lofico Articles

What film does the Holga 120 take?
All the Holga’s that have “120″ in it take 120 film. This includes all of the following cameras we stock: Holga 120 N, 120 CFN, 120 GCFN, 120 TLR, 120 PC, and 120 WPC. This means that any film listed in the following link is suitable for the Holga 120 series of cameras:

http://shop.lofico.com.au/category/120-mm

What film does the Holga 135 take?
All the Holga’s that have “135″ in it take 135 film. 135 film is otherwise and more commonly known as “35mm” film! This is the most common and most popular format of film that is easiest to have developed. This film is compatible with all the following cameras that we stock: Holga 135 BC, 135 TIM.

This means that any film listed in the following link is suitable for the Holga 135 series of cameras:

http://shop.lofico.com.au/category/35-mm

Can I use 135/35mm film on a Holga 120 camera, and vice versa?
The short answer is NO, however some Holga 120 cameras (all 120′s except for the WPC version) can be modified to take 35mm film! A 120-to-35mm kit can be purchased separately that basically will let your camera take 35mm film.

There are two types of kits available, the Holga version, and the Superheadz version. Check out these links for more info: the Holga version and the Superheadz version. They are priced with considerable difference as each has different capabilities and functions, make sure to check out both before deciding!

With these kits you can basically get the best of both worlds with one camera – be able to shoot 120 film or easily switch to 35mm by putting on the 120-to-35mm kit!

Which one should I get – Holga 120 or Holga 135?
There is no definitive answer to this question – it all comes down to personal choice!

The Holga camera that is considered to be the most “classic” one is the Holga 120 N (previously it was the 120 S when that was still in production). Most people often start off with this one and then move on to experiment with other types.

The trade-off with the Holga 120 is that you need to use 120 film, which is both more expensive to buy and more expensive to develop and print in comparison to the standard 35mm film – some consider using 120 … continue reading…

Holga FAQ – Answers to common questions

The Recesky TLR is a “do-it-yourself” DIY or build it yourself camera. Not only that, it is a Twin Lens Camera – meaning that there is two lenses of the same focal length. One lens acts as the photographic lens (it takes the picture), whilst the other lens acts as the viewfinder lens (lets you see the picture).

Building the Recesky TLR is not as hard as it first appears – but it sure is great fun!

The first thing you notice when you look at the package the Recesky comes in is that it says assembly time is 1 hours. Without experience, the task may take from anywhere between 1 – 3 hours taking into … continue reading…

Recesky DIY TLR tutorial

Even though the Holga 120 Series is designed to take 120 format film, there are two ways you can use 35mm film on your Holga 120 Series Camera.

Loading the Film

1. The first and simpler way is to use the Holga 35mm Conversion Adapter. It comes with a plastic insert that guides the film through the camera and a solid Holga back (as the original Holga back has film counters which will leak light if you use 35mm without any hacks).

2. The second method requires a little bit of work to secure the film in place and guiding it through in a straight line. Firstly, cut foam inserts to secure the 35mm film roll into the 120 film compartment. … continue reading…

Using 35mm film on a Holga 120 Camera

There is in fact not much of a great deal of difference between the glass lens Holga and plastic lens Holga. Being a cheaply manufactured camera, the images you get can vary from camera to camera and it will be difficult to find a definite answer as to which one is better and in what way.

In general, it is believed that the glass lens gives slightly sharper images, whereas the plastic lens gives a bit more vignetting around the corners, and slightly more blurry and distorted photo. There isn’t a big difference in the colour rendition and contrast in either lenses. One would believe the glass lens is a bit more durable, but the plastic … continue reading…

Glass Lens Holga vs Plastic Lens Holga

The Holga is a true icon in lo-fi photography. It began production in China as a cheap camera made for the working class. To keep production costs low, the cheap camera construction and simple lens meant that the camera was prone to a number of optical distortions such as vignetting, blurring and light leaks – what was seen as “imitations” in the technical sense.

This happened to attract a cult following among photographers worldwide, who believed these limitations forced them to concentrate on being creative and innovative, instead of being overly conscious about the complicated functions of new cameras. Many photographs taken on a Holga went on to win numerous awards in photography … continue reading…

Introduction to Holga