Holga 120N Medium Format Fixed Focus Camera with Lens

This camera is great, but dont buy it if you are looking for a fancy camera! The Holga is the absolute bare basics- its quite literally the simplest camera ever. You should only buy this if you know and are expecting that...but the Holga is an awesome way to simplify your process and toss away the frills

so i got this camera to toss in my bag and use for fun. i've been shooting for several years now and am well aware of basic concepts of photography (e.g. aperture, shutter-speed, film speed, as well as film and print development etc). my first roll was completely washed out. i was pretty upset, i had a lot of great pictures on that roll and they were gone, huge bummer. i haven't used it since. the thing that blew me away was that two of the pictures developed, the rest were completely blank. while i assume it was something i did i couldn't pin-point what it was and still have no clue. i'm going to stick with my trusty 35mm, hope you have better luck than i did.

This is my second Holga 120N. I really love using these cameras as a diversion from the now common world of digital cameras. Sure, I could get a better used medium format camera for about the same price without the problems of light leaks, soft focus, and harsh vignetting, but that is kinda the point, isn't it? It is fun to use and doesn't hurt to lose. Pick one up to maybe create something new out of very old technology.

I've been a Holga user for the past decade, and the 120N is definitely an upgrade (if you could call it that) from the older Holga 120S. Light leaks are part of the Holga's charm, but sometimes you want a nice, clean image. Unlike the previous generations of Holgas, I've never had to wrap the 120N in black tape.

One caveat: always check your settings. Many times I've inadvertently slid it over to "bulb," producing a very blurry picture. Unless you're in a very low light situation and you have a tripod handy, don't touch the bulb setting.

This is perhaps one of the funnest lomo cameras to use. I have a couple dislikes, though. (1) The back film door tends to come off due to the loose sliding clasps meant to keep it on. I'm not sure if the film used in these cameras is damaged by light, but I assume it is, and thus this can be a frustrating dilemma. I have taped mine shut and abandoned using the clips. (2) It's quite difficult to find someone to develop the film used in this camera.
A fun but moderately annoying camera.