Customer Reviews

Holga 135BC Plastic 35mm Camera - "Bent Corners" Version

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been shooting with my DSLR for a while now, and I never really had a use for film cameras until I got intrigued by the toy camera phenomenon that's been sweeping the nation. I thought about getting the Holga 120, but after doing extensive research on the cost of developing 120 film in my area (about $12 per roll, which has 12-16 exposures), I decided to go with the 35mm camera, where if I'm using Snapfish, i can get the whole roll developed for $3-5 for 36 exposures.

I must say, the Holga 135BC is a fun little camera! I took it on a trip to the mountains and got some great shots of the fall foliage. The vignetting (black corners) came out on about half the pictures; some of them came out without much vignetting at all, which was surprising. There haven't been any light leaks, which may disappoint some users, but I know there are some mods out there (involving drilling holes into the side of the body) to create that effect if you wish. Double exposures are quite easy to do. I recommend using ISO400 speed film for best effects, especially when you're just beginning. The aperture is pretty much set at something like f8 and the shutter speed is around 1/100 (though this can vary), so most indoor pictures and even outdoor pictures in overcast lighting came out dark and dismal. I kind of wish I had bought the one that comes with a flash unit (holga 15b) but I'm gonna purchase that separately. The ones I took in sunlight are great though, so i recommend taking your Holga outside on a pretty day for your first roll. As for loading and unloading the film, it's quite easy to do. Just remember to press the film release button on the bottom of the camera before you rewind your film to avoid stretching or ripping apart your exposed film.

Overall, i think that the Holga 135BC is a wonderful little camera, great for those of us trying out a plastic camera for the first time, and a great attention-getter in public. I would definitely recommend it!

There are lots of mentions of the technical specs and the vignettes and stuff so I'm not going to go deep into it. But I will say the bent corners does work. I have yet to experience many light leaks with this camera. But being a simple and fully analog camera, modifications and fixes are easily done at home. A warning though: the 135 is not as easy to modify and disassemble as the 120.

Many digital buffs like to say there's no point in the inconvenience of film and hard-to-control cameras like this when things like vignetting, grain, and blur can easily be done digitally. All I can do is shake my head and say "you miss the point entirely" to them. First off, the joy of the analog process is a factor. Now I'm sure others will want more solid reasons. Alright. Speed. There are no on and off switches. Photographic moments can be fleeting. I can't tell you how many moments I missed by trying to pull out my camera from my bag, or waiting for it to turn on. With this nifty guy you just lift it up and click the shutter. It's as fast as your hands will go. In addition the lack of controls not only puts your focus on the subject rather than settings, you come to expect "imperfect" shots anyway so once you understand the basics of using the camera you can take shots really fast and not mind what simple settings there are. Another big plus, portability. You may hesitate to bring an expensive DSLR out to a demanding hike or rough neighborhood. But a sub-$50 camera not so much. Also if you're a fan of candid shots, people are less intimidated having this pointed at them than a digital "real" camera. The clumsy clack sound the shutter makes will also alert them far less.

If you are the adventurous types, total unpredictability is a pro. As an iPhone user I have plastic camera simulation apps. It's not the same. You look at it and select and shake for a different effect and it's like photoshop on auto. Plus, no film wind techniques and light leaks, no personal interior mods or character unique to your own camera. The grain achieved digitally doesn't even match the warm analog grain and blur. Another thing usually seen as a disadvantage is development time. All I will say on that is the feeling of waiting for your film to develop, it's like Christmas presents. It all really makes photography exciting again. This is further heightened if you develop your own film. At that point you're involved intimately in every step of the process of making the image, so when you come out with something, it's just... Special.

All in all I highly recommend this fun little camera if you want to break away from stale digital perfection for living, dynamic shots you can inject your own character into. You may have a little trouble controlling it at first so don't use your first roll on your grand vacations or first dates or anything. But once you get the hang of it, this Holga will do you wonders. Seeing as the price is relatively cheap I also recommend having several of these for different films and effects. Personally I'd recommend other kinds though like the TLR (great for waist level candid shots, low angle) or another style of plastic camera. I own the TLR as well as a Diana Mini. But more important than what you own, have fun!

This is my first Holga, so I can't really compare it to any of the other Holga models. I love that it takes 35mm film and is incredibly easy to use. It's also extremely compact and lightweight. It is a plastic camera, so it feels flimsy (not that I expected otherwise), but I've dropped it twice now and it's been totally fine.

The pictures are the quality I expected. Being able to do multiple exposures is nice. I love the bent corner look and the way the colors turn out. For the price I paid, I'm very happy with the camera, and have a lot of fun using it. So far I've only used the 400 ISO Lomo film, and that's worked out nicely. All in all, it's a nice break from the predictability of digital photography. Do keep in mind that you'll need an external flash if you want to take any indoor or night photography. Without it, photos are very grainy or don't come out at all.

I usually use my digital camera instead of film since it costs money to develop the film. But I love the affect that it gives the camera. The only thing that I wish it was a digital rewind and advance but other than that it's a great little camera.

The bent corners thing really doesn't work well.
I bought it for that - but...

Sharpness of the lens is not there.

After 18 mos. - I just gave mine to an art student.

The plastic rewind lever has a tendency to break and you can't get spare parts.

{If you find a BLACK SLIM DEVIL ultra-wide camera (or one of their ilk) - they are fun but they fall apart. They have sharper lenses than the 135BC but the film counters and rewind cranks also break after as little as 5 rolls.}

Buy a full-sized 120 format Holga from Amazon.com - better built, better lens(but never great..) and you will be happier.

I own 7 Holgas (plus a Holga Wide Pin-hole), a Holgamods Slider, a Pin-hole Blender and a low-end Werlisa...so I guess that "I know plastic" cameras.

After doing all my research on the internet the Holga 135BC was exactly as I expected.

I wanted buy this camera so much, and i find in here.
it was so cheap and good.

i loved it.