Holga question

[kevs]

on BH
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/369376-REG/Holga_144120_144_120_120N.html

Anyone know the Holga well?

Can this unit be synced with strobe unit, or just only natural light?

Are other Holgas any better or worse than this one? Or are they mostly the same? Do others have sync capability and do others have ability to be  6x9?

[Two23]

Holga has a hot shoe on the top for flash.
https://www.freestylephoto.biz/holga-manual/holga-flashes


Another similar camera option:
https://www.freestylephoto.biz/95022610-Lomography-Diana+-Without-Flash


Kent in SD

[Ken Bennett]

I shot a lot of Ilford XP2 through the Holga. I had four or five of them at some point. The key advantage for me was serendipity -- I knew that one great photo would be on each roll of 12 exposures, but I never knew which one it would be. The exact opposite of the "control everything" mindset that I normally employ in my work.

The lens is plastic, and has lots of vignetting and soft corners. The body leaks light -- I taped mine with gaffer's after loading a roll of film. (That's why I had multiple cameras.) There is no real exposure control, so for me the XP1 and XP2 with their huge exposure latitude were perfect. This is not a camera for shooting 'chrome.

I don't have a lot online, though there are several Holga shots in this gallery from New Orleans from 2009 or so - https://kenbennett.photoshelter.com/gallery/New-Orleans-II/G0000lH.B6UdSGSU/C0000uMhvo18emYg

You should get one just for fun. They really are a blast to shoot with.

[kevs]

Thanks Kirk & Ken, well I would have a full multi head stobe pack set up for the Canon and then take some perhaps with a Holga or Diana. Kirk Have you used either or both? Have opinion?

Ken, just 6x6, never made either 6x9. Should gaffer the bodies right away or test first to see how things come out outta box?

I like chrome, why not shoot chrome?  Have you tried Dianas? Any difference?

[Two23]

1. Kirk Have you used either or both? Have opinion?

2. Should gaffer the bodies right away or test first to see how things come out outta box?

3. I like chrome, why not shoot chrome?  Have you tried Dianas? Any difference?

1. Not sure who Kirk is, but I once owned a Holga.  Fun, but in the end I got into pinhole.
2.  Wait to see if you have any leaks.
3.  E6 has a very narrow exposure range.  You dramatically reduce your chances of getting anything at all using it.  Also expensive to shoot and process.


Kent in SD

[Ken Bennett]

The Holga has basically no exposure control. Negative film has more latitude.

You can run a roll through it before deciding whether you have the light leaks and/or prefer to keep them.

[CMAmuseumbrich4d]

I have used Holgas for over 20 years. My main pinhole camera is a tore apart Holga with the lens housing removed and the pinhole setback from the front plane of the camera for a very wide angle camera. I used JB Weld to attach a filter ring to the front and use that as my shutter with a old nikon lens cap.

I have used two different Vivitar flashes (283 and 285) on the hot shoe and every Holga does the same. It flashes twice for each exposure. The shutter on the holga is circular in that on pressing down the shutter button, it rotates clockwise, thus setting off the flash and opening the shutter. On letting go of the shutter button, the shutter rotates counter clockwise. In doing so, it sets off the flash again. The second flash doesn't effect you exposure but I can't believe its good for the flash unit that is trying to recharge for the next exposure.

[kevs]

Ken, there is at least 1 -2 good exposures you can get accurately no/ Like 60 at f/ 8..? no?

 Did not understand this, "re apart Holga with the lens housing removed and the pinhole setback from the front plane of the camera for a very wide angle camera. I used JB Weld to attach a filter ring to the front and use that as my shutter with a old nikon lens cap.".....

[Telecaster]

The optimum when using a Holga is a scene where ~1/100th sec. at f/8 gives you a well-exposed negative. Basically Sunny 16 with ISO 400 film, but offset by two stops due to the Holga's fixed shutter speed & aperture. (At least some Holgas have a two-position f-stop switch, but on the Holgas I've used it doesn't actually do anything.) Everything other than this will be under- or over-exposed to some degree. Ilford's XP-2 Super is a good b&w Holga film because of its exposure latitude.

The person two posts above this is describing a way to convert a Holga into a pinhole camera.

-Dave-

[kevs]

Thanks Tele: But I'm shooting a strobe scene indoors with Canons. Then I'll take a few with Holga. With Holga (using pocket wizard)  neesd to be at what shutter, f stop?

[Telecaster]

With a Holga 1/100th sec. at f/8 is all you get! So you'll need to set your strobe accordingly.

-Dave-

[Ken Bennett]

Test it. In theory it's f/8, 1/60, but that can vary. If you run some film through it and vary your flash power settings, and check those settings with a flash meter set to your film ISO, you'll get a pretty good idea of what the "real" exposure is.

[Ken Bennett]

The optimum when using a Holga is a scene where ~1/100th sec. at f/8 gives you a well-exposed negative. Basically Sunny 16 with ISO 400 film, but offset by two stops due to the Holga's fixed shutter speed & aperture.

I'm trying to wrap my head around remembering all this stuff. Sunny-16 with ISO 400 film is 1/400 at f/16. 1/100 at f/8 is four stops more exposure, isn't it? Basically it's full sunlight exposure with ISO 25 film?

Remembering my Ilford XP2 negs, they tended to be very dense.

[kevs]

thanks Tele/ Ken, so it's not at 60 or even 125 for strobe, at oddball 100?  And for chrome if I nail it perfectly on light meter at that, open up 1/2 stop should be good? 

[Two23]

thanks Tele/ Ken, so it's not at 60 or even 125 for strobe, at oddball 100?  And for chrome if I nail it perfectly on light meter at that, open up 1/2 stop should be good?

With flash, shutter controls ambient  light exposure and aperture controls flash exposure.  If the camera only shoots f8, you will need to meter the flash power to f8.  If you are trying to balance it to ambient light in a room or outdoors, that gets a lot trickier because there is virtually no exposure control on the Holga.  And, Sunny 16 for ISO 100 film would be 1/100s, f16, and ISO 100.  To get the reciprocal for f8 you would add two stops of light, so 1/100s, f8, ISO 100.  BUT, the camera can't do 1/100s so I suggest ISO 50 film such as CineStill, or adding a 1-stop ND filter, or decreasing strobe output by one more stop.  You can't vary shutter speed, you can't vary aperture, and if you're absouletly stuck on ISO 100 that's only going to leave one variable to control exposure--flash output.

There is one other technique to try--open flash.  This is how it was done before the 1930s.  I took a studio flash shot of a woman using my 4x5 and a lens made in 1858.  Not only was there no flash sync back then (LOL!) the lens has no shutter.  So, how did I do it?  I set up my White Lightning X3200 in a huge soft box, radio trigger.  Held the radio transmitter in my hand.  Focused the camera, loaded the glass plate.  Turned the room light down very low.  Put a black t-shirt over the lens, removed dark slide (t-shirt blocked light from hitting the negative.)  Quickly pulled the t-shirt away from the lens, popped the flash, immediately recovered the lens with black t-shirt.  Replaced dark slide.  Photo was a success!  Below.  It was simple because the flash was the only light I needed to account for.

So, Holga on a tripod, put in "bulb" mode.  Meter flash so it looks good at f8,ISO 100 maybe 1 second shutter speed.  Darken the room.  Open the shutter on the Holga, immediately pop the flash, immediately release the Holga shutter.  Done.  Using chrome film is going to make this far more difficult but if you have the money for all the processing and expensive film, you will eventually come close.  Not sure I'd use the phrase "nail it" with Holga shooting E6, but theoretically possible.


Kent in SD

[kevs]

thanks but Kirk, does the Holga have a flash shutter speed? 60 or 100, 125, if so then I'll take my flash meter and set that at 60  f/8 and I'm done.. no? Don't have to use bulb or blacken the room.   My strobes are lighting everything. No ambient in the mix.

[Two23]

thanks but Kirk, does the Holga have a flash shutter speed? 60 or 100, 125, if so then I'll take my flash meter and set that at 60  f/8 and I'm done.. no? Don't have to use bulb or blacken the room.   My strobes are lighting everything. No ambient in the mix.

If flash is the about the only light, shutter speed won't even matter. 


Kent in SD

[kevs]

Yeah, mostly strobes, so just get f/8 and go.

[Telecaster]

I'm trying to wrap my head around remembering all this stuff. Sunny-16 with ISO 400 film is 1/400 at f/16. 1/100 at f/8 is four stops more exposure, isn't it? Basically it's full sunlight exposure with ISO 25 film?

Remembering my Ilford XP2 negs, they tended to be very dense.

Yep, I messed up. There was a reason why I used Plus-X rather than Tri-X with a Holga. 

-Dave-

[Ken Bennett]

Yep, I messed up. There was a reason why I used Plus-X rather than Tri-X with a Holga. 

-Dave-

Math was never my good subject.