Off to the great Lab in the sky: RIP Holga 120GN you served me well.

It’s my sad duty today to announce that my favorite film camera, the Holga 120GN, has gone to the great lab in the sky. The last few films that I have shot have had some issues. Pictures have been coming out very blurred; in a “shutter speed to slow” type way, not a “crap lens” type way. Also they have been coming out massively over exposed, in a “massively over exposed” type way.

I have done nothing different to what I have been doing for the past 5 years or so in the way I have been taking the pictures, so the only idea I have it is that there is something wrong with the shutter. As is the way of the Holga in general, it’s shutter is controlled by a very cheap spring that at this stage I can only assume has lost its tension and is leaving the shutter open for too long. It’s a shame really as I really like this camera. The unpredictability of the radial softness of the focusing, paired with some nice vignetting always used to make me smile.

I do fully intend to replace it with another one and I may even “upgrade” and go for the version with the built in flash! Another idea might be to get a Holga lens for my Canon but I feel this is probably missing the point a bit. I would miss out square negatives and the ability to roll the film on as much or as little as I like which are a couple of reason why I liked this camera so much. I may revive the body to make a pin hole Holga but for now it will be put on the shelf to rest.