Light leaks (???) Holga 120 WPC

Hassasin

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I'd like to hear from users of Holga 120 WPC, specifically the "light leaks" situation. Never intended to own a Holga, but this one caught my attention due to pricing and just about "got it all" for light travel companion.

If owning this thing means taping it up every time film is loaded to keep light out ... I'm out. Is it as bad as some describe it to be, or is there a more elegant fix, or perhaps not all leak and one can get lucky
 

Andrew O'Neill

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OAPOli said:
No leaks here either. My issue is with the latches for the door which can be inadvertently opened.
Click to expand...

Me as well. Rubber bands to the rescue! I do the same for the 120 Panoramic.
 
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Hassasin

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So why do they "leak by design" given the rather frequent experiences ? Is this flimsy plastic that bends out of shape, inadequate design of meeting parts, bad QC ?
 

GregY

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Hassasin said:
So why do they "leak by design" given the rather frequent experiences ? Is this flimsy plastic that bends out of shape, inadequate design of meeting parts, bad QC ?
Click to expand...

...simply a cheap camera...less than $20 when they first came out
 
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Hassasin

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GregY said:
...simply a cheap camera...less than $20 when they first came out
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Clearly, but in the days of film-is-king there were super cheap plastic cameras and did not leak at all. Just wondering if there is any particular design flaw that makes them prone to go out of shape and let light in ?
 

GregY

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Hassasin said:
Clearly, but in the days of film-is-king there were super cheap plastic cameras and did not leak at all. Just wondering if there is any particular design flaw that makes them prone to go out of shape and let light in ?
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H it never crossed my mind to expect too much from a cheap product.
 

awty

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GregY said:
I tape mine.
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Its part of the Holga ritual.

Its like going on a a photo shoot with an elderly slightly drunk friend, you dont quite know what to expect, so best take a few precautions, go with it and have fun.....no other camera will do the same thing.
 
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Patrick Robert James

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I haven't had any light leaks that I didn't cause myself by some modification. I have one that has been modified quite a bit. The two biggest improvements were widening the hole around the shutter to get rid of some vignetting, and putting a different pinhole in it I got from the pinhole dude in France. Forgot his name. I also modified it to take filters but that was a bit of a fools errand. Everything shows up in a pinhole image, even dust on the filter. I also attached a bubble level to it which is quite helpful. I had to redo the tripod socket part too because I broke it off when I faceplanted with it in my hand. Rather embarassing. And I flocked the inside to eliminate reflections.

 

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Wonderful image Patrick!

Hassasin, if yours leaks you can use a flashlight to find the spot (wouldn't be surprised if it's a latch) and add a little foam around it.
 

Daniela

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My 120N requires tape all over plus a nice tape residue cleaning every so often. Its part of the ritual I do wonder if the manufacturer is in cahoots with Big Tape...
 
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Hassasin

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Are we justifying all the Holga wrongs with a "ritual" and as there are no similar alternatives, just decide to live with it?

When I inquired here about the 120 WPC I nearly got one for cheap. In the end did not and looking at what they cost new, I'm not so sure anymore, given that clearly light tightness is by chance not a rule. It still is an intriguing piece so I'll be on a lookout.
 

blee1996

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The Holga I have are not bad at all: Holga 135 Pan and Holga 120 Pan, both I modded with better lenses. So far I did not have any light leak. I do use gaffe tape to secure the back cover, mostly to avoid the back accidentally opens.

In terms of film advance, they are pretty crude but do the work for most part. You just need to be gentle with it.

In terms of film flatness (you will definitely need it for panoramic formats), they are OK if you add additional thick foam both on the supply and take-up side to increase tension. Actually Holga 120 Pan has better film flatness than the more expensive Lomo BelAir 612.

Commercial 6x12 pinhole cameras are not expensive, and there are many choices from artisanal manufacturers.
 

Jim Peterson

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I have the Holga 120N and use blue painters tape to hold it together. I don't consider it a hassle. The main advantage for me is that is a camera that you can always carry around with you since it is so light and small and all handheld. It is liberating to use. I get light leaks on about 15-20 percent of the shots and don't know why, but think it can add to a certain aesthetic and surprise. I like that the very center is usually in focus and the rest fades off into a vignette. Since the center is usually in focus on mine I don't know if it is true pinhole. I like using it in dark and dreary foggy and coastal situations with contrasty Tmax 400. Drearer the better.
 

Daniela

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Hassasin said:
Are we justifying all the Holga wrongs with a "ritual" and as there are no similar alternatives, just decide to live with it?
Click to expand...

I don't think I'm justifying anything. Mine is a cheap plastic box with a plastic lens and the images it produces are unpredictable. You know you sign up for the unexpected when you buy one, you're better off accepting that and making the most of it (with tape!)
 

GregY

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Well said Daniela....
 
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Hassasin

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I see a point here, but while cheapness is felt throughout, asking price is suggestive of more predictable quality. If it were possible to make light tight plastic box decades ago, the issue is clearly in the design, but I’m not going there with any arguments, as taping has become part of Holga culture it seems
 

GregY

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H, Holgas have been around since 1982....& people have taped since then. Back then they were $20. Now there are more models (wide version, some with flash).....but the bodies are the same, as is the premise: cheap camera unpredictable results. The prices ...well that's inflation.
 

AnselMortensen

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Aren't light leaks supposed to be part of the "charm" of Holga (and Holga-type) cameras?
I think I read that somewhere...
 
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Hassasin

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AnselMortensen said:
Aren't light leaks supposed to be part of the "charm" of Holga (and Holga-type) cameras?
I think I read that somewhere...
Click to expand...

One can find justification for everything

Holga may have been the one who came out first with this convincing message: ruined picture is not a ruined one.

I'm not knocking down Holga, but I don't have to agree designing a light tight box is a science few can master. Money was certainly not what made the design crippled by ineptness.

At least I got one thing out of this thread, accept it for what it is or look elsewhere. Some go into photography by hope and chance, and that is apparently Holga, and that is fine as well.

Still a shame to me, especially in a pinhole model which clearly is as capable as any pinhole out there, except light leaks are not precisely what I am after, nor taping new camera to keep them out.

Still, frame ruined by light leaks is just a ruined frame ... on an expensive medium.

I got intrigued by the 6x12 option, which indeed can produce wonderful images as evidenced here and elsewhere. For now I'll stick with 6x12 roll film back on a 4x5, just a little bigger and heavier
 
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