thread! Excellent work shown here too!
Brian
Holgas ROCK!

nice, 13yrs!! i've been using this almost 2weeks now still having pics that are out of focused or overexposed, other than that am still learning and i have made shots that are already quite pleasing alhtough still having problems looking for a photolab here in our area that can process 120mm films (especially e-6) gues i have to go online for it..