Why do you have to put the holga 35mm back on instead?

Questions regarding holga cameras?

• lately, ive become obsessed with vintage looking photographs and polaroid cameras. however, polaroid film is very hard to come by nowadays. i came across the holga brand of cameras and instantly fell in love with the effect they produce. i have a few questions about which one to get: holgawood (120mm) or holga 135BC (35mm).  the holgawood is a, from what ive read, standard 120mm camera. i also read that most places like cvs and target that develop film either wont take 120 film or will send it off to a pro photolab where they can develop it. but the whole process can be costly. i did some research and found that you can use 35mm film in a 120 camera if you fiddle around with it. im 16 and havent much or any experience with photography so i dont want to mess with it. so then i came across the 135BC which takes 35mm film, which is what target and cvs SHOULD still be able to develop. it would be easier to get my pictures printed and such. so basically... 1. i know developing and printing are two different things. so would target/cvs be able to print my pictures if i dropped off my film like any other normal 35mm camera? 2. would a 35 camera produce the same pictures as a 120? will a 35mm camera using 35mm film put the little sproket holes in the final pictures? or is that just with 120s using 35mm? 3. how large will the pictures come out once printed? just standard 4x6? can you get them printed into, maybe 4x4 and whatnot? 4. do you have to purchase special lomography film for your holga? or can you just use standard 35mm film? 5. do you recommend i get an attachable flash for whichever camera i get? 6. which one do you think will be best for me to get? again, im 16, have no money, and basically no experience with lomography.  thank you SO much! i know i have a ton of questions but i want a holga for xmas and i dont want to end up getting one that is just going to end up being a pain in the ***.

• Answer:

  I've been leaning towards recommending 35mm lo-fi cameras for beginners. Why? They are cheaper and simpler cameras. If you get one of these cameras, it keeps the cost of exploring lo-fi photography on the cheaper side. 35mm is much easier to find and get processed. You won't get quite the same look with 35mm film, but it is so much easier to learn with and it's lower cost of camera and film will help you figure out if this works for you. If it turns out that toy camera photography is your passion, then you can explore getting the larger format 120 cameras. Holga isn't the only choice out there. Take a look at one of these 35mm cameras: Holga 135 or 135BC Supplier: http://freestylephoto.biz or http://bhphotovideo.com for about $46. Similar cheap lens and operation as the Holga 120 cameras. 1 aperture setting (yes, the camera has 2 settings, but they are identical), 2 shutter settings, N (1/100 sec) and B (Bulb setting) tripod mount, cable release socket If you want the corner vignetting like on the larger format camera, get the Holga 135BC. Sample photos: http://www.flickr.com/groups/holga135bc/ Superheadz Black Slim Devil Supplier: http://www.fourcornerstore.com/ or http://freestylephoto.biz for about $30. This is a clone based on the popular vintage Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim. It has no exposure controls and no flash option, but with it's wider than normal lens (22mm) it is capable of taking some outstanding photos. Sample photos: There really isn't a good Flickr group for these cameras yet, so the sample photos are from the Vivitar UWS http://www.flickr.com/groups/57074580@N0%E2%80%A6 The Diana Mini Supplier: Lomography.com for about $60 Lomography took the Diana camera, and shrunk it down to 35mm format. The Mini, while it lacks the interchangeable lenses of the full sized Lomography Diana+, is still a feature packed camera (at least compared to the Holga and Black Slim Devil). The frame format is unusual. They stuck with the square format of the Diana camera, but it is centered on a standard 35mm frame. The reason for floating the square on the 35mm frame is that be using a standard 35mm format, most 1-hour labs will be able to more easily deal with making scans or prints, since they are set up for regular 35mm film. You can also set the camera to half-frame 35mm, which is 2 vertical 24mm x 17mm images. This translates to 2 images on a standard 35mm frame. Currently a favorite of mine, it lives in my camera bag so it is handy where ever I go. 2 aperture settings, 2 shutter settings, N (1/100 sec) and B (Bulb setting) tripod mount, cable release socket This camera is unusual in that it offers square format,24x24mm on a standard 35mm frame (24x36mm). It also offers a half frame option, 17x24mm frames (it doubles the number of exposures you get on a roll of film) To answer your specific questions: 1. Any 1-hour lab will be able to process your 35mm film, regardless of what camera it came from. 2. No, there are some limitations to 35mm film. It is a smaller negative. You won't get image in the sprocket holes. This effect is usually from shooting 35mm film in a 120 film camera, like the Holga. Shooting 35mm film in a 120 camera is possible, but I don't recommend it for beginners as a standard technique because you will run into several issues with your lab and unless you have a scanner as well, you won't get the most out of these images. 3. The size prints you get will depend on the lab. If you are shooting 35mm, you will get rectangular images and square if you are shooting 120 film. With the Diana Mini, you will get rectangular prints with a square image in the center. With the Mini, be sure to tell the lab that you want the image centered in the print, or will get an image cropped to one side and a large black strip on the other. 4. No, you can use any film in your Holga. It prefers slightly faster film (ISO 400), but it isn't anything particularly special. 5. Yes, get a cheap external flash. I often find them at my local thrift stores like goodwill for a few dollars. If you buy one from a thrift store, be sure you bring batteries with you to test the flash. 6. Which is the best to get? Depends on what you can afford and what you want out of the photos. On a budget like yours, I might suggest the lowest end Black Slim Devil, since it is very affordable and you can see if you like working with film or not without having to spend too much money. There are no controls on this particular camera, but it's a good place to start. For more tips and info about the Diana and other plastic cameras, check out my website: http://dianacamera.com/ For how-to videos, visit my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/kaituba