The third issue I found is that the viewfinder has a noticeably narrower field of view than the lens. This is definitely better than the other way around, although some of my shots came out messier than I’d intended by having stuff around the edges that I thought I’d left out. The word pivot is used a lot in tech and start-up circles today, but it’s really nothing new. In fact, it’s exactly what Holga did when their Chinese dream died. Using the Holga 135BC is relatively easy and straightforward. Here are the basic steps to using the camera: Load Film While these films must take much of the credit, the Holga didn’t let them down when it came to contrast with the Shanghai GP3 and colours with the Lomography. Cheap and cheerful – easy and convenient! Whether you opt for colour, B&W or slide – developing your shots will not be a problem!

The Holga optically is in a different class aided by the fact it is focusable. On target good central although things blur to the edge of frames. Optically this is the better camera. Unlike the Diana Mini it doesn’t try to ape the square frame format of it’s 120 parent. Instead of resigning themselves to having a fatally flawed product, they took those imperfections and turned them into reasons to buy when marketing Holgas in the west. So the Roniflex loses focal options, bulb and cable but does add 4 aperture points. Those aperture points are shown in both numbers and weather symbols for 100 ISO. It also is in the collection of Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP) !

Holga 135BC Specifications

I was going gangbusters on my old storefront project, and I was planning on continuing with it in my native Buenos Aires, where the same phenomenon of old, distinctive, non-chain commerce being razed to the ground and replaced by stores and buildings that look like any place in the world is also taking place. But here I ran into a problem: in Buenos Aires oldest and narrowest streets (likeliest to have the oldest stores in the land), the Holga 135BC put me too close to the storefronts themselves, and I had to literally stand on the street (putting my life at certain risk!) to get the shot. I realized this project might require two or three different cameras to complete, allowing for the different distances permissible for shooting depending on the place. And this is how I came to incorporate the Superheadz Slim & Wide camera into my project, but that will be the subject of a next article. Okay shotwise the answer was clear. Whilst the Roniflex had better exposure range the lens was weaker and softer for outdoor shots. Unsurprisingly it had less vignetting than the 135BC . Holga 135BC Test Shot mid distance with AVP200

Shots three and four show what can happen if you don’t have enough light for that 1/100 shutter speed and why it might be a good idea to go with an ISO 400 film, in the beginning at least. Meanwhile, the 120CFN has a colour flash, while the most alphabet-heavy Holga of them all – the 120GCFN – has a glass lens and a colour flash. Imagine that. Then there is flash. For casual shooting, 200 ISO film with flash works great. If your Holga has a hot-shoe, then you can use your flash to fine tune your exposure. I have a Nikon SB-24 flash with a great auto mode. I set the ISO of the film and f-stop (f11) in the unit and the flash calculates the power output. Easy peasy. Final thoughts The Holga 135BC camera is compatible with 35mm film. There are many different types and brands of film available for the Holga 135BC, each with its own characteristics and qualities. Here are some popular options: Color Negative FilmThis can be a deciding factor between these cameras and I can personally say that one of the reasons that I love my Diana Mini is the square format - it really suits the camera and its results. So if you're looking for the square format in particular then the Diana Mini might be for you.

I’ve had my eye on this camera for a while – like every Holga Nut I imagine… who could resist the temptation of another Holga, especially if it’s different to the ones we know and love? Unlike its big brothers, this one takes standard 35mm film and produces 24x36mm negatives – easily processed on the High Street. I see an old store or old sign, grab the Holga 135BC, and shoot through my rolled-down window. In almost two years of heavy use, I have found that Lomography’s Color Negative 400 film works perfectly for this camera in most light instances, but I can switch to Lomo’s Color Negative 100 film if it is really bright—as it was during the day in Illinois’ Route 66 this past June. But any color film will work beautifully, 100 ISO for strong light, 400 ISO for most other situations. First week of August in Astoria, Oregon, where it was fogged-in and overcast. Holga 135BC, Lomography Color Negative 400 film. The maritime hardware store is still very much in business. Lenses at the now-closed Holga factory in Changping, Guangdong, taken on an iPhone with a Holga filter. Picture: Manami OkazakiSo with that, I’ll always be appreciative that the Littlest Holga allowed me to shoot a roll of 120 Shanghai GP3 in Shanghai before I left, to go along with the roll of 35mm GP3 I shot too. I wouldn’t have been able to do so otherwise.

Initially, news magazine editors had a “psychological barrier” when it came to Holga images, says Kuwayama, a New York-based photojournalist who uses Holgas to shoot in war zones and during humanitarian crises. But, over time, they began to ask for them, he says.

You’ll also need to remember to wind the film on to the next exposure after each shot. The Holga won’t stop you from shooting double exposures if you don’t. You use that red film window to know how far to wind it on each time. Basically until the next number shows. Set the ISO of your film by turning the ISO dial on the top of the camera to match your film’s ISO rating. Focus your camera The 120GN has a glass lens, while the 120FN has a built-in flash. Simple maths then tells you a 120GFN has a glass lens and a flash. That apparent contradiction comes from the fact that its features are so basic that it takes more of an understanding of how a camera works to make good photographs than it does with a camera you can use on auto mode. There’s no light meter or autofocus to help you out here.