For Christmas 1999 I was surprised when I received a Holga 120-S camera as a gift from my wife. My initial reaction was that the cheap plastic Chinese camera was cute enough, but I'd probably never use it. After doing a little research on the Internet, though, I discovered that this clunky toy camera has a huge cult following among photographers who love the dreamy effects that result from the notorious light leaks and cheap one element plastic lens.

PROS

* Dreamy soft focus effects from one element plastic "Optical lens"
* Switchable between 645 & 6X6 format
* Ability to make double-exposures
* Cheap to own
* Large support network on the Internet

CONS
* Leaks light like a sieve
* Ingenious combination camera back clasp/neck strap lugs results in a propensity for the camera back to pop-open mid roll
* Vague focusing guide on lens
* Film doesn't wind tightly on the take up spool, which often results in a loosely wound exposed roll of film which will fog when removed from the camera
* Breakable plastic finish

Learning how to work around the Holga's many quirks took some getting used to. To the new Holga photographer, I strongly suggest you check out my annotated online owner's manual and my web page dedicated to managing light leaks. After that, visit some of the many other Holga sites on the Internet. At $20- each, the Holga is a great investment for a photographer who is bored with 35mm and wants to try something new (and weird).

Sample Holga 120S Photograph (click for actual size)