Customer Reviews

Holga 146120 120 Color Flash Camera

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I got so burned out on mindless digital photography, I sold my digital Fuji to an old man named Henry and bought myself this Holga and a huge batch of expired 120 and 35mm film.

There aren't many cameras that can take such a beating and still survive. I have dropped this several times, my toddler daughter has gotten hold of it, and it still looks and performs as it did the day I bought it.

Helpful hints: get yourself some tape, because the metal clips that hold the back of the camera on slide all the time. And you DON'T want to lose your precious images simply because you didn't secure the camera!

The camera will probably come with a 6x6 mask already inserted, and the 6x4.5 mask wrapped in plastic. I believe the older Holgas never had an actual 6x6 mask, only the 6x4.5 (that meant you had to tape up the inside so the edges wouldn't scratch your film). The other great thing about this 6x6 mask is that it holds your AA batteries in so you don't have to tape them up. It does reduce the risk of light leaks, so if you are going for that, it might not happen in-camera (but I got leaks while unloading the film, so there's always a way!).

I suggest investing in the cable release that will allow you to comfortably do long exposures shots without holding your breath and praying. Of course, get yourself a tripod, because this model has a mount already - no need to mod it!

Also, tape up the little switch on the bottom, the one that enables the "Bulb" feature. I have had entire rolls ruined because I was shooting in the daytime and had inadvertently slid the button over to "B."

Most importantly - have fun with this camera. It takes a few rolls to really get to where you feel comfortable, so if your first roll or two makes you want to cry, we have ALL been there before.

This is truly my favorite camera in the world. I have a great digital ultra-zoom and really wanted a digital SLR but couldn't afford it. A friend suggested the Holga--a step in the absolute opposite direction--and boy am I glad I got it. I was so BORED with Photoshop and digitalization. I really wanted to create pictures, not spend mindless hours in front of the computer. Holga gives me just that. It's quirkiness is what makes it so wonderful, from the light leaks to the vignetting. You truly never know what your film is going to look like, but it's almost always interesting. Black and white film is incredible in it! I suggest the filter set that comes with red, green, yellow and blue filters. I have gotten some truly wonderful results using the red filter with black and white film--so contrasty it's sick! The Holga has renewed and revived my interest in photography. Since I couldn't make my pictures perfect I figured I'd embrace the imperfections. Thanks Holga!

God I love this camera. It's ugly, cheaply made, and completely unpredictable, but for an amateur like me, just realizing the joys of photography, it was exactly what I needed. Like other reviewers here, I too had gotten a bit bored with my mid-range digital camera, and invested the low, low fee of ~$60 in this little creature. I had read it could be frustrating and disappointing, but I have experienced neither emotion since becoming its owner. I have almost entirely stopped using my digital, and a 35mm SLR that is also a great camera... this one is just so much more fun.

The only drawback is the price and inconvenience of film/development. Try to buy in bulk, and get film developed only - not printed. It'll only cost about $2-3 a roll, and you can then scan the negatives (another investment, but if you see film in your future...) or print them yourself. But honestly, it's worth it. I'm so excited every time I get a roll back from the developers I can hardly wait, and I'm seldom disappointed. If you can appreciate the strange, beautiful way the Holga views the world, and not expect it to produce high fidelity images, you can't go wrong.

This camera is definitely a one-of-a-kind! I have loved every shot taken with the Holga, although sometimes I forget to secure the backing on with tape so my pictures become ruined (I easily drop things). However, this camera is extremely durable considering the amount of times I have accidentally sent it crashing to the ground! The film is expired, which makes it a little on the expensive side to order/ship/print and only one camera shop within a 20 mile radius of me develops such film. Getting a roll of 12 shots developed usually costs me about $9, sometimes even $13. I recently made my own 35mm converter for the Holga (a lot more convenient and inexpensive than 120mm) and the shots are AMAZING. The character this camera has (pictures and camera itself) is remarkable and definitely worth every penny!

I have shot 10 rolls of film so far and they are my favorite pictures I have ever taken. This may be my favorite thing I have ever bought :)

It looks like a joke, people might not belive you are taking a real picture (specially if someone is ussing a big fancy digital SLR at your side) but that will give you amazing shoots. You will never know what are you getting on the film until you englare it the amount of control is really limitted but that is what will give you the great images you might get. It is really easie to use and you can even use 35mm film with just some extras you will certainly find at home. It will give you lots of fun and good pics.
The only problem now is getting a good lab that will process the films (the digital boom might have made some labs to stop processing films)
This is a great bought.

This is just an all around fun little camera to use. If you want to try something that's allows for stress free photo taking and a bit of adventure, try a holga.

The world of photography has changed so dramatically over the last 6-7 years that its honestly hard to put it into words. For the average person digital photography is a welcome advance in technology. No longer having to buy film, being able to see the end picture immediately, being able to make prints on your home computer, being able to shoot with your cell phone, etc.. There are really a hundred and one reasons why most people love digital photography.

There is another side to this coin however as there are those out there that do not like digital or what it has done to the entire field of photography over the last 5-10 years. I am one of those people. I absolutely love photography. Its not only my single favorite hobby, its also how I make my living. Its the entire process that I fell in love with, not just the end result. The loading of the film, the limited number of pictures per roll of film, the printing in a darkroom and most importantly the seemingly limitless creative aspects of film itself. There are so many things that you can do to alter the look of the film or print and I am sorry but running your picture through a filter in photoshop doesn't even begin to compare. The end result may appear similar but the process that got you there couldn't possibly be more different. I love the processes just as much as I do the end result and digital just doesn't even begin to compare.

Anyways this is where camera's like the Holga and Diana come in. These are camera's for people who are in love with film and the different looks that film can give you. These are sometimes referred to as toy cameras however that does not take anything away from these cameras or their ability to take pictures. I have been using a Holga for over 10 years and I can tell you first hand that if you take the time to master these cameras, you can take absolutely stunning pictures. You don't need 20 MegaPixels and a Carl Zeiss lens to shoot amazing pictures. In fact you dont even need a lens if your shooting with a pinhole camera.

Its nice to see that there are still people out there shooting with these kinds of cameras. There are even some that have given up shooting digital and come back to film. My hats off to those people because film is still where its at with photography. As for myself, I still shoot film 99% of the time and My Holga and Diana go pretty much everywhere I go. At around 40.00, you don't have much to lose in regards to trying them out.

5 stars!

This particular Holga comes with a colored filter wheel for the flash which is a ton of fun. It's very lightweight and small so it's easy to carry it around everywhere you go. Highly recommend for people into photography as an extra camera for fun.

This camera is a lot of fun. It's nice to actually use real film, wait to develop it, and have those nice saturated beautiful medium format shots. It can be kind of tough to find places to develop this type of film, and it can be expensive! I'd suggest learning to develop it yourself if you can...