| Author | Thread |
|
|
02/09/2006 10:19:31 AM · #1 |
| I just got my first Holga and plan to take some photographs and develop the film this weekend. Are there any Holga fanatics here that have words of advice? Were there any particular subjects that you thought had good results? Has anyone tried night photos? |
|
|
|
02/09/2006 10:29:34 AM · #2 |
A convenient take up spool comes with your new Holga. Throw it away. Now. Trust me. Find another spool or pull one off an expired roll of film. If new to 120 film and medium format photography, the paper backing is supposed to make a light-tight seal with the spool so the film underneath is not exposed to light. There is a gap that allows light to leak in and expose the edge of the film. This is not good.
The Holga is infamous for light leaks. Many users point this out as one of the strengths of the camera. However, painting the inside with Krylon Ultra-Flat Black (Wal-Mart carries it) improves the camera considerably. Donât accept any substitutes for ultra-flat black.
Mask off the outside of the camera, including the viewfinder (but not the slots that seal out the light), and take off the lens and shutter or put tape over the shutter on the inside. Then paint away in short bursts about 10â - 12â away. For maximum flatness, spray a little and let it dry before seeing if there are missed areas. Then spray a little again and dry. It dries very quickly. Spray the back also (tape over the red window).
Message edited by author 2006-02-09 10:33:52. |
|
|
|
02/09/2006 10:29:50 AM · #3 |
I do not own one of these myself, but I understand that these plastic toy cameras tend to be "leaky", as in they may allow light to leak into the body.
One way to combat this is to take a lightproof tape and apply it to the seams around where the lense assembly comes into contact with the body. My sister's boyfriend did that with Gaffer's tape with his.
Have fun! |
|
|
|
02/09/2006 11:42:12 AM · #4 |
I don't seal all of the outside: a small amount of light leakage is a signature for the style of image.
When taking a finished roll of film out of the camera, it will be VERY loosely collected on the spool: take the camera apart in a dark place and immediately roll film around the spool to tighten it as far as you possibly can do (the protective outside paper should be well inside the plastic guides at the top and bottom of the spool). Otherwise you will have unattractive light seepage at top and bottom of the last few frames!
|
|
|
|
02/09/2006 11:43:08 AM · #5 |
Oh - and if you have a version with flash, tape the batteries in place.
|
|
|
|
03/03/2007 01:19:20 PM · #6 |
I just ordered a Holga 120N this morning. I've been searhing Holga photos all morning, especially impressed with the stuff that comes up in a keyword search at Flickr. I really want to use it to shoot some ghost towns, and a wedding I'm supposed to attend in November. I've read about the black paint and black tape, but I'm going to shoot a roll without it first to see how that goes.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 06/27/2025 09:35:32 AM EDT.
