Holga: What NOT to do (a newbs guide)

[Fin]

I received my fabulous Holga w/Flash a couple weeks ago, and I instantly have a new favorite camera. Having made several "roll-ruining" mistakes off the get go, I thought I'd share so other holganewbs don't make the same mistake(s)!

I didn’t read the manual that came with it. I got home from work, the camera was there, and I was meeting friends somewhere…so I decided to toss the batteries in, the 6x4.5 mask out, the film in, and start shooting. OOPS.

Mistake #1: I didn’t tape the batteries in. You only have to worry about this if you get the flash model. One swift jolt of the camera and batteries pop right out. Now, I was on shot 7 when this happened, so at least I had half a roll done. Then the next day I shook it and it’s making a noise like something is loose…hmmm, AH, the batteries had fallen out and were blocking the lens area. Damn.


Spectorama found out the hard way too

So basically, tape those puppies in with some black tape and you’re golden.

Mistake #2: The Counter-Slider Window (16 or 12 shots). Well, this thing surprised me, after I hit my 12 shots and was winding to the end and saw 13, 14, 15, 16 scroll by. Hmmm…. seems I had it backwards. I figured if the slider was pointing at the 16, it would open the window for the 12 shot area. Ooops. So some of my shots were overlapping a tad…they looked cool!

Mistake #3: I tried to use my fingernail to move the Counter-Slider Window over, and bent my fingernail over halfway. Pain level: 8. I then used an Awl to move it over, and poked a hole through the red window. DUH. At this point I’m really hoping the camera was worth it.!

Mistake #4: Not putting something under the film spools. Man, I cannot stress this one enough… 2 of my rolls came out loose, one was half sunbaked and lost half the shots. One was only slightly messed up. Moral of the story is, wedge something under the damn spools so they’re tight.


here’s what happens if you don’t give your spools a wedgie

I didn’t make every mistake in the book though…I did tape it up across the top back, I also taped over the viewfinder so I couldn’t look. Also made a little flap window to cover up the film counter.

Other tips
The flash is great with 100 speed film, but with 400 speed you risk gross overexposure. When shooting 400 and using the flash, put the aperture on sunny, and make a home-style diffuser with tape and napkins.
Learn how many clicks per wind, so you can wind in the dark. I did an approximate 3 quick winds and nearly got it perfect. I’m not really concerned about perfection though, so it’s all good.
Ah yeah, read the manual, as all this stuff is covered in it.