Topic: Is this the end for Holga?

[Flippy]

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2016/03/the-holga-goes-the-way-of-all-cheap-plastic-things.html 

I can't believe it. I hope it's not entirely true.

edit: The official holga website says nothing about the cameras being discontinued, so I wonder what the deal is?

[02Pilot]

This was announced some months ago - Freestyle confirmed it at the end of November. Predictable price-gouging and frenzied buying ensued.

I suspect a 3D-printed alternative will appear in the not-too-distant future as the equipment becomes cheaper and more ubiquitous.

[Francois]

Yeah, it's not really fresh news.
Definitely just a matter of time before somebody releases a clone on thingiverse.

[Jeff Warden]

It's strange that they would throw out the old tooling.  Maybe nobody wanted to buy it from them? 

[John Robison]

Lomo now has the market to themselves with the Diana. Of course their prices for the standard Diana F are about 1/3 higher than the Holga sold for. And, I notice that their site shows it as 'out of stock'. If you are in the US the best place to buy the Diana F is B&H Photo, they are 20% cheaper than the Lomography store. Don't know for sure but I think the Diana may be more prone to break than the Holga.

[jharr]

There are lots of toy cameras out there. The Holga was legendary only because it sort of brought toy cameras back into vogue with a certain sector of photo-enthusiasts, but there is nothing in particular that it does special. Heck you can still get a new Debonair for $20 including a roll of film. I don't think I'll mourn the loss of the newly manufactured Holga. They will be present on the used market for a couple decades until they are all broken, but the 3D printing approach will definitely fill the gap if needed.

[charles binns]

There seems to be plenty of stock, at least in the UK, so I can't see the world running out of holgas for a while yet.

I buy film wholesale and the dealer I buy from used to stock holgas - I did toy with the idea of buying out his entire stock (about 50) when the news broke and setting myself up as some sort of holga baron on ebay when prices skyrocketed.

Luckily I managed to control my entrepreneurial urges but I did buy a few - easily enough to last a lifetime.  Coincidentally my first holga (a GCFN) died over the week end 7 or 8 years after I bought it.

It's still a shame though.

[Francois]

I think the Holga is bound to go the same route as the original Diana.
Small company in Hong Kong makes camera. Small company stops production. Many years later artist rediscover made cameras. Artist start doing great work with camera. People notice camera. Hipsters begin buying old stock. Price of cameras goes up. Company moves in and decided to re-manufacture a clone. Company cuts the price of the now rare originals....

[Late Developer]

I like the 3D printing idea.  Maybe even make one out of metal 

[Chalky]

I much prefer the holga to the diana personally...

Randy at HolgaMods is already 3D printing them (see his facebook page), but for the moment I think they are for display only, but I am sure it wont be long till a working one is done...

[Urban Hafner]

Not to mention his great looking 120FB and 120FBW Holgas! http://www.holgamods.com/holgamods/120FB.html