Who buys a Holga expecting results like a Hasselblad? If they do, they will be disappointed. Control over a camera isn’t always a good thing. Think about how many cameras are sold for hundreds and hundreds of dollars a piece – and the majority of the photos are garbage. Technically these “state of the art” cameras can produce perfectly exposed, perfectly in focus pictures. That doesn’t mean they are good photos, though. I think there is too much emphasis on camera gear by photographers. Learn the basics of photography and you can produce a great photo with anything from a Hasselblad to a pinhole camera. I like the Holga because it introduces an element of risk into my photography that sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. I happen to like not knowing what I am going to get because when I plan a photo out meticulously and obsess about getting the exposure right, I rarely am impressed with the results – no matter how technically perfect the image may be.

(Taken from a comment I left on a post on PhotoCritic.org encouraging people to avoid the Holga.)

Here are some of the auctions on Ebay for Holga cameras that you might be interested in:

VIVITAR Ultra Wide and SLIM UWS - kinda Lomo and Holga

US $8.64 (2 Bids) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 5:10:59 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120SF MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA

US $19.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 10:00:45 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $29.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Lomography Holga Holgawood Series 120N Camera NEW NIB

US $34.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 13:09:53 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $34.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Lomography Holga Holgawood Series 120N Camera NEW NIB

US $34.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 13:10:44 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $34.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

5 x Kodak Ektar 100 ISO 120 Film for Holga

US $26.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 14:42:49 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $26.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

5 x Kodak Ektar 100 ISO 120 Film for Holga Camera

US $22.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 14:45:05 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $22.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Holga 120 CFN Camera Color Wheel - Barely Used

US $22.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 14:52:39 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Holga 120N Medium Format Fixed Focus Camera with Lens

US $23.93 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 15:05:46 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $23.93 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Holga CFN 120

US $17.50 (4 Bids) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 15:10:01 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Lomo Holga 120 S Film Camera

US $9.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 17:10:55 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

One modification that I have never made to my Holga is a spool tensioner. It isn’t that I don’t need tension on the spool, it is just that I didn’t like any of the methods described online. The ones I have seen involve cutting and taping plastic strips or jamming cardboard under the spool. Not that my Holga is elegant, by any means, but I just want a cleaner solution. Yesterday it hit me when I saw a sponge brush in a box of tools. You can get them at Wal-Mart for $0.36. Your Holga probably came with a little bit of similar sponge glued underneath where the film goes. All you have to do is cut the sponge off the stick and put it in your Holga! Since the brush has a thin piece of plastic inside the sponge, it is perfect for a spool tensioner. I put the sponge on the left side of the film, but you could probably stick it on any side. The plastic prevents the sponge from getting pulled through with the film. No glue or tape or anything else required. I also use this for a spool tensioner on my Lego cameras with good results.

Ebay is a great place to shop for the Holga. Here’s what is on Ebay right now:

VIVITAR Ultra Wide and SLIM UWS - kinda Lomo and Holga

US $8.64 (2 Bids) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 5:10:59 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120SF MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA

US $19.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 10:00:45 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $29.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Lomography Holga Holgawood Series 120N Camera NEW NIB

US $34.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 13:09:53 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $34.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Lomography Holga Holgawood Series 120N Camera NEW NIB

US $34.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 13:10:44 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $34.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

5 x Kodak Ektar 100 ISO 120 Film for Holga

US $26.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 14:42:49 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $26.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

5 x Kodak Ektar 100 ISO 120 Film for Holga Camera

US $22.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 14:45:05 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $22.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Holga 120 CFN Camera Color Wheel - Barely Used

US $22.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 14:52:39 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Holga 120N Medium Format Fixed Focus Camera with Lens

US $23.93 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 15:05:46 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $23.93 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Holga CFN 120

US $17.50 (4 Bids) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 15:10:01 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Lomo Holga 120 S Film Camera

US $9.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 17:10:55 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Double Exposures are a fun and simple way to get artistic and abstract photos. I have been experimenting with taking double exposures with my Holga. It is easy to take multiple exposures with a Holga, you just don’t advance the film. The fun thing is you never know what you are going to get. There are a couple things you can do to improve your odds of getting a good image:

1. Try to find high contrast images. An overall gray exposure sandwiched on top of another gray exposure is going to be twice as muddy. High contrast images will give you stronger detail in the final negative.

2. The image from your second exposure will show up best in the dark areas of your first exposure. Think about how the light affects the film. For example, consider what would happen if you are shooting a scene of snow with a dark house in the middle for your first exposure. The light from the snow is going to burn out the film almost completely, so when you take your next exposure, no detail will appear in the snow. Since there isn’t any light coming from the house, the film will be unexposed there. This is where the image from the second exposure will appear.

3. Choose simpe subject matter Two exposures means twice as much information on the negative. That means there is a good chance you won’t know what you are looking at. If you choose simple subjects, you increase the chance of having a understandable final negative.

I hope these tips help some of you out. Remember to have fun with double exposures. Some times you will get good results and sometimes you won’t get anything. Take a bunch of photos to increase your chances of getting some good negatives.

Ebay is my favorite place to find deals on great old cameras. Here are the holga cameras on Ebay right now:

HOLGA 120SF MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA

US $19.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 10:00:45 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $29.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Lomography Holga Holgawood Series 120N Camera NEW NIB

US $34.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 13:09:53 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $34.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Lomography Holga Holgawood Series 120N Camera NEW NIB

US $34.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 13:10:44 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $34.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

5 x Kodak Ektar 100 ISO 120 Film for Holga Camera

US $22.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 14:45:05 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $22.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Holga 120 CFN Camera Color Wheel - Barely Used

US $22.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 14:52:39 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Holga 120N Medium Format Fixed Focus Camera with Lens

US $23.93 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 15:05:46 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $23.93 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Lomo Holga 120 S Film Camera

US $9.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 17:10:55 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Holga 120 GCFN Film Camera Lomo NEW ** STARTS @ $1 **

US $29.00 (16 Bids) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 18:54:34 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

GREEN Holga 120 Flash Camera LOMO Starter Kit +BONUS

US $59.95 End Date: Monday Aug-02-2010 8:29:43 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $59.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120N Camera w/ Two rolls of film -LOMO-

US $15.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Aug-02-2010 20:12:16 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

The Holga is a fun camera made almost entirely out of plastic. Even the lens is plastic, and its unpredictable characteristics make it ideal for artists that appreciate happy accidents. Besides being affordable (under $25) the Holga’s redeeming qualities are that it shoots medium format 120 film and can easily be modified. To view some of the photos I have taken with my Holga visit my Holga gallery.

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