Using Holga at a gig?

I Saw Silence · 08-10-2009 3:43pm #1

I just bought a Holga 120n online. And I'm considering taking it to a gig next week. Just to see how the pictures turn out. How would it handle the low light? Would it be worth my while?
Thanks in advance.

Fajitas! · 08-10-2009 3:51pm

Two ways of going about it, assuming it's a dark gig.

Pop in some 3200 speed film, and push it to 6400, or use it on bulb mode, and hold a flash, open the shutter, pop the flash, close the shutter...

Unless your flash is built in, but even then, I prefer holding one and popping it off when I want.

Don't expect anything amazing, and be happy if you get anything amazing!

pete4130 · 08-10-2009 4:17pm

Ditto Fajitas on the high speed film. I planned on using my holga 120 a few weeks back at a gig to see how it turned out. I bought some ilford Delta 3200 for it and was going to over process the b&w film to push it to 6400 or 12,800 (which I've done with 35mm delta 3200 beforr with some good results). With the holga you've got a fixed aperture of f/8 or f/11 and a shutter speed of about 1/100 or 1/125th of a second (I do with mine at least) so once your sort of focused wait for the lighting to kick in if any and release the shutter.
If you time it righ, use the right film and push it a little in processing you could come away with some good shots.

Like Fajitas said, don't expect too much and if you do get something it will be worth it!

kumate_champ07 · 08-10-2009 4:41pm

not worth it imo

Fajitas! · 08-10-2009 5:12pm

No point in not trying, I got some nice shots of Natty Wailer a while back with a Diana, 100 speed slide film that was about 10 years old and a handheld flash.

Worst that happens is you get back a blank film, and at least you've tried.

Placebo · 08-10-2009 5:15pm

thinking of getting back into this as my dslr got stolen again

is she just using external flash?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/psychic_heart/

DotOrg · 08-10-2009 5:40pm

i shot the arcade fire in a big venue with a great lighting system with a holga but got nothing with 800iso film. 3200iso film would probably get you something approaching a useable exposure

sineadw · 08-10-2009 6:20pm

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

not worth it imo

It's always worth a try. I plan on doing exactly this with the rangefinder at some of the HWCH gigs. Bit more fiddle room, granted, but still

kumate_champ07 · 08-10-2009 8:18pm

sineadw wrote: »

It's always worth a try. I plan on doing exactly this with the rangefinder at some of the HWCH gigs. Bit more fiddle room, granted, but still

well it could be expensive, maybe 20euro for 120 b&w film and development, and the possibility of no decent results.

Is your rangefinder holga/lomo?

DaireQuinlan · 08-10-2009 9:04pm

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

well it could be expensive, maybe 20euro for 120 b&w film and development, and the possibility of no decent results.

Is your rangefinder holga/lomo?

I don't think there is any lomo rangefinders. The holga certainly isn't one. In fairness one of those 70s/80s compact rangefinders (which is what sinead has IIRC) has an excellent chance of getting good shots. Particularly if they've got an f/2.8 lens or faster. Load it up with 3200 and snap away. There are yashica rangefinders that have great 1.4 and 1.7 lenses aswell.

kumate_champ07 · 08-10-2009 9:08pm

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

I don't think there is any lomo rangefinders. The holga certainly isn't one. In fairness one of those 70s/80s compact rangefinders (which is what sinead has IIRC) has an excellent chance of getting good shots. Particularly if they've got an f/2.8 lens or faster. Load it up with 3200 and snap away. There are yashica rangefinders that have great 1.4 and 1.7 lenses aswell.

I think rangefinders would be great at a gig, but not an f8 cheapo lens

I dont think yashica have a f1.4 rangefinder, I think f1.7 and f1.9 is their widest rangefinder fixed lens aperture

kumate_champ07 · 08-10-2009 9:10pm

Im hoping to get an olympus xa rangefinder when i have spare cash to carry with me everywhere and use at some gigs, Ill be using iso1600 b&w film pushed to 3200

DaireQuinlan · 08-10-2009 9:17pm

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

Im hoping to get an olympus xa rangefinder when i have spare cash to carry with me everywhere and use at some gigs, Ill be using iso1600 b&w film pushed to 3200

Yashica lynx 14 :-) (in response to a previous post). I spent ages looking at rangefinders before deciding not to get one cos I probably wouldn't use it ... And then buying an XA regardless. It's a nice little camera. Don't know that it'd be suitanble for gigs though. No manual override at all is possible, and the asa can only be set as high as 800. I ended up using mine as a daytime carry around camera, I don't think its any real use as a low light available light camera.

kumate_champ07 · 08-10-2009 9:36pm

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Yashica lynx 14 :-) (in response to a previous post). I spent ages looking at rangefinders before deciding not to get one cos I probably wouldn't use it ... And then buying an XA regardless. It's a nice little camera. Don't know that it'd be suitanble for gigs though. No manual override at all is possible, and the asa can only be set as high as 800. I ended up using mine as a daytime carry around camera, I don't think its any real use as a low light available light camera.

you can bump the iso by 1.5 stops with the flash compensation button, so I'd prob only get iso 2400 if Im understanding it properly

DaireQuinlan · 08-10-2009 9:42pm

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

you can bump the iso by 1.5 stops with the flash compensation button, so I'd prob only get iso 2400 if Im understanding it properly

Nope, not tha XA anyway. There's a backlight compensation that compensates by 1.5 stops but in the wrong direction :-) It'll overexpose by 1.5 stops, so effectively reducing your iso by that amount.

kumate_champ07 · 08-10-2009 9:45pm

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Nope, not tha XA anyway. There's a backlight compensation that compensates by 1.5 stops but in the wrong direction :-) It'll overexpose by 1.5 stops, so effectively reducing your iso by that amount.

Ive been reading about too much camera stuff lately, information overload!
Ill still prob get it for an every day camera so I can use up all the film stock I have. my pentax slr is small enough but still a bit bulky to carry ALL the time.

DaireQuinlan · 08-10-2009 9:53pm

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

Ive been reading about too much camera stuff lately, information overload!
Ill still prob get it for an every day camera so I can use up all the film stock I have. my pentax slr is small enough but still a bit bulky to carry ALL the time.

Yeah it is a sweet little carry around. Slide open the cover and its good to go. Two more caveats though ... The rangefinder patch is usable but can be pretty awkward to see so speedy focusing can be problematical. Secondly the lens really isn't all that great at 2.8. I normally leave mine pre-focused at 3 metres, and the aperture set to 5.6 which is apparently its sweet spot. Most shots then become almost point and click, with maybe some quick focusing, secure in the knowledge that the aperture will cover up any focusing error. I've gotten some nice shots that way. Tagged on my flickr stream if you're interested.

I Saw Silence · 09-10-2009 8:10pm

My holga doesn't have a built-in flash. So I'm presuming it would be pointless. Might get some 3200 film and hope for the best.

sineadw · 10-10-2009 9:53am

I plan on processing myself, so I only pay for the film. Not too expensive at all

Oh and its a Fed 2 rangefinder I have, and a slightly dodgy Canonet 1.9...

I also have this yoke though

that I picked up for a fiver in Paris a few weeks ago - if I can figure out how to reload the cartridges with 35mm then I'm good to go. F11 at either 1/40 or 1/80 so will be pushing the living daylights out of everything :pac:

Using Holga at a gig?

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