Hold onto your Holgas...the factory has shut down!

mooseontheloose · Nov 25, 2015

Just found out while browsing on another forum (which I never do!)

According to Freestyle the Holga factory is shutting its doors...

...which had me bummed out, and checking to see what was still available and if prices had already gone up...

Until I read Randy's (from Holgamods) post on Facebook saying that Holga plans to open another factory, but we don't know where or when...

Still...even though I don't shoot with my Holga(s) the majority of the time, some of my favourite photos have been made with them, and I hope to see them producing once again.

AgX · Nov 25, 2015

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

(Holga designer in 2012)

Xmas · Nov 25, 2015

Our Lomo brick and mortar shop still had a lotta plastic in it last time I visited.

When you appreciate you have reached a turn down in sales you need to change.

There are a lot of 'plastic' cameras in our streets Diana's,... Etc. typically about the same frequency as film Leicas.

They seem way expensive.

Richard S. (rich815) · Nov 25, 2015

Quick! Someone do a Kickstarter!

AgX · Nov 25, 2015

Too late... there is already a Kickstarter campaign, started this summer. By the designer of the Holga ...

... for a digital Holga.

AgX · Nov 25, 2015

http://www.holgadigital.com

AgX · Nov 25, 2015

There is no sign at the net that the "Holga factory" has been closed. Their website, including their Holga page, is still on.

It may be though that the Holga department/endeavour within that company was cancelled.
However this is contrary to the reported trend in analogue toy cameras.
Or has that trend gone?
Maybe that was the reason to change over to a digital Holga.

See this statement from 2012 by the Holga manufacturer:

"Our camera is using the film. But today there is no more [...?] film in the market. So our film-camera will also suffer the same. So I must find out some way to make our products still alive. For surviving we must do our best. Otherwise [...?] in this way we must [....?] everything possible. Of course, also must be practical."

Likely no factory has been closed, but one product is going to be succeeded by another.
Though maybe associated with a splitting of the Holga department from its parent company and move of its manufacture back to Hong Kong

The new, digital, Holga has not shown up yet and is beyond shedule. That enterprise already has to fight a legal case.

Roger Cole · Nov 25, 2015

AgX said:
Too late... there is already a Kickstarter campaign, started this summer. By the designer of the Holga ...

... for a digital Holga.

AgX said:
http://www.holgadigital.com

Wow, what's the point? If you want light leaks and soft resolution and poor exposure, can't you just make it look crappy "in post?"

AgX · Nov 25, 2015

It would be photography with less use of the computer. A approaching to Apug...
Unless there are filters with certain algorithms, exchanging lenses or such should be easier than fiddling around on the software stage.

And still with instant gratification.

Xmas · Nov 25, 2015

You don't post process selfies?
That would be bad?

skorpiius · Nov 25, 2015

Roger Cole said:
Wow, what's the point? If you want light leaks and soft resolution and poor exposure, can't you just make it look crappy "in post?"

Well there's a subset of camera users who seek out "real" instagram defects using film.
I think it's silly but I won't complain as the more people using film the better.

This reminds me of a friend who took 30 photos on a road trip, and posted them on facebook via Instagram.
They used the "end of the roll of film so half of the image is yellow" filter on every. single. photo.

Sirius Glass · Nov 25, 2015

Roger Cole said:
Wow, what's the point? If you want light leaks and soft resolution and poor exposure, can't you just make it look crappy "in post?"

I am still working on deciding if the title is good news or bad news.

Ektagraphic · Nov 25, 2015

This is incredibly surprising!

Gerald C Koch · Nov 25, 2015

I am afraid that I never understood the Holga mystique. Why would anyone want to take bad pictures. There are many simple cameras, such as the box brownies, available that still produce creditable photos. Then there is the outrageous prices asked for Holgas and their ilk. As the proverb says "A fool and his money are soon parted."

Sirius Glass · Nov 25, 2015

My thoughts exactly

AgX · Nov 25, 2015

Ektagraphic said:
This is incredibly surprising!

But see that statement of the man behind the Holga.

Old-N-Feeble · Nov 25, 2015

pfft...

mooseontheloose · Nov 25, 2015

Roger Cole said:
Wow, what's the point? If you want light leaks and soft resolution and poor exposure, can't you just make it look crappy "in post?"

Wow, there are so many things wrong with that statement I don't know where to begin. Believe it or not, there are many photographers who shoot with a holga and have no intention of making it look crappy, who don't want light leaks, and who are actually interested in using it as a real camera.

I've seen attempts to make the "holga" look digitally (minus the actual digital holga) and it doesn't work. Every Holga is different, and I've yet to see a successful attempt to produce the random effects of a holga digitally.

mooseontheloose · Nov 25, 2015

To AgX

Yes, I've read your link to 2012, but this is 2015. Both Freestyle (the distributor of Holga in the US) and Randy from Holgamods have written that this has come to pass. Yes, there is no "official" news from the Holga factory, but I wouldn't expect there to be. It's not like they've had the following, use, and brand knowledge of big companies like Kodak and Nikon.

From the Holgamods feed on Facebook:

Randy,

I just saw your post on FB that Universal Electronics was considering opening a new Holga Factory, sometime down the line. That was certainly the first impression we received, from their executives, when the stuff hit the fan.

However, they have now confirmed that, before giving us an opportunity to save them, they have sent all of the tooling and molds to the scrapyard.
If Holga is ever reborn, it will be from scratch; and, as the company with the most knowledge on the sales trends of these cameras, we just don't see that happening.
Please update your Holga enthusiast following with the news that this is really as bad as it sounds.
Thank you for your years of partnership with Freestyle on this product line.
Let me know if you need any further information.

)
Patrick White
Director of Merchandising
Freestyle Photographic Supplies

Theo Sulphate · Nov 25, 2015

Gerald C Koch said:
I am afraid that I never understood the Holga mystique. Why would anyone want to take bad pictures. There are many simple cameras, such as the box brownies, available that still produce creditable photos. Then there is the outrageous prices asked for Holgas and their ilk. As the proverb says "A fool and his money are soon parted."

I've never paid too much attention to Holgas since I like lots of external controls on my equipment. However, having used and enjoyed Polaroid, Minox, and pinhole cameras, I offer this possible reason: by using a Holga, they can enjoy and capture moments and activities with a simple non-demanding camera which derives from a less complex era. Having something like an old Canonet would require too much thought (from a non-photo oriented person); having something like a digital point-and-shoot is too much a part of the modern day. Yes, they could use an XA2 (if they even know about them), but the Holga offers the perception of a simpler era and the imperfections are seen as a virtue since perfection and precision is seen as something that requires complexity - complexity that reduces enjoyment of the moment.

Or, I could be wrong.

bvy · Nov 25, 2015

Gerald C Koch said:
I am afraid that I never understood the Holga mystique. Why would anyone want to take bad pictures. There are many simple cameras, such as the box brownies, available that still produce creditable photos. Then there is the outrageous prices asked for Holgas and their ilk. As the proverb says "A fool and his money are soon parted."

To say a Holga takes bad pictures is like saying a Leica takes good pictures. They're tools.

OptiKen · Nov 25, 2015

One of the problems with very basic film cameras is that they have nothing to go wrong in them.
They last forever unless run over by a truck (although it would only take a toy truck to destroy most toy cameras).
There is no built-in obsolescence. Hence, few if any repeat sales. With Holga closing it's factory there will be little plastic Holgas for sale new or as NOS for years to come, I expect. Then of course the used market such as eBay has a literal plethora of constantly recycled Holgas and will continue to.
Modern companies need to sell razor blades and not razors in order to stay in business.

winger · Nov 25, 2015

Randy,

I just saw your post on FB that Universal Electronics was considering opening a new Holga Factory, sometime down the line. That was certainly the first impression we received, from their executives, when the stuff hit the fan.

However, they have now confirmed that, before giving us an opportunity to save them, they have sent all of the tooling and molds to the scrapyard.
If Holga is ever reborn, it will be from scratch; and, as the company with the most knowledge on the sales trends of these cameras, we just don't see that happening.
Please update your Holga enthusiast following with the news that this is really as bad as it sounds.
Thank you for your years of partnership with Freestyle on this product line.
Let me know if you need any further information.

)
Patrick White
Director of Merchandising
Freestyle Photographic Supplies

Wow, that's sad.
I love my Holgas. The one that gave me light leaks got modified to take 35mm since it's out of the way of the leak. My other one is great. I have at least one of two shots in my gallery here from the non leaky one. I may have to get a couple more, just in case. If you drop them, the shutter does get wonky, btw.

Yes, I shoot a Holga, that un-mentioned format, MF and LF. Each is a tool to get what I want for a particular image. Sometimes the Holga is what I want. Sometimes it's the 4x5.

Michael W · Nov 25, 2015

bvy said:
To say a Holga takes bad pictures is like saying a Leica takes good pictures. They're tools.

Agreed. Well put.

stevensow76 · Nov 25, 2015

Gerald C Koch said:
I am afraid that I never understood the Holga mystique. Why would anyone want to take bad pictures. There are many simple cameras, such as the box brownies, available that still produce creditable photos. Then there is the outrageous prices asked for Holgas and their ilk. As the proverb says "A fool and his money are soon parted."

Holgas don't really take bad photos, they take different photos. Unfortunately, the images a Holga produces, either you love them or you don't. For me I found that using one opened my eyes up to photographing in a way that I never really had before. As far as the high prices, I agree with you on that, a Holga is supposed to be an inexpensive alternative way of photographing. Sad to hear that the factory isn't going to be making them anymore. It's a great teaching tool for intermediate photography students, that's how I was introduced to mine.

Hold onto your Holgas...the factory has shut down!

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