Damn that Holga, it's so hot right now!

Top-Cat · Aug 16, 2010

So after toying around with Medium Format for about a year now I've noticed how more and more stores around are trying to push film as a niche market - heck, even the big "corporate" digital photo store in central Oslo are trying to sell these silly "Blackbird" twin lens 35mm (if it's twin lens, why the hell are they 35mm and not 120?) cameras. And so I was checking out these two stores who sell Holgas, until I saw the price tag.

I mean, come on, 100 bucks for a toy camera? I got my Perkeo II for half the price (of which I prefer to the 1997 model Mamiya 645 system I bought later on).

It kind of reminds me of these middle aged women who pay big bucks on expensive paint, paper, and prefabricated canvases and other silly hobby crap - when you can get wood boards and (hardly) used canvases from out of a dumpster and buy decent acrylics or just artists charcoal at Canadian Tire type stores.

All in all, I don't have any good reason for having that much against these people, as I'm not the one getting ripped off on this. But it's all just so stupid I had to make a little rant of it, at least, just to give my two cents on it all.

2F/2F · Aug 16, 2010

Whether a camera is a TLR or SLR or rangefinder or whatever is independent of format.

I got three Blackbirds when they came out. I got them for $80 a piece through an E-Bay seller in England. I kept a blue one for myself, gave an orange one to a friend, and gave a black one to my favorite teacher for Christmas (mainly for future use in the Experimental Photography class that I tutor, in which there is a plastic camera assignment). They are expensive, even at $80, but I fell in love with some of the example photos from them, so took the "plunge." I have ended up getting my money's worth from the camera.

When I first got it I posted my thoughts here on A.P.U.G.: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Moopheus · Aug 16, 2010

The hipsters-overpaying-for-Holgas thread has been discussed a number of times. I think the general consensus seems to be a) buying Holgas at Urban Outfitters is not your best camera value and b) whatever sells more film is good. personally, I don't really have that much of a problem with it. They want something that's obviously not-digital, and if anybody gets really into it, they'll look further.

Josh Harmon · Aug 16, 2010

Speaking of this topic... I was at Urban Outfitters the other day wondering if they still had C41 120 film "3" packs of $11. Nope, just B/W 120 3 packs for $18!! It did not even note if it was a chromogenic C41 film or traditional B/W or any info at all!

Ektagraphic · Aug 16, 2010

It's not in my opinion the ideal way to keep film alive but if the Holga people are buying good quality not expired film, and having it processed, it's all good with me because it will keep the film in my cameras....and maybe, just maybe some of the people that buy these will pick up an interest in buying a more sophisticated camera

Top-Cat · Aug 16, 2010

Should have thought as much (with the topic already being discussed and all), just a somewhat recent thing with the Lomos coming into retail stores here on this remote part of the world.

I guess it might be a good thing if film becomes more available due to the stores trying to sell plastic analog cameras that way.

It all just seems a bit backwards according to my personal experiences - as I came into the medium format world with a rather decent, cheap, camera. And as for 35mm, getting a good enough SLR was just a matter of borrowing from an older generation.

And I know that TLRs come in both formats, and have for some time - I just think if you're going to make a plastic camera for people to toy around with, it doesn't cost them much, and makes for a better deal to make it a medium format type (but that might just be the way I see it, and not the pov. of everyone else)

neilpcraven · Aug 17, 2010

I saw some place in San Fransisco that for $60 you got a holga camera, 2xrolls of film scanned or printed, beer and pizza as well as a day of playing with the new toy with other like minded people. You could Bring your own and enjoy the day for $30 - so $30 for one seem very reasonable, as did the whole day. (Shame I'm on the other side of the Pacific)

G Austin · Aug 17, 2010

A Lubitel TLR goes for about $400! Get one off Ebay for a fraction of that. Why get a Holga when you can have your pick of classic box cameras to achieve much the same result with a bit more panache?

Brian Legge · Aug 17, 2010

I've been asked 'is that a holga/is that a lomo' more than 'is that leica / hasselblad'... all in reference to the TLR i was using mind you. I think those cameras simply have more mindshare in some market segments right now.

neilpcraven · Aug 17, 2010

Here in Oz, the classic Lomo LC-a is over $500 on the official (?) lomography site. That for a camera which was designed for the everyman Soviet who was probably lucky to earn $500 in a year...

film_man · Aug 17, 2010

I bought my Diana F+ for 100 bucks. You mean I could have bought a Perkeo II, which is nothing like it, for $50 and save me all this money? Damn. Wow, what an idiot I am.

You want to know what's stupid. People projecting their own expectations, requirements and cheapness to others. Is $100 too much? it is 10 rolls of 120 bought and processed. Wow, that'll break the bank. Thankfully, for an idiot, I can handle such extravagant expenses.

No offense, just a rant.

MaximusM3 · Aug 17, 2010

Who cares? Spending $100 on a film camera that is fun to use and can turn out nice, creative images (assuming one puts some effort into it), is ALL GOOD. I wish more people would be buying those and keep film alive while getting some new inspiration. If anything, I have more issues with some "photographers" dropping $18K on an M9 + 0.95 Noctilux and dish out absolute crap. Oh yeah, "great Bokeh!", "lovely DOF!" but absolute crap. But hey, as always, to each his own.
End of MY rant

Akki14 · Aug 17, 2010

If it really bothers you, buy direct from Hong Kong on ebay and buy one without a built in flash. Should be much cheaper. Not sure what they use in those horrible onboard flashes in the holgas but they must be gold plated at the price I've seen.

Moopheus · Aug 17, 2010

film_man said:
I bought my Diana F+ for 100 bucks. You mean I could have bought a Perkeo II, which is nothing like it, for $50 and save me all this money?

I got an old Tru-View (Diana clone) for $10. Sure it's a fun toy, but there's no reason for a little plastic box from China to cost more than that.

Mainecoonmaniac · Aug 17, 2010

I think people are hungering for organic looking images in the age of digital images. Some folks are left feeling cold being fed a constant diet of super retouched images and HDR pictures. Gen Y kids are rediscovering the magic of vinyl records. They love the warmth along with the hiss and pops of old records. It's great that some people are shelling out $100 for a plastic twin lens reflex camera. Everybody needs a hobby. I'm sure it will spur on film sales. Long live film.

michaelbsc · Aug 17, 2010

Akki14 said:
If it really bothers you, buy direct from Hong Kong on ebay and buy one without a built in flash. Should be much cheaper. Not sure what they use in those horrible onboard flashes in the holgas but they must be gold plated at the price I've seen.

I did that - no flash, and I bought one with a glass instead of plastic lens. Once you get the back taped on properly so it won't leak light it provides disappointingly sharp images. Not quite as sharp as a 1950s Kodak Brownie, but not at all distorted enough to be true "Holga" images.

ic-racer · Aug 17, 2010

I perefer my Savoy to either Holga or Diana. Not only is the Savoy a 'space age' camera, it is also USA made

jeffreyg · Aug 17, 2010

B&H has a Holga starter kit for about $28.

neilpcraven · Aug 17, 2010

film_man said:
I bought my Diana F+ for 100 bucks. You mean I could have bought a Perkeo II, which is nothing like it, for $50 and save me all this money? Damn. Wow, what an idiot I am.

You want to know what's stupid. People projecting their own expectations, requirements and cheapness to others. Is $100 too much? it is 10 rolls of 120 bought and processed. Wow, that'll break the bank. Thankfully, for an idiot, I can handle such extravagant expenses.

No offense, just a rant.

I think the point is you could have got one for $50 with 5 rolls of film and that's still expensive considering the materials and build quality...
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Lomo-Diana-F-Medium-Format-Film-Camera-B-W-Film-/310241280973?pt=Film_Cameras

Anyway, they do sometimes make interesting pictures regardless of what they cost.

cooltouch · Aug 18, 2010

My view is pretty much the same as others here: if it means that more film is being sold -- especially medium format -- then I'm all for it, and hope the Holga craze lasts a long time.

I also hope Holga users get into 120 slide film in a big way

jamesgignac · Aug 18, 2010

I got my start with MF using a Holga (which I bought for $12 including shipping) and from there I found this place and from there...well let's just say my cabinets have been lined by much nicer equipment and I've easily put through 500 rolls of 120 in the last two years. I say whatever oddball contraption or novelty experience can spark people's interest is only a good thing and the ones that fall in love will obviously move to explore other equipment, techniques, etc.

I say let the hipsters have their fun - if one out of every one thousand decides to pursue photography then it'll be good for film and great for them that there is a cheap enough toy out there (even if they over-pay) to try it all out before they get too serious. After all it should always be about playing around...this is how we learn...and a plastic camera just demands a good time.

MattKing · Aug 18, 2010

The only potential downside I see about the Holga phenomena is if those who get interested in it start thinking that Holgas et al are the only option available when using film.

A modern roll film P & S camera offering auto and manual exposure, as well as auto and manual focus, might be very popular.

bblhed · Aug 18, 2010

If these people are buying 120 film and having it processed let them buy whatever they want to put it in at whatever price they want to pay.

I know that $100 for a Holga is a rip off, you know that $100 for a Holga is a rip off, but the people that are buying these cameras are probably getting more than $100 worth of fun out of them, and if they aren't leave them alone until they shoot enough film to get $100 worth of fun out of them.

I have some really nice equipment that is probably far better at photography than I am, I have medium format, 35mm, The D word, and at the very least I would call most of my gear really nice. That said, I have some really nice photos that I have taken of my children, and of local landscapes on display in my home, these are not photos taken with high end equipment but with 90 year old Kodak Brownie Autographic #2 folding cameras that I paid about $10 each for. These are valid good looking well composed photos and I could reproduce them easily with any higher end equipment with a lot less work, I just really enjoy shooting with the brownies so even if I spent $100 each on them they would have been worth it for the joy they bring me. Shouldn't it be more about the joy of producing and viewing the photo than what you paid for the camera?

wblynch · Aug 19, 2010

Better a Holga than $100 of drugs !

RustedChrome · Aug 19, 2010

Another good thing about the Holga/Lomo fad is that it's providing business for film developers, usually the small local shops who still handle 120 film. When people have no place to get their film developed, that will truly be the end of our hobby as us home developers will not be enough to prop up the film companies.

Damn that Holga, it's so hot right now!

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