Outta mainstream toy camera photography.

Weaving Wax · May 5, 2007

Ok, I just ordered a holga mod from the holga mod site, and I know there is lomo, but I heard their cameras suck. Besides Holga and Lomo is there any other choices. What has been your experience with lomo if you've used/own one?

New Hampshire · May 5, 2007

The Holga's are supposed to be pretty horrible too.

BUT, some photographers use this to their advantage using the "flaws" to create their brand of art.

Some of the problems I have heard about the Holga: Light leakage from, heavy vignetting from the lens, and soft focus.

Brian

Weaving Wax · May 5, 2007

Oh I know all about the holga. Thats why I ordered one! I'm looking for other stuff, too!

New Hampshire · May 5, 2007

In Harry Horsteins B+W Handbook there are a couple neat pictures taken with the Holga.

Enjoy it. Should make for a neat tinker tool!

Brian

Iron Flatline · May 5, 2007

Look for Diana cameras, or Diana clones.

Weaving Wax · May 5, 2007

Thanks all!

blackdoglab · May 5, 2007

Yeah, avoid Lomography. They really jack up the price on everything and well, they just suck in general. There's a 35mm camera at the Dollar Tree called Special moments. It uses 35mm, but doesn't have the light leaks that the Holga has. There is also the Fujipet, but they are pretty rare in the U.S.

Weaving Wax · May 5, 2007

blackdoglab said:
Yeah, avoid Lomography. They really jack up the price on everything and well, they just suck in general. There's a 35mm camera at the Dollar Tree called Special moments. It uses 35mm, but doesn't have the light leaks that the Holga has. There is also the Fujipet, but they are pretty rare in the U.S.

Does special moments do anything unique?

blackdoglab · May 5, 2007

You can turn it into a pinhole, do double exposures, and get soft edges.

Don Simon · May 5, 2007

If you want something 'unique' in that sense, you could just get any cheap camera and make your own light leaks, and/or smear stuff over the lens (edit: or turn it into a pinhole as blackdoglab suggested)... would be a lot less expensive than buying a Lomo.

blackdoglab · May 5, 2007

Yeah, the Lomo LC-A isn't really a toy camera like the holga or diana. It is a bit more advanced than your average point n' shoot, but is considered unique based on Lomo's creative quality control. Lomography charges an arm and a leg for it as they do for everything else they sell. Besides that, Lomography is more of a hipster fad and most toy camera folks rightly denounce it. Stick with a Holga and have some fun.

Weaving Wax · May 5, 2007

Wow! Thanks guys.

Over at the APUG (Analoge Pgotography Users group) they said that a lot of lomo's stuff can be done for cheaper like instead of buying the colorsplash flash, buy colored gels to put over your flash to get that effect. Thanks guys!

Aquarium Dreams · May 5, 2007

I know it's been said that Lomography sucks, but I just want to second that. It's not a company, it's the Lomographic Society. The people who use their cameras are Lomographers, and are encouraged to follow the 10 Golden Rules of Lomography, which "are here to erase every trace of your photographic education especially if you never have had one." WHAT??

It's incredibly easy to modify a cheap plastic 35mm camera to make bulb and multiple exposures. The Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim is a favorite, and there are many more here (found this in another thread, so I apologize if this is old news):

http://www.merrillphoto.com/JunkStoreCameras.htm