Just got a Holga!!!

Weaving Wax · May 11, 2007

Hey, I just got my Holga in the mail today and I've never loaded it...nor have I ever worked with 120 film.. Is there any kind of guide you guys could give me for loading it? Yeah, I'm aware I need to tape up the back etc..etc, but I just need to know how to load the film. I'm planning on picking up some film either tomorrow or Monday...

Torus34 · May 11, 2007

Found this on the 'net in under 1 minute:

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/HolgaManual.pdf

Weaving Wax · May 11, 2007

Thanks Torus! I also found this: http://squarefrog.co.uk/holga/index.php?id=loading

It's a video which is easier than reading about it. Thanks!!

montresor · May 12, 2007

www.holgamods.com

Don't forget, the Holga's all about breaking rules!

brighteyesphotos · May 12, 2007

Have fun with the Holga. I've been thinking about breaking mine back out for some flower shots soon.

montresor · May 12, 2007

Uh-oh! Just watched the video and they left out one step that's completely essential: take two flaps from the end of the film box, fold them over once, and insert one under each spool in the back. This will ensure that you get a tight wind on the take-up spool. Without it, there's a nice loose wind and light will get on the edges of your exposed roll when you take it out of the camera. Tried it myself once without the flaps, figuring, "what the heck," and out came a loose wind. Also, unless you're shooting orthochromatic film, consider making a little raisable flap from black electrician's tape to go over the red-tinted film counter window. This is especially important if you're shooting color, in bright sun. The red window doesn't really filter light out like the kind on other cameras. Keep it covered except when you're advancing the film, and shade the camera with your body when doing so.

Weaving Wax · May 12, 2007

montresor said:
Uh-oh! Just watched the video and they left out one step that's completely essential: take two flaps from the end of the film box, fold them over once, and insert one under each spool in the back. This will ensure that you get a tight wind on the take-up spool. Without it, there's a nice loose wind and light will get on the edges of your exposed roll when you take it out of the camera. Tried it myself once without the flaps, figuring, "what the heck," and out came a loose wind. Also, unless you're shooting orthochromatic film, consider making a little raisable flap from black electrician's tape to go over the red-tinted film counter window. This is especially important if you're shooting color, in bright sun. The red window doesn't really filter light out like the kind on other cameras. Keep it covered except when you're advancing the film, and shade the camera with your body when doing so.

Thanks! The guy on the website said that you don't have to do the flaps thing for the 120N..thats why he didn't include it. He said it was more for the 120S, but I'll do it just in case...

mysteryscribe · May 12, 2007

sounds more like one of the cameras I built when you have to stick things in to make something else fit,.

montresor · May 12, 2007

Weaving Wax said:
Thanks! The guy on the website said that you don't have to do the flaps thing for the 120N..thats why he didn't include it. He said it was more for the 120S, but I'll do it just in case...

That must be one of the improvements to the newer Holgas -- I'd heard that many of the issues of the older ones had been resolved in the later models, which is good, because really, it's all about that one-element plastic lens, with its focus and light drop-offs. Not every flaw in the older ones was charming!

Viewfinder pointer -- the image you see in the viewfinder (at least on the 120S!) is bigger than the one the lens sees, so make sure your image fills the viewfinder completely, otherwise the subjects as they appear in the negative will look smaller than you had visualized. Also, don't forget parallax issues when you shoot close-up to a subject.

Post 'em when you print 'em!

Alpha · May 13, 2007

shoot with it for a couple weeks and then throw it away.

Weaving Wax · May 13, 2007

Does anyone else have a problem getting the 16 mask in? I can't get mine to go in. The little things make it almost impossible to fit in there. Do I need it?

montresor · May 14, 2007

MaxBloom said:
shoot with it for a couple weeks and then throw it away.

Or you could take award-winning photos with it, like David Burnett did on the 2000 campaign trail.

mysteryscribe · May 14, 2007

Had one gave it to my son in law years ago... didn't fit my taste in photographs. I give Max an award for having equally good taste. Now he is an award winning photographer.

terri · May 14, 2007

Oh, a pox on all you grumpy old men and grumpy old men wannabe's.

You can do wonderful things with a Holga. As we all know it's the photographer, not the camera! I think these are worthy images, myself.

mysteryscribe · May 14, 2007

Terri Terri Terri,

Just because you like carots and I don't. Even if julie childs once won a cooking contest for making a carrot casserole (yum yum), doesn't make me mean... It makes me night blind though...

All kidding aside, if I want light leaks and out of focus shots, I just build a new camera and use it untuned for a while. Don't need no stickin' over priced piece of plastic for that. LOL

Plus everyone who knows me knows I'm a teddy bear.