some-girl

Does anyone own this camera? do the pictures come out as unique as they do with

the original Holga? Anyone have any samples? Has anyone tried the 35mm adaptor

for the Holga. Again, any samples, results the same?

I just found a Polaroid Land Camera One Step w/ Q-Light for a really

cheap price. The guy said i could use sx-70 film with it. I have no

experience with this kind of film and i know that it is being

discontinued, but i thought i might as well try it out once before

they stop making it.

 

I was going to buy some film at Freestyle and was wondering what this

meant: "emulsion not compatible with SX-70 Image Manipulation

Process!"

 

What does "the image manipulation capability of the Time-Zero film"

mean? Is sx-70 and time-zero film different? Are they any different

from 600 polaroid film (take a picture, photo pops out, wait for it

to dry.) Or is it similar to the holgaroid? or is it totally and

completely different? just wondering.

 

Thanks.

Thanks for all the suggestions. i look forward to trying them all. i'm still kinda scared about loading and unloading the film. Even though i keep rereading the instructions on how to load and unload, it seems kinda confusing. i'm afraid i might mess up and ruin the film. I think i just have to get a little more familiar with the holga's parts. am i worrying over nothing? am i making it harder than it really is?

 

Jochen Schrey mentioned that i should hold the roll rather tight when i'm unloading the camera and glue it together. i don't really know what that means. i've never done it before, so it sounds a little hard. i'm afraid of messing up.

 

Jochen Schrey you also mention that you process your own b&w film, and i even read about this in the holga manual i picked up today at Freestyle. i haven't had a chance to see how to do it though. i was wondering, can i just have my b&w film developed at a photo lab or do i have to develop it myself?

 

Also, what do you guys suggest for moving the format arrow on the back from sixteen to twelve? I know the manual says to use a screwdriver, but that didn't work for me, and plus, i also kind of damaged the red window a little bit. It's more of a knick, but still, will this affect anything? And what do i do if i really damage it? Any suggestions?

 

Again thanks for all the feedback.

hello again. I was wondering which kind of 120 film is best for a

beginner like me.

 

Also, when i load and unload the film, does it have to be done in a

dark place or under regular lighting situations, does it matter? i've

heard/read a few things, so i just want to make sure.

 

Thanks.

i tried AA batteries and the camera works now! i don't understand why they would send me triple A ones. anyway, thanks guys for all your help. i really appreciate it. can't wait to take pictures now.

alright, so i don't really know what i did. i have just been taking picture after picture trying different things and setting them aside not really knowing what it was i did. stupid i know. but now, i've finally got an image. and i think it might be the one where i removed that dark slide. i'm going to try it again right now. just to make sure.

 

also, a question about the batteries: mine came with triple A panasonic alkaline plus. i was wondering, can they be any triple A batteries, or only a certain kind. are they all the same? which brand works better? i don't understand why in one manual it says to use two 1.5 V AA penlite batteries. i'm assuming that must be for a different model of the holga? mine which is a 120 SF does use triple A, right? just making sure. Thanks again.

You're right. step 3 is not the same thing. alright so i think i found this dark slide you are talking about, but it has no metal handle. i think it's all plastic. anyway, but just to be sure....i'm supposed to take out this dark slide right before i take a picture right?

Hello RON. I have some questions first before i take the picture.

 

Step 1: forget the batteries for right now. IT'S POSSIBLE TO USE THE HOLGAROID WITHOUT BATTERIES?

 

Step 2: Take the camera with the polaroid back out into the bright sun. Take off the lens cap. BY LENS CAP, DO YOU MEAN THE DARK LENS CAP OR THE CLEAR "ATTACHED LENS" THAT IS REFERRED TO IN THE MANUAL IN STEP 1? DO I LEAVE THAT ONE ON DURING MY SHOOTING?

 

Step 3: Remove the dark slide from the polaroid back. This is the silver metal thing. I HAVE TYPE 88 FILM. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER USING THIS KIND OF FILM AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT OR THE SAME. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY REMOVE THE DARK SLIDE FROM THE POLAROID BACK? HOW DO I DO THAT. THERE IS NO SILVER METAL THING.

 

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I SEE: THERE IS THIS WHITE TAB WITH RED LETTERS THAT SAY POLACOLOR ON IT. IN THE MANUAL IT SAYS THAT BEFORE TAKING THE PHOTOGRAPH, THAT I SHOULD PULL OUT THE LIGHTPROOF PAPER. I DID THAT ONLY AT THE VERY BEGGINING OF THE ENTIRE ROLL OF FILM. IS THAT RIGHT? THAT WAS THE LAST STEP IN STEP 2. I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT STEP 3 IS. I JUST THOUGHT THEY WERE REPEATING THEMSELVES.

 

THIS IS WHAT I DID: I TOOK THE PICTURE. I PULLED OUT THE LITTLE WHITE TAB THAT SAYS POLACOLOR ON IT. (I DONT EVEN SEE NUMBERS PRINTED ON IT. WELL, IT IS VERY FAINT AND HARD TO SEE. IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY? THE FILM HAS NOT YET EXPIRED BY THE WAY. ANYWAY, AFTER THAT, I PULLED THE LEADER TAB AND LET IT DRY. MAYBE I DIDN'T LEAVE IT LONG ENOUGH TO DEVELOP BEFORE I PEELED IT? DO YOU THINK THAT COULD BE IT? MAYBE I DID SOMETHING WRONG ALONG IN STEP 3?

 

I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR HELP. THANKS A LOT.

Hello. I have an Holgaroid (Holga 120 SF). I taped in the batteries

and tested the camera, but it does not hum and a ready lamp does not

appear as it is explained in the manual. Does this mean the camera

does not work or do i actually have to load film in it? Will it work

once it has film? I actually tried out the polaroid back without the

batteries, but the polaroid came out blank. Again, is there maybe

something wrong with the film, did i load it incorrectly, i believe i

followed instructions correctly. Anyway, after reading the

instructions over and even doing some research online (which did not

help) I took another picture, (with the batteries in place this

time), but the polaroid was blank again. Am I doing something wrong?

Is the camera defective? Can you tell me why it's not working? Thank

you. I really appreciate it.

G. Armour Van Horn ,

 

I agree, I might have thrown off some people about my experience. What i meant to say was that i wasn't a professional photographer and don't know very much about photography, except a few things i've learned here and there. I didn't think i had to explain everything, but anyway, I only have one 35 mm camera (Canon) and one lens that came with the kit (35-80). i glad she doesn't want that "classic wedding portfolio" look, because like you said i don't know anything about that, plus, don't have any of the equipment. although, i have taken some pretty good romantic portraits with my simple little camera. well, she knows what i have to offer. I told her not to expect anything. it's been a while since i've photographed anyone and first time using different film. Thanks for the suggestions, although if you knew me you'd know that i can't miss my workouts. And yes, skipping them will hurt. i've made my decision. Thanks!

captain captain,

 

Thanks for the tips although I really wish i had more time to get ready for this wedding.

 

No, i didn't know a really good lens makes the quality film shine. For now, i have to stick with my old one because i can't afford all of the nice equipment. My old one really does the job for me though. I'm sure there are better things out there that i'm missing out on, but i can't afford those kind of things right now.

 

Also thanks for the new film reccomendation. I'll try that out. The largest photo I'll need though would probably be an 8x10 or something like that. And yes, i was always planning on using a pro lab to process the film. Even if i had access to a darkroom, i wouldn't have the time or energy to mess with the wedding photos. And yeah, I wish i could try out the film first, but you know, there's simply no time as it was an impromptu wedding. I'll see what i can do though. Thanks!

Ming Lin,

 

Thank you for your response about the films. I am all about buying cheap but good quality film. I'll go for the NPH.

 

Also thank you for suggesting to shoot a test roll before the wedding. That is a brilliant idea! I would be extremely confident if i did that. I wouldn't have to worry about whether or not the picture came out alright. My other cousin actually mentioned doing that. But with the wedding only being a weeks away and with the bride living so far away and with both of our hectic schedules, i doubt there'll be any time for that. I'm going to call her tomorrow, now that you've mentioned this test shooting and see if she's free on saturday. hopefully she'll have her veil and all that stuff. last time i spoke to her she didn't even have the dress!!! This wedding was totally impromptu. anyway, I'm gonna give her a call. hopefully it works out. what sucks is that if the processing takes a week, then i'm screwed. THANKS though!

By the way, i wish i had the time to read up on photographing weddings, but i simply don't have the time. With school, work, gym, and personal matters, and with the wedding only being a weeks away, and with only 2 weeks notice, it's kind of hard to do any reading. That's why i was hoping to come on this site and get some advice. And i think i did. But I think i should've just risked asking the awkward people at my lab, and i guess i'll still have to communicate with them. so yeah.

James Dainis,

 

You say Craig was only trying to help. he didn't have to be so crude about it though. He didn't even know the facts. I just thought people would be a lot nicer on here.

 

Anyway, I have a lot of portraiture in my portfolio, things i've done for class assignments (fashion, street, and glamour sort of shots.) Nothing professional, but i think decent, quite impressionable to most people. My photographs were mostly shot with my simple SLR film camera and kodak t-max 100, developed in the darkroom. I didn't really know about lighting then, but i know a little more about it now without using expensive equipment. I can't really afford all that stuff just yet. i am not familiar with fill flash but thanks for the tip about taking the pictures in the shade. I think i'll be alright though. Back then, all i needed to get a decent picture was some film and my camera and natural lighting, and I think that's all i need now. It's the films and labs i don't know much about. I wanted to try something different this time around. I love portraits, it's just getting used to the people I'm taking pictures of that's hard for me. I am only used to shooting a couple of the same people in private settings, that's why i am nervous and doubting myself. I am shy and uncomfortable around a lot of new people, so this wedding will be a challenge. my cousin said i have nothing to worry about, so i'm trying not to. I've never shot landscapes or sunsets, though i would like to someday.

To Craig Shearman: The bride, who is also my cousin, loves the photographs i've taken and asked me if i would be her photographer. i warned her that i didn't know a lot about photography, i even tried to get out of it because i'm not all that confident. Anyway, she is EXTREMELY confident that i will do a good job. I thought i'd do some experimenting with color film and things like that. I kinda had a feeling those weren't slide films, but i just wanted to be extra sure. I thought i could ask someone on here without getting criticized. She says she only wants one good photo. I even told her that if they suck, that i'd pay for everything myself, but she says they're not going to suck. Anyway, I called her right after i read your nasty message and she was appalled, but totally agrees with Jonathan's message. And she said that even if they suck, which they won't according to her, that no, our relationship will not be over. I warned her so, you know. But she's seen my portfolio, she knows what i can do, she likes what she sees and that's all that matters.

 

To Jonathan Lowe: Thanks for having an open mind about my question. Some people jump to conclusions when they don't even know the facts like Mr. Shearman. And Yes, it is a small wedding in a backyard. And you're right, she does not want to pay an overpriced wedding photographer. It's nothing fancy. Thanks for telling me what i need to know about the labs.

I'm going to be shooting a wedding next week. I know nothing about

photography, so it's pretty scary. Looking through here i found that

Kodak portra 400 NC and Fijucolor NPH 400 are good wedding films, so

i'm going to use those. I've never used professional films before

other than kodak t-max 100, which i used to develop myself in the

darkroom, and the only other film i'm familiar with are those

supermarket kinds. Well, here's my question: i'm not familiar at all

with professional photo labs and was wondering how they work.

Firstly, I'd like to know, can these particular films that i will be

using be ordered right away as prints or do they come as slides? i

don't want slides. can i order contact sheets instead of prints that

way i can pick and choose which prints i'd like developed? i know pro

labs are pricier than supermarket labs so i want to pick out the good

pictures and have those printed. The wedding's on the 15th! I need to

know ASAP what I'm getting myself into, thanks!