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Digital Holga How To – Close Up and Macro Lenses

September 10, 2011 in Features, Help, Resources, Slider, Tutorials with 3 Comments

As you may have noticed from our Blog and recent media attention there has been a lot of interest in the recent release of the Digital Holga lenses. We get asked a lot about these products from our customers to the HolgaDirect Store. In addition we are quite often contacted by customers who have purchased one or more of the Digital Holga lenses with advice about how to get the best out of them. On the back of this we have decided to produce a series of articles describing the lenses and provide advice and tips on how to use them. This article is the first in this series and covers the ‘Close Up’ Lens Set (CLS-1) and ‘Macro’ Lens Set (MLS-1). The piece was written by one of our favourite Digital Holga Photographer’s Chris Nitz who has produced some great images using the Digital Holga lenses. Please do check out Chris’ website HERE. Anyway, on to the article!

Getting the Most of Your Holga Close-up and Macro Kits

I love my Holga HL-N lens, so much so that I have no reservations in telling people how much fun it is to shoot with. However, I tend to do a lot more close-up and macro work, and so the 60mm default setting is a bit wide at times. Enter the Close-up Kit. This great little accessory contains two macro adapters and three telephoto adapters, all which quickly and easily pop onto the front of your Holga lens. Yet, how do you get the most from this setup? Well, it is easier than you think!

1. Know your expectations. Holga invokes many photographic thoughts, but toy photography is the most common. Just like the film based cameras, the digital lenses and accessories are all made from plastic. This maybe a cheap way to go, but it adds in a lot of character to photos. Before you head out with your Holga kit of choice, know what your expectations of the day are. If you are looking for super sharp macro shots of flowers, this is not the ideal setup to take. However, if you’re looking for imperfections, a lot of character, and a few surprises along the way, this is needs to be on your camera when you walk out the door.

Now I’m not one for missing “the shot”, and I like variety. So while I know what kind of results the Holga will provide me, I also take a backup lens as a “just in case” solution. Yes this means I’m lugging around more gear, but it affords me sharp photos when I want them, and the freedom of retro looking shots when I want those.  Know your expectations before you head out, and have fun doing that which you enjoy!

Digital Holga image using a Close Up Lens by Chris Nitz

Digital Holga image using a Close Up Lens by Chris Nitz

2. Understand the working distances of all the adapters. This trick will save you time and headache while out in the field, but you should take some time to learn the working distances of the close-up kit. First on the list are the macro adapters. Do keep in mind, these adapters are great for things that don’t get scared, or will kill you with a bite in self-defense. The macro setup requires that you get extremely close and personal with your subject. The ML-30 will require you be within half an inch of your subject, while the ML-60 will give you about an inch of working distance. Actual distances will vary depending where you want the focal point, but this gives you an idea of just how close you have to have the front of the camera to your subject. It also means you have to be creative with lighting solutions.

Next we have the close-up adapters. Essentially, these cut the normal working distance of the standard Holga lens, which by default is roughly three feet from the front of the lens to your subject. The CL-120 will work about six inches, the CL-250 about 18 inches, and the CL 500 about 36 inches. Think of these as more of a telephoto setup, so you get more compression with this kit while reducing the amount of space among you and your subject.

There is one caveat to this distance game, and that is your camera. I shoot on a Nikon D90, which has a sensor with a crop factor of 1.6. This means my camera will add a 1.6 magnification to any lens I put on it. For example, a 35mm prime lens on my D90 will equate to about a 56mm lens. If you have a full-frame camera like the D700 or 5D MkII, you will have different focal lengths than what I listed. If you own a micro four-thirds camera, your will have an even greater magnification than what I did (usually about 2x magnification in these). So, make sure you try these adapters long before you get out in the field and start taking photos for clients, or yourself, as it will aid you in knowing your expectations of your gear.

Digital Holga image using a Macro Lens by Chris Nitz

Digital Holga image using a Macro Lens by Chris Nitz

3. Prepare for the unexpected. The fun thing about the Holga equipment is that you never know what to expect, as every lens behaves differently. Mine, for example, produces heavy vignetting on the left side. I have seen friends who do not have this issue, but rather end up with some nice vignetting all over the final frame. It is fun to sit and compare the “personalities” of these lenses!

However, this close-up kit will sometimes enhance, or detract, those unique feature, all while adding in new quirks to the final image. For example, the macro kit does away with my vignette on the left side, yet it adds in some crazy vignetting on the upper corners. I have also found the close-up adapters add in a bit more noise to my shots, but create little to no vignette. My experience may not be your experience, but that is part of the enjoyment of this kit. Take the time to learn the quirks of your gear, and then utilize them to make your shots explode with creativity.

4. Just have fun with it. The most important factor of all of this is to have fun with it. Challenge your creativity by taking a “normal” shot with this lens and its adapters. Everything from portraits to landscapes can change drastically. I have taken photos of toys, food, and people, and this setup never ceases to impress me with all the new ways it helps me see the world. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong.

Digital Holga image by Chris Nitz

Digital Holga image by Chris Nitz

5. The ever asked for “what is your setup” question. So just how do I setup my camera to help add just a bit more to this kit? When I switch to my Holga gear, I will instantly go in and crank the ISO up to a minimum of 800, and sometimes going even higher. This adds in a nice amount of noise, thus aiding in the imperfections of the final shot. I also set my camera to shoot Vivid photos to aid in a more saturated look. Finally, I almost always use a tripod as this allows me to easily swap between the Holga lens and a more “traditional” lens if the situation calls for it.

The Holga Close-up kit is a steal for all the extra options it gives you. I continue to enjoy using this kit, and it is one that is always in my camera bag. If you like getting close and personal to your subject, yet want to add in some new effects to tired old photos, then this is the lens combination you want! Have fun, and happy shooting!

Thanks to Chris Nitz for the above article

If you are interested in the Close-Up and Macro lenses then there are a few options for purchase. If you already have a Digital Holga lens that you can buy a ‘Close Up and Macro Kit‘ which combines both lenses or if you don’t yet have a Digital Holga lens you could purchase the Digital Holga Starter Kit – Close Up and Macro. Alternatively if you wanted the greatest flexibility you could check out our ‘Kitchen Sink Kit‘ which combines the Close Up and Macro lenses together with a Wide and Tele lens combination on top of a Base Digital Holga lens.

Are you interested in writing an article for HolgaDirect? Please contact us and we can discuss any ideas you might have. We’ll happily provide full credit to your own work and images and link to your own website or blog. Anyway, if you have any questions about any of the products or anything else please feel free to contact us with our contact form HERE

The HolgaDirect Team

Which Holga do I Choose?

December 12, 2010 in Help, Slider with 2 Comments

Which Holga do I Choose?

Since the launch of the original Holga 120S there have been a number of new models introduced by the manufacturer. Deciding which Holga camera and lenses to buy either for a first camera/lens or to add to an existing collection can be confusing. Hopefully the information here in the Help section will make it easier to make that decision. In order to get to that decision there are a number of questions you need to ask yourself:

Film Format

The Original Holga Camera (120S) and most subsequent models up to recent times use 120 Medium Format film rather than 35mm film. For those who are not familiar with these terms here are some basics:

  • 120 Medium Format Film: Introduced by Kodak in 1901 this is a ‘Roll’ film (meaning it doesn’t come in a cartridge but on a ‘spool’). The term ‘Medium’ is used because it’s larger than 135 or 35mm film but smaller than 4”x5” beyond which is considered ‘Large’ format. Because the film does not come in a cartridge it has a backing paper to protect it but still needs to be handled with more care than 35mm as it doesn’t have the protection a cartridge offers. Frame number markings are printed on the backing paper to facilitate winding of the film. Due to the larger size of the film the images produced are bigger than 35mm (2.7x bigger if using a 6×4.5cm mask or 3.6x bigger if using a square 6x6cm mask)
  • 135/35mm Format Film: Introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a ‘Cartridge’ film this is what most folk are familiar with if they have used a consumer film camera in the past 20 years. Images are generally shot in a fixed size of 24x36mm

So the questions you need to ask yourself about Film Format are:

  1. Do I want the ‘Original’ (squarer) Holga 120 look or am I happy with a 35mm (more rectangular) look? (With a 120 format you can use an adapter to get a rectangular image but you can’t go the other way)
  2. Which film format am I able to purchase easily and cheaply at a store or online?
  3. Which film format can I get developed conveniently? (Almost all labs will develop 35mm but only a some of those will be able to handle 120)

Lens Choice

Up till recently there was only one choice when it came to lenses on a Holga camera being plastic. However recently the manufacturer has started offering a choice of either Plastic or Glass in many of the models. To be honest there is a lot of debate and talk on the net about the merits of each and the differences between them when it comes to the final image. To summarize it looks like there isn’t really much difference between Plastic and Glass. Probably the point most agreed on is that a Plastic lens does produce more ‘Vignetting’ than a Glass one.

Flash

There are three choices when it comes to Flash:

The Built-In Flashes on Holga Camera’s are very simple low powered (usually with a couple of AA batteries) parts and will really only add a small amount of light to your image. The ‘Colorsplash’ effect can be fun and certainly allows you to be more creative. If you are serious about Flash photography and controlling light then you will probably need to use one or more dedicated external Flash units possibly combining the Built-In flash of a Holga as a trigger flash.

General Use vs Specialist

Recently there have been a few Holga Camera models introduced which offer a more ‘Specialist’ type of shooting images. Amongst them are:

  • PinholeHolga Cameras (120 or 135 format)
  • 3D Stereo Holga Holga Cameras (120 or 135 format)
  • TLR – Twin Lens Reflex Holga Cameras (120 or 35 format)
  • TIM – Twin Image Maker Holga Cameras (120 or 35 format)
  • Wide – Panoramic Format (120 format)

Not all of these are currently available on HolgaDirect but subject to demand we hope to stock these exciting models shortly.

First-Timer

Okay, so you got this far down the page and you still don’t know which model to buy. In order to try and help please take a look at the ‘Model Comparison by Features’ page. If you are still stuck and just want a suggestion for a first time Holga camera purchase you can’t really go wrong with either the Holga 120N (if you can get 120 format film) or the Holga 135BC (if you cannot get 120 format but can get hold of 35mm film).

UPDATE (AUGUST 2011) – DIGITAL HOLGA

At the end of 2010 after realising that there was a high level of interest in Holga style images from Digital Photographers the Holga designers created a lens specifically for Digital SLR bodies. These lenses would be essentially the same design as the standard 60mm lens that was attached to the regular Holga 120 Medium Format film cameras with a fixed aperture of f/8. The first two models to roll off the production line were designed for Canon and Nikon SLR/DSLR cameras. After a few months on sale there was sufficient feedback for Holga to refine the design to offer an increased level of ‘Holga-ness’. In actuality this mean a higher level of vignetting and a softer focus than the first versions of the lenses exhibited. This new design was released in March 2011. As of August 2011 the Holga lens for digital cameras can be found for the following mounts:



The HolgaDirect Store
After reading all the above information we hope you have some idea of which Holga suits you. To see more information about the Holga Camera’s and Lenses in more detail please head over to our Online Store. If you have any questions about any of the products contact us through the contact links within the store and we’ll respond as quickly as we can!


Article by The HolgaDirect Team

What do you think about this Article? Please leave a comment below.

HolGlossary

November 17, 2010 in Help, Resources, Slider with 0 Comments

Click on a Letter below to jump straight to that Section:

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T U V W

120: Medium Format film invented in 1901 by Kodak. The first Original Holga Camera’s used this format. Comes on a spool with protective backing paper.

135: Invented by Kodak in 1934 and is the most common film format. Comes in a light-sealed cartridge

3D (Camera): Stereoscopic camera which can produce 3-D images. The images need can be mounted and viewed with a special viewer. Holga produce 3D cameras in both 120 and 35mm format.

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Analog (Photography): Generally meaning film photography rather than Digital.

Aperture: The ‘hole’ through which light travels in a camera to reach the film. Adjusting the aperture affects the exposure as well as the ‘Depth of Field’. Up until 2009 the aperture setting on a Holga Camera actually had no effect on the image produced (due to a manufacturing fault). From 2009 onwards most Holga Camera’s offer aperture settings of f/13 (shown as Cloudy) and f/20 (shown as Sunny).

ASA: Used similarly to ISO to indicate a standard for film speed. General advice for film photography is to use the right film speed for the right lighting conditions.

Aspect Ratio: Used to denote the ratio of the width to the height of an image. The aspect ratio of 135 film is 2:3 whereas for 120 film can be 1:1 (if using a 6×6 format/mask) or 3:4 (if using a 6×4.5 format/mask)

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Blur: Refers to parts of an image which are not perceived as ‘Sharp’. Used creatively by Holga photographers.

Bokeh: A term to describe the aesthetic quality of the ‘Blur’ or ‘Out of Focus’ parts of an image. Comes from the Japanese ‘Boke’ meaning ‘Blur/Haze’.

Blown-Out: Used to refer to Overexposure when the Highlights of an image contain no tonal detail and the photograph as a whole is overly bright.

Bulb: An exposure mode used for keeping the shutter open for as long as desired by the photographer. Available on most Holga models and particularly useful for ‘Pinhole’ cameras where ‘Exposures’ need to be long.

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Cartridge: Used as a light sealed container for 35mm film.

Close-Up Lens: An attachment to the front of a camera lens which allows the taking of pictures at a closer distance than would be possible without it. The Holga Close-Up Lens CLS-1 will fit most Holga camera models.

Cross-Process: Otherwise known as ‘X-Pro’. The process by which color negatives are processed in (E-6) chemicals designed for slides or by which slides are processed in chemicals designed for color negatives (C-41). The end result is highly saturated and contrasty images.

Colorsplash: A flash unit built-in to some Holga Camera models (120 CFN, 120 GCFN). A dial on the Holga camera allows colored gels to affect the light used in the flash. Holga models which have a ‘C’ in the model code have the built-in Colorsplash (eg, 120 GCFN).

Contact Print: A sheet of thumbnail images produced from negatives/slides so that images can be viewed for selection/review.

Contrast: The range of difference in the light to dark areas of a negative or slide. Different films can exhibit different levels of perceived contrast.

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Darkroom: Where the magic happens. Where film is taken and processed into negatives and thereafter into prints.

Diaphragm: The lens opening that controls the amount of light which reaches the film. It usually contains 2-8 blades the number of which can affect the reproduction of light sources and ‘Bokeh’ within the image.

Depth of Field: A measure of the distance between the nearest and furthest acceptably sharp points in an image. Controlled by aperture, focal length (of the lens) and the distance from the lens to subject.

Double Exposure: See ‘Multiple Exposure’.

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Enlarger: A device used to project an enlarged image from a negative onto photographic paper.

Exposure: The amount of light which reaches the film while the shutter remains open when taking a photograph. Controlled by the aperture and shutter speed.

Exposure Latitude: The range of exposures from overexposure to underexposure that produces acceptable images from a particular film.

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F-Stop: A number that denotes the size of an aperture. Bigger numbers mean smaller holes mean greater ‘Depth of Field’. The common F-Stops are f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22. Each successive number indicates a halving of the size of the aperture. Used in conjunction with Shutter speeds to determine Exposure.

Film: A piece of Chemical wizadry that allows images to be captured. Usually a sheet of plastic with one or more layers of chemicals on top.

Film Speed: See also ASA or ISO. Used to denote the sensitivity of a film to light. The larger the number the more sensitive or faster the film.

Filter: Any material or object that is used creatively to alter the ‘raw’ image otherwise produced by a camera. There are a number of filters available for Holga Camera’s.

Fisheye (Lens): An Ultra Wide angle lens used to take in a very large field of view of a scene. Invariably results in some distortion to the scene when captured. The Fisheye lens FEL-120 fits the 120 format Holga models while the FEL-135 will attach to the 135/35mm bodies.

Fixed Focus: A non-adjustable lens for a certain distance.

Flash: A device used to provide an artificial but intense burst of light to facilitate the taking of a photograph which would otherwise not be possible with existing lighting conditions. Holga model codes which contain an ‘F’ have a built-in Flash.

Focal Length: With the lens set to focus at infinity the distance between the optical centre of the lens and the film. The standard Holga focal length is 60mm.

Focus: Using the camera to enable the subjects in a scene to reach the desired level of sharpness.

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Grain: The effect of small grains of metallic Silver Halide on the final look of an image on film. Generally ‘faster’ (or higher ISO) films have ‘larger’ grain.

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Half Frame: See ‘Twin Image’.

Highlights: The areas of an image which contain the brightest parts of the scene usually where some tonal detail is still desired to be captured in the photograph.

Ho Gwong: Meaning ‘Very Bright’ in Cantonese and thought to be the origination of the word ‘Holga’ being an Anglicization of this.

Holga: The camera we all know and love.

Holgaroid: A replacement back for the Holga which allows the taking of Polaroid photographs.

Hong Kong: The birthplace of the Holga in 1982.

Hot-Shoe: A standard flash connection point on a camera. Usually standard on most Holga’s where there is no built-in flash. The Holga models which do not contain an ‘F’ in the model code usually have a Hot-Shoe.

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Infrared Photography: In this type of photography, special film which is sensitive to infrared light is used. The wavelength for this light ranges from about 700 nm to about 900 nm. In addition usually an “infrared filter” is used; this lets the infrared (IR) light pass through to the camera, but blocks all or most of the visible light spectrum (the filter thus looks black or deep red).

ISO: See ASA.

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Lens: An optical piece of equipment used to collect and focus rays of light in conjunction with a camera body to make an image.

Light Leak: Usually a red or white streak of light on a photographic image caused by light which has seeped or leaked through the camera body onto the film during. A sought after behaviour by many Holga photographers.

Lo-Fi (Lo-Fidelity): A reference to analog and/or simple or basic cameras with little of todays modern technology.

Long Exposure: A long enough shutter speed used either to create movement in a scene where there is some or to keep the shutter open long enough to capture a scene in low light conditions. See Bulb.

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Multiple Exposure: The taking of photographic images over the same piece of film resulting in a collage or montage effect.

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Negatives: A reversed tonal image produced by the development of negative film.

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Overexposure: A photographic image which has received too much light during exposure resulting in excessive brightness or ‘blown out’ highlights.

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Pinhole (Camera): A camera which instead of a lens has a very small ‘pinhole’ with a single aperture. Due to the very small aperture the image usually is incredibly sharp but requires a very long ‘Shutter Speed’. Holga produce Pinhole cameras in both 120 format (120-PC and 120-WPC) and also 135/35mm (135-PC) formats. Also see Long Exposure.

Plastic: The main material used in the manufacture of Holga cameras.

Polaroid: A special kind of film that develops on its own shortly after exposure.

Pull (Processing): Involves Over-Exposing a film (for example using exposures as calculated for a ISO 50 film when actually shooting an ISO 100 film). In conjunction with Under-Development this effectively decreases the sensitivity of the film.

Push (Processing): Involves Under-Exposing a film (for example using exposures as calculated for a ISO 100 film when actually shooting an ISO 50 film). In conjunction with Over-Development this effectively increases the sensitivity of the film.

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Reciprocity Failure: Refers to the point in the spectrum of shutter speeds at which a films characteristics may change. Such changes may include a loss of contrast, effective film speed or color shifts. The manufacturer of each film usually publishes the points of reciprocity failure.

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Shutter Speed: The length of time for which the camera shutter remains open. Used in conjunction with the aperture setting to determine Exposure. The standard Holga shutter speed is 1/100 second.

Slide Film: A reversal film which when processed in E-6 chemicals produces a positive image on a transparent base. Slides can be viewed in on a lightbox or projected.

Soft Focus: A special effect used for producing excessively soft images. Can be produced either using a special filter or selective focus. A Soft Focus lens is available to be attached to most Holga models.

Sprocket Hole (Photography): The perforated edges of 35mm film are referred to as Sprockets. The technique of creating images which fill the film to the edges on top of the sprockets is called Sprocket Hole Photography.

Stop: See F-Stop.

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T.M. Lee: The father of the Holga having designed the first model in 1982 in Hong Kong.

Transparency: See Slide Film.

Twin Image Maker: The Holga 135-TIM is an innovative model which allows the capture of images on a ‘half frame’ of a regular 35mm film.

Twin Lens Reflex (TLR): A type of camera that holds two lenses with the same focal length. One is used for framing usually through a waist level viewfinder and one is used for the actual taking of the photograph. Holga TLR models are available in both 120 (120-TLR, 120-GTLR) and 135/35mm (135-TLR, 135-BCTLR) formats.

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UEI (Universal Electronics Industries): The Hong Kong based company which manufacturers Holga cameras.

Underexposure: Refers to an image where insufficient light had reached the film at the time of capture. Results in an overly dark image.

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Vignetting: A visible falling off of light intensity in an image resulting in dark corners. A characteristic usually much loved by Holga photographers.

W (Back to Top)

Wide angle (Lens): A lens which has a shorter focal length resulting in a wider field of view which can be captured. A Fisheye is an Ultra-wide angle lens. A Holga wide angle lens can be attached to most Holga camera models.



The History of Holga

November 17, 2010 in Help, Slider with 8 Comments

Overview

So what is a Holga and what’s the story behind them? Well let’s start with a brief overview before we dip our toes in the History books. Basically a Holga is a simple inexpensive film camera made in Hong Kong.It is made almost entirely out of plastic and the build quality would certainly raise an eyebrow or two if you compared it to modern digital cameras.

But it’s the end results or images that matter and in the case of a Holga camera prepare to be amazed! Creative, Experimental and Fun are just three of many words to describe the experience of using a Holga.

History

In 1969 an enterprising chap named Mr T.M. Lee in Hong Kong started up a company named Universal Electronics Industries. In this exciting stage of photographic history the company initially focussed on manufacturing flash units. The business was successful and for many years continued along these lines.

Bring forward the timeline by just over 10 years and things were starting to change in the world of photography. Cameras were being designed with built in flashes and so Mr Lee decided to diversify the business by designing and manufacturing a cheap and simple camera for the general public in mainland China. The Holga was born. Incidentally the name Holga comes from the anglicized version of ‘Ho Gwong’ which means ‘Very Bright’.

Sales were disappointing as more competitors offered technologically advanced cameras. In addition the usage of 35mm cameras was rapidly increasing leaving the poor old Holga with its cheap plastic design and outdated 120 film format on the shelf.

However, all good things come to those that wait and they certainly did for the Holga. Over time the camera was picked up and enjoyed by artists, educators and enthusiasts and steadily gained a cult following. By 2001, over half a million Holga’s had been sold marking the camera’s 20th anniversary.

Today, the camera enjoys a renewed popularity among those artists, creators, educators and really just about anyone who wants to just have fun with their photography. Technical wizardry may have won the wallets of today’s mainstream photographers who seem to be on an endless quest for increasing amounts of pixels but the hearts are easily won over by the analogue Holga.

Holga-mania

So just what is that turned an unassuming simple, inexpensive, plastic camera into a modern day Cultural Icon? Well, this isn’t the easiest question to answer but we have a few ideas.

Unpredictability. Not a word most normal photographers would like associated with images that come out of their camera. But then Holga photographers are not your normal everyday folk!

Strange effects. Light Leaks, Vignetting, Blur. No, please do not adjust your sets. These effects are usually ‘desired’ by the more creative Holga photographer. Amazingly digital photographers today are now spending amazing amounts of time and effort recreating these regular ‘straight-out-the-camera’ Holga type effects in sophisticated software packages!

Ease of Use. Just whip it out and pull the trigger. These cameras don’t have many buttons, levers, cranks, LCD displays, flashing lights (well, ok, one of them does have a color flash). This simplicity allows one not to be distracted by technology and focus on the subject or meaning of the image being taken.

Fun. Probably the most important reason that Holga’s have attained their cult status today is because they are Fun! Once your technical limitations have been simplified to a couple of very simple choices then you can just grab that Holga, get out there and have some Fun!

The HolgaDirect Team