Author Topic: Holga 120 modifications  (Read 11067 times)

Alan

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Holga 120 modifications
« on: August 06, 2012, 09:24:56 PM »
i recently bought a new Holga!
the 120 pan model, you can see Peter R's write up on it here > http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=5074.0



the plan was to modify the holga before use.
there are a few design faults which i have experienced with my other holga 120.



first up was to remove the foam roll tensioners that were stuck inside the roll chambers as these eventually get ripped off the
inside wall and wrapped in with the exposed film causing a "fat" roll and major light leaks when removing the exposed roll.



the replacement tensioner is a simple spring or zig-zag spacer to sit under the feeding roll and in the U shaped groove on the
bottom of the chamber so it cannot come loose after the camera back is fitted. depending on the thickness of the plastic used
a simple double fold or 3 or 4 folds can be made for the spacer. here i used the top of a deoderant can as it is curved so it will
create slightly more resistance under the roll.



a similar spacer can be made for the take up roll so both rolls are at the same height. the aim here is to create just enough
tension to keep the film flat across the the frame window to get an even exposure etc. it is easy to create too much tension
making the advancing of each frame quite difficult and increasing the chances of damaging the film.

Alan

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Re: Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2012, 09:26:39 PM »


the next task was to tape both ends of the film frame mask as i have found in the past that the mask itself
can cause scratches on the film. firstly i taped masking tape making sure to fold it down on the left on both
sides of the mask to prevent the tape from lifting and attaching to the film as it is transported from left to right.



i then taped electrical tape over the masking tape as i have found it grips better than taping it straight to the mask.
as with the masking tape the electrical tape was folded down on the left hand sides.


Alan

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Re: Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2012, 09:29:41 PM »


another little fault with the holga 120's is the frame count window on the back of the camera.
although the plexiglass is coloured red it still will let the sun burn through the backing paper of a 120 roll on bright days.
what i have done here and on the other holga 120 is to create a permenent flip up cover with "hook and loop" tape [velcro] ,
plastic from a 7up bottle and the top of the deoderant can.



i cut a window in the hook tape and attached it to the camera back. then attached a strip of plastic from the
7up bottle to the back of the loop tape.



a piece of plastic from the deoderant can was stuck to the piece of hook tape which fills the frame count window
when the cover is closed.

this is my favorite landscape format 2:1 so i really like what this camera does!


Andrej K

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Re: Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2012, 10:38:59 AM »
Looks like you made a bit more of a camera from it. I just wish I could make such pictures with my holga. Whenever I try, it is pure filmwasting... My usual rate (of considerably succesful pictures - e.g. those that I consider worth trying to print) with roll film is between 2-5 images per roll - with holga it is not even one in five rolls... Am I too "grown up" to use toy cameras?
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Alan

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Re: Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2012, 09:36:40 AM »
Andrej, its simple to use these cameras ?

just use iso200 or 400 film.

you can use iso100 too and if you are processing film yourself
you can develop the film to compensate for the slow film speed.

 :)

Andrej K

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Re: Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2012, 12:44:35 PM »
Andrej, its simple to use these cameras ?

just use iso200 or 400 film.

you can use iso100 too and if you are processing film yourself
you can develop the film to compensate for the slow film speed.

 :)

Thank you for encouraging, the exposure on my negs is OK thoug, my main trouble is "focusing" - I have succesfully scale-focused with other cameras and I am capable of getting the advantage of depth of field, but with my Holga it is realy just hit or miss. Even on infinity.(Now would it be possible that my Holga is broken?!? :-) )
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Alan

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Re: Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2012, 02:59:58 PM »
yes - i think so!

you should be getting focus unless you are trying to do macro  ;D

how old is the camera?

Andrej K

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Re: Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2012, 06:08:10 PM »
Alan, mine is about two or three years old - it is the basic 120N version though, not this pano version - and this experience puts me off getting this panoramic version, although I would dearly like to try 6x12 format.
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Ordinal

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Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2012, 06:33:16 PM »
I didn't find focussing really an issue with my Holga pan - its not usually the case that you use it close up, and at longer distances exact focus isn't that important.

It really is the most filmwasting of cameras though :D
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Andrej K

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Re: Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2012, 07:07:05 PM »

It really is the most filmwasting of cameras though :D

I guess so.. :) Maybe I'll look around for an old 65mm angulon and try to convert my holga in a similar way like Peter has done with his pano-lga... anyone tried this?
(Or I will make it a 6x6 pinhole..)
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Pete_R

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Re: Holga 120 modifications
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2012, 09:04:00 PM »

It really is the most filmwasting of cameras though :D

I guess so.. :) Maybe I'll look around for an old 65mm angulon and try to convert my holga in a similar way like Peter has done with his pano-lga... anyone tried this?
(Or I will make it a 6x6 pinhole..)

You'll need a 90mm as the back focus on a 65mmm will be too short (though I guess you could trim some off the front of the camera).
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