“Who needs a Holga??” That’s what I thought on and off over the past couple of years when friends suggested I get one. I mean, I had other “toy” cameras and “real” cameras that would give me an imperfect image, so why did I need to get a Holga? Because only a Holga can give you a Holga image. That’s why.
I decided I would partake in Holga Week this year, which took place October 1-7, 2019. Since I’ve gotten much more in tune with the film photography community lately, I’ve succumbed to the social media pressure to take part in the different community activities. I mean, who doesn’t want to be part of the club? What if I missed out on something cool??
So, I came, I spent $25 on a Holga (and another $18 on the t-shirt), and I followed the crowd. Only this crowd already knew something I had not yet learned: Holgas were cool! Yes, you heard that right. I was wrong.
Once I received the Holga from my EBay seller, I loaded it up with Ilford HP5+ and went out to see what it could do. There really isn’t much to the camera itself. It’s plastic, light, and well…feels like a toy. There is the zone focusing system. You know, the very accurate “one bloke, two blokes, a lot of blokes, mountains” focusing system. It’s even suggested you tape off the seams of the camera with tape, as it’s likely to have light leaks. How can this be any good?? Why do some many people love these plastic cameras?
Because they deliver! That’s why! I have to admit, I was blown away from the first roll. I was one of the lucky ones whose camera doesn’t have light leaks and does have a sharp lens (apparently, there’s a lot of variation between cameras). So, after the first roll, I of course put a couple of more rolls through my new best friend. And again, I was not disappointed. I mean, just look at these images! These were all shot on Ilford HP5+ and home developed in HC-110 (dilution B).
We started out at a local brewery, having a pint before we head out for photos. We chose to start in Downtown Dayton, Ohio. After walking downtown, we were to head to a local cemetery.
For the next roll, I shot photos from the parking garage at a local community college I attend.
So, long story short, what did I think of the Holga? I think it’s a definite win. So much so that I won’t be waiting for Holga Week 2020 before I shoot mine again. In fact, I’ll be keeping an eye out for some other Holga cameras. The little plastic $25 camera that could…definitely did! It won me over. If you don’t have one yet, take the splurge and give it a try. You might be surprised. I know I was.