Holga 120N Review

The Holga is without question, the Daddy of the Toy Camera World. Its affordable, easy to hack and boasts some of the most interesting effects out there.

Using a Holga and blogging about it for many years has been an absolute pleasure for me, and its awesome to see that so many people are interested in the topic. You only need to look at my Holga Facebook page to understand that.

So enough waffle and down to the review.

Ease of use

In my opinion, if the Holga is your first ever film based camera then you are going to struggle for a while. The film is quite tricky to load, and getting good results takes a lot more thought than the auto setting on the digital point and shoot that you currently own.

If you've used film before you shouldn't have too many issues switching over to a Holga. I started out on a 35mm SLR camera and the transition to the Holga was pretty smooth. The main factor I found tricky was loading 120 film.

If you have used 120 cameras before and understand some basic light rules of photography, you will have no problem using one.

The buttons and switches on a Holga will take you a while to get used to. Many aren't that solid and can change in your bag, so its all about getting into a routine before you shoot. Check your lens cap, check the shutter setting button etc...It won't take a long time to pick up, but it definitely will take some time.

Getting Results

Getting good results from your Holga will take about 3 rolls of film. These films will really help you to understand the problems and joys of the camera, and how to play to its strenghs. Don't be disheartened by a couple of dodgy films because it happens to us all at first. Relax and research, then go shoot more!

Getting prints from your Holga is getting increasingly difficult so I strongly suggest you find out if its possible in your local area before you buy. Don't rush this because it will backfire like the Worlds biggest cannon if you do. Take a look around on the internet and in your local city and see if there are any labs.

If you don't have any labs there is always the option of developing at home. If you have already had experience with developing then you can easily learn how to do 120 film and then scan your negatives at home. This will save you a lot of money in the long run, and give you a lot of control over the finished results.

If you've not done it before and you don't have a lab that will do 120 film, seriously consider a 35mm camera instead, such as the Holga 135BC.

Pros

The Holga has many positive things about it. It's raw photography aimed at drilling down to the basics. Lighting and composition. In theory the 60mm lens is a pretty terrible lens for most things other than portraits, but it still works  surprisingly well on buildings and other large subjects.

You will of course get the dreamy soft edges to your photos, and with a little bit of luck that fading-to-black look that we know as vignetting.

The Holga (as you can tell from this blog) is also amazingly simple to hack and modify.

Basically the only thing holding you back with a Holga is your imagination, because there isn't really an aweful lot to it.

Another great thing about the Holga is that it can also be hacked to use 35mm film, so if you are looking to get more bang for your buck, this is a great option. You can see the tutorial for that here: http://www.goholga.com/2009/10/how-to-use-35mm-film-in-your-holga.html

There is also massive amount of literature on the internet about the Holga now, so overcoming problems is relatively easy. 

Cons

Get ready for expensive developing costs and many wasted experiments because the Holga is not a forgiving camera. If you want to do something you have to get it right or else it just won't like it.

You'll get frustraiting moments with this camera, like leaving the lens cap on, over and under exposing important shots, and the back will fly off and ruin a few frames every so often.

The Holga is also extremely random, so beware of this if you are looking for something consistent. check out the difference in my example shots. Yes, they are all from the same camera!

Conclusion

If you are willing to spend a little bit of time learning how to use this camera well, then you will get fantastic results, but this isn't a camera you can just pick up and expect to get those 'retro' looking shots with on your first roll. The Holga will be easier for those to use with some photography experience and difficult for those that have none.

Over all score:

8/10

Its a true toy camera classic and produces some of the most amazing effects, but its not good for beginner film users.

Example Shots

Labels: 120N, Holga, Review