Holga Help?

July 12, 2009 7:59 AM

I received this Holga camera as an early birthday present. It uses 120 size film. Searching past questions on AskMefi suggests that it can be slightly hard to find a place to develop this type of film, and that it can be expensive unless you have your own photo scanner. Should I return it and get a 35 mm version?

I am only a tourist taking pictures type person; I have no aspirations for even amateur status. I would only be using this camera for a hobby to have fun. I searched Flickr to see what pictures from this camera look like, and I think they look really cool -- even the blurry ones. When I search for pictures taken with the 35 mm Holga, they are decidedly less cool/weird. They just look like slightly soft pictures that I could take with my old little 35 mm camera that I already own.

My question is this: Is there selection bias going on, and are the pics taken by the medium format camera just taken by better photographers? Or does that camera/film size actually lend itself to more light leaks/vignetting/other stuff? If it's the latter, I'll just keep this one and find a friend with a scanner.

Thanks so much.

posted by bluefly to media & arts (16 comments total)

Yes, the Holga using 120 film is desirable to photographers for the kind of look it creates. That Holga kit isn't sold to allow you to create standard, sharp, high-quality photos -- you can get that with a cheap digicam these days, which are the standard for touristy uses these days -- it's to allow you to experiment with the quirks of the camera, the aesthetics of film, and create something with a distorted or somewhat nostalgic look.

Your pictures may not end up quite as beautiful as some of the examples on the Internet, but they'll probably result in something interesting. Don't return it for a 35mm unless you're really hard up for a more conventional film camera -- it's a pretty neat gift even if you only shoot a couple of rolls.
posted by eschatfische at 8:17 AM on July 12

Crappy lenses like the single-element plastic one in the Holga do much better with larger film formats. Lenses that are soft even on 120 film have a glow to them when you move to large format (4x5" and up).

Developing B&W film is easy, all it takes is 3 chems, a drum and a dark place to load the film. You can always send out color film if you don't have a local lab. Scanning is affordable either by buying a scanner that handles 120 negs ($150+), sending out your film for development and scanning or just scanning prints.

Keep the 120 and get an Olympus Stylus Epic or Lomo LCA if you want to shoot 35mm film.
posted by jedrek at 8:20 AM on July 12

These days support for 35 mm film ain't a lot better.

Film as a consumer good is dying, all formats.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:40 AM on July 12

I had some cool results with my holga, but that was only after I spent a considerable time using it and learned how to get the results that I wanted. I've heard mixed things about the 35mm Holga, and I never had good luck shooting 35mm film in my Holga.

jedrek, bluefly already has a 35mm. But, if you want a lomo-like 35mm, I never get tired of recommending the Olympus XA (the original rangefinder version). Much better and cheaper than the lomo LCA.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:52 AM on July 12

Stick with C41 Process Film and you can take it to any good photofinisher - their machines will accept it, but the operator has to know where the 120 carrier is. Most small photo specialist will have no probelm with this. C41 is a color process which is what every film you buy at a drugstore takes to develop. If you want to do black and white, you can use Ilford XP2 film and get prints, but they will be slightly purplish. Enjoy!
posted by bensherman at 9:11 AM on July 12

Seconding benserhman--I use C41 film in my Holga and Ilford for B&W. My local photo processor has no problem with the 120 size, and I live in a town with only a few processors. I take my film to a small business that just processes film, rather than going to a Walmart type place. The business is also happy to scan the film for me and give me a CD. If I decide I want some prints, I choose the images from the CD, burn my own CD, and drop it off.

I also got a scanner that can scan negatives, but it's a fussier operation than I enjoy. However, it's very useful if you want to do experimental shots that span several frames (like take a photo, advance the film 2/3 as much as usual, add another photo....).
posted by PatoPata at 9:23 AM on July 12

I haven't used a Holga but I do have a Diana which is another plastic toy camera 120 film, and as others have said I think that the 120 film plays an important part of the aesthetics of the pictures. So I would stick with the 120 Holga especially since I've never found it particularly difficult or expensive to get it developed. You can't just drop it off at CVS and pay $5, but I've been able to find a place that develops it where ever I've lived (and I've never lived close to a big city like DC), and it usually costs around between $10-15 for developing and prints (more if you want a CD in addition to prints, about the same if you just want the CD and no prints) I'd check here, here, and here to see where you could get it developed near you (if you are in fact in Greenbelt, MD).
posted by radiomayonnaise at 9:23 AM on July 12

Hi, Holga shooter and pro photo lab worker here! Holgas are great fun and I think you need to shoot 120 film with them. 35mm will never have the same effect. The other cameras people suggested are more appropriate than holga.

I process, print and scan rolls shot with holga from all over the country. There are a lot of bad shots because there are a few limitations with the camera people forget. The biggest one is that you need tons of light to make a good exposure because your fstop and aperture combination is fairly slow. So, no shooting in deep shadow or indoors unless you use a flash or have a high speed film.

I think Holgas are a great addition to your regular camera for vacation/tourist shots because they look so dreamy and nostalgic. But, holgas are capricious and should not be relied on 100% for events that only happen once. I have been shooting wild flowers around Boulder for a few months and even though I have tons of experience, I have rolls that are only half usable due to low light conditions. (It looks sunny but the subject is in shadow=not going to come out)

Look on the internet for a pro photo lab near you. 120 film is more expensive to scan than 35mm because it takes longer but the actual processing should be about the same. Maybe a dollar more. I have an epson scanner that was quite expensive but I still scan my film at the lab because I don't want to spend a lot of time at home making scans of boring/bad images. If I want to reproduce a certain image quite large, I will use my epson scanner.

As for the images on flickr: I would guess people edit their uploads. I know I do. But, there is a quality you get from the holga that makes images seem more interesting. At least at first.

I have tons of advice about using a holga that I won't list out here. And there are more technical resources on the webs. The most important thing to remember is to not have any expectations, have fun and experiment. Oh, and throw the lens cap away:)
posted by rachums at 9:27 AM on July 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

Here's a video showing how to load 35mm into a 120 Holga.
posted by rottytooth at 9:50 AM on July 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

Great answer Rachums! Welcome to Mefi!
posted by avex at 9:52 AM on July 12

Thanks for all your responses. I know I'm probably not going to take very good pictures like the ones I saw on Flickr, I just searched there because I had never heard of a Holga before until I got it, and I wanted to see what it was all about.

I'll think keep the 120 and experiment. I might even branch out from my usual trip photography! Special thanks to radiomayo for doing some of the legwork for me on the photo lab front!
posted by bluefly at 11:09 AM on July 12

One correction: I meant to say fstop/shutter speed combination is slow. Oops!
posted by rachums at 11:10 AM on July 12

Have some fun with your new toy. 120 film is a joy unto itself. The large format negatives give super sharp enlargements with the only limitation being the lens and your ability to focus. You only take a few pictures so you have to think through your shots. This is not a camera for snapshooting or candids really. The thought process will help make you a better photographer. You want to compose carefully before you shoot. I have medium format camera that shoots 120 and it is not difficult to have the film processed. My local Walgreens takes care of it.
posted by caddis at 11:32 AM on July 12

I had a Holga (the worthless piece of junk was stolen, believe it or not) and had great fun with it. I'd definitely recommend it, but be aware that it'll take some getting used to: the hit:miss ratio is around 1:6 (at best) to begin with, but you'll get a feel for what works and what doesn't.

The real difficulty, I found, was the cost. The film wasn't hard to get a hold of, or that expensive, but it cost me between £8-£15 to get developed each time. And the results were never reliable: one shop made a hash of my films (and since you only get to develop them once, that's your one chance blown) and others were just too expensive.

So, without wanting to hijack the question, does anyone know any good developers (perhaps online) that aren't too expensive? 'Cos I've still got leftover films that I'm scared to get developed, in case they get ruined again!

Anyway, enjoy it. There's nothing quite like it.
posted by Acey at 11:44 AM on July 12

Penn Camera Stores will process the 120 in the DC/VA/MD area. Great advice above!
posted by stratastar at 2:11 PM on July 12

If you still have the box your Holga shipped in, you may still have some of the figure-8 shaped peanuts that it was packed in? Break one of those in half and stick one half on top and bottom of a 35mm roll to keep it securely jammed into the film holder. Close the Holga, PUT BLACK ELECTRICAL TAPE ON THE BACK WINDOW, and fire away (you can find some winding guides on the internet, like on SquareFrog's Holga site, or just wing it and hope for the best). For best results, scan it yourself so you can get a full scan including the colour on the sprocket windows.

Your first roll of film may be mostly junk, but somewhere in there you'll find a fantastic image, that you didn't think you could make. The whole point of Holga is that you don't have to be a great technical photographer to take a very appealing shot - serendipity will do it for you, if you take your camera everywhere you go.

If you're using a photo site like Flickr, be selective, but not too selective - I've uploaded shots I didn't think of too highly myself, and those have turned out to be the ones that get the most response.
posted by Gortuk at 3:57 PM on July 12