Toycamera Handbook

(1)

(2)

(3)

The Toycam Handbook is the result of the collaboration of 32 members of toycamera.com. The concept was initiated on the forums of toycamera.com in February 2005, submissions were received through June 2005 and ﬁnal production and editing ended in mid-August 2005. From start to ﬁnish, in approximately seven months, and without ever meeting face to face - we made this book.

Project Initiation: Michael Barnes

Project Coordination: C. Gary Moyer and Dave Bias

Project Advisors: Michael Barnes, Susan Burnstine and Gordon Stettinius Cover & Book Design: Dave Bias

Editing & Prooﬁng: Eric Chudzinski, Skorj, C. Gary Moyer and Dave Bias Published by: Light Leak Press

1101-1144 Rockingham Ave. Ottawa ON

Canada K1H 8L7 Printing on Demand: Lulu.com

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

(4)

(5)

(6)

Who Are Toy Camera

Photographers?

T

he toy camera photographer eschews the modern developments of camera technology, the reliance on computerised exposure systems, motorised ﬁlm transport, PPI, TTL, CCD, DOF, the drive for higher and higher resolution, for gizmos, gadgets and carbon ﬁbre tripods.

They believe focus is an over-rated commodity in most photographs and a focusing ring to be a needless gimmick on your average camera.

They may however enjoy painting their Holga a pretty color.

Toy camera photographers are rebels who want to prove that you can make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

Toy cameras are for the artist within. It’s all about the photograph, and not about the price of your gear.

They may even make their camera themselves out of an oatmeal box.

They agree that depth of feeling is more important than depth of ﬁeld. Toy camera photographers probably would probably get kicked out of the f64 club.

Toy camera photographers would probably call themselves Neo

Photo-Secessionists who believe in the intrinsic revelatory power of the snapshot, if they knew or cared what that means anyway.

They are also sick and tired of getting stiffed by ridiculous ‘collector’ prices for old Dianas on e-bay.

Toy camera photographers believe: “If it’s plastic, it’s fantastic.”

“I can never be bothered with dials and things anyway”.

“My camera is not a status symbol of my upwardly mobile social standing”. “You may or may not use the viewﬁnder- it’s up to you”

“It’s all just a bit of fun”.

TEXT BY

(11)

About toycamera.com

W

e’re all about Plastic Cameras. Cameras called “Holga”, “Diana”, “Dories”, “Debonair”, “Lubitel”, “Banner” “Snappy” and “Yunon”. They’re cheap, maddening, fascinating plastic pieces of crap. Many people hate them, they think they’re junk, worthless, a waste of time. But we love them. We can’t stop talking about them. We just can’t shut up at all. We like the lack of sharpness, we appreciate the light leaks, we ﬁ nd the poor viewﬁ nders amusing.

We think it’s cool that they’re only 15 bucks each. We’re a close and yet diverse group - not exclusive, not competitive. We value personal expression above all other considerations. We want you to join us in our photographic journey. Because after all - We’re having fun, why shouldn’t you? We aren’t terribly organized. We all have different viewpoints. We come from all over the world. We are not competitive. We’ve been around for a few years now and while we maybe aren’t THE source for Toycamera Photography, we ARE up there pretty good these days. Cool, huh?

We hope to inspire you, dear viewer, to become a Plastic Camera devotee as well, so put down that Nikon, shelve those Canons, liquidate that Blad and join us on our quest for the “Image Sublime”. The Search for the Photograph that is more than the sum of its parts. Where photography regains a bit of its Magic and is no longer a mere technical exercise. This is a place where any and all can take photographs that have personal meaning. Whatever that might be. Please enjoy and be sure to jump into our very cool and fun message board where lots of fun and interesting things happen. We live for discussion and feedback. No lie, it’s true. Toycamera.com started as just two people with an interest in Plastic Cameras. We found these funny little cameras to take odd and compelling images. Over a fairly short time and a few conversations with others who found themselves interested in the Cameras, we found ourselves with a Group. Not a club. Not much of a Gang even. But our numbers grew. And continue to grow.

Our desire is to provide an outlet or maybe an option, to those who have a desire to create personal art, but have not identiﬁ ed a way to make this happen for themselves. Photography is often perceived to be complex and this can keep otherwise talented people from exploring it. The Plastic Camera is a perfect way to get you started. For some, the Plastic Camera is an end unto itself. For others, it is only a beginning. It is most important that you give it a try and see where it leads you. Results can be surprising. Unexpected.

There is a simple joy in this that is important.

Plastic Camera photography is cheap and simple. You can always put it aside - maybe never come back to it. But anyone with a desire to create should give it a try. There is little to lose - the cost of a camera (about $20) some money for ﬁ lm and processing. Much to be gained - self expression and a new way of seeing your world.

A new way to capture your world.

_{H.J. SEELY &}

TEXT BY

(12)

(13)

(14)

So You Want To Buy

a Toy Camera...

A

s with any type of photography, you are always faced with the difﬁcult challenge

of deciding what camera equipment do you need. In the following pages we offer camera reviews of some of our favorite toy cameras. Each one offering information as to what type film, cost, characteristics, functionality, and tips to help you decide what is right for you. The list is not meant to be all inclusive of every toy camera ever made. It’s a great starting point for you to decide what camera to get started with. One of the great starter cameras has to be the Holga. With its low price, they are very affordable and easily customized. Once you start shooting with toy cameras, you may find it hard to just use one. You will quickly find that collecting different models is part of the fun. Each camera has its own fingerprint when it comes to making images. You’ll notice that even cameras of the same brand may offer different distinctive characteristics.

One of the most famous toy cameras is the Diana. Her lens offers a wonderfully unique quality to your photos. Slight vignette, clear bulls eye image in the center, and an almost blurred peripheral frame around your subject. Unfortunately the camera is no longer produced and has to be bought second hand. Prices tend to run higher for these cameras over many other choices. The Diana has many clones that are basically just renamed. The Stellar, Lina, and Arrow are just a few of many versions that are out there.

Probably one of the most satisfying ways of obtaining a toy camera is to ﬁnd one in an old junk or thrift store. When you walk in and see a mint Diana for a dollar, I will tell you it’s like ﬁnding a diamond. Scouring these stores are always fun, but sometimes, it doesn’t always produce. Probably the most common choice for picking up toy cameras is thru the Internet. Auctions such as eBay and several online camera shops offer a lot of choices.

When reading the following reviews, decide for yourself what camera or film format will work best for you. You may prefer the ease of 35mm film processing at your local drugstore, or want larger negatives from using 120 film. As the case with any type of photography, you will have to decide what do you want to use the camera for. Do you want to shoot at night? Then you need a bulb setting. Indoors? A flash could be very handy. Long exposures? How about a tripod socket. As you can imagine there are plenty of choices. Use the camera reviews to help decide what’s right for you.

TEXT BY

(15)

Agfa Clack

The Staircase 1870

(16)

Manufacturer: Agfa Camera-Werk AG in Munich, Germany

History: The Agfa company was started in 1867 (even though the trade mark Agfa was only registered in 1897) and still exists today. The company started as a dye factory before their ﬁrst photographic product (developer) was launched, after which they produced ﬁlm, other chemicals and photographic paper. Agfa started manufacturing cameras quite early on and during the economic boom (the German Wirtschaftswunder) of the 1950s they released several types of cameras in rather large quantities. In time the camera technology of other countries, such as Japan, surpassed their own, but the company has survived until this day and is still a big name in the world of photography, albeit less consumer orientated

Format: 6x9cm on 120 ﬁlm

Expect To Pay: $5 - $25 depending on condition and accessories (I’ve noticed that Clacks can turn a bit overpriced on ebay due to their popularity, so I’d suggest to look around thrift/charity shops as they’re usually sold for next to nothing there)

Summary: Manufactured in Munich, Germany, from 1953/54 to 1965. The camera (an updated version of the boxcamera) was quite popular, especially in Europe. Many today can still be found if you look in the right places, but they might be more scarce in the US (for which it was renamed the Agfa Weekender)

Technical Details: • There is one shutter speed of about 1/30, plus Bulb (B) setting

• Apertures are f/11 for overcast weather and f/12.5 for sunny weather • The single element lens is plastic and has a focal length of 95mm • The focal range is 1m to 3m with close-up setting, otherwise 3m - inﬁnity

Attributes: • The lens is quite sharp, the focus generally seems be on the centre

• Has two built in filters: close-up and a yellow filter. The camera also accepts accepts 30mm slip-on filters

• The viewﬁnder is incredibly small and when looked through makes everything look tiny and distorted

• The body itself is made out of plastic, the outer shell is steel - the two slide into each other and are locked together by a large key located on the bottom of the camera

Camera Use Tips:

When I ﬁrst purchased this camera it didn’t include the little brown leather bag, be sure to try and buy one as I’ve noticed the shutter release lever can be quite easy to trigger when the camera is carried around on its own. The key located at the bottom of the camera should keep the camera closed with no problem - I have yet to encounter a loose Clack and so light

leaks should (generally) not be present.

A User’s Story:

This was one of the ﬁrst older toy cameras that I bought - I found it for just a couple of euros in a large second hand store in the Netherlands. There were several Clacks to choose from, they must have been incredibly popular in the Netherlands. The Clack is a very modest point and shoot camera, its main special feature is that it can produce sharp and, most importantly, large negatives. It’s an incredibly fun camera to play around with and can be used both in and outdoors, in good weather and in slightly bad.

Agfa Clack

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

KIRSTY VANDER

VOORT

(17)

Agfa Isola

Barcelona, August 2004 Branch, January 2005

(18)

Manufacturer: Agfa-Werk AG, Germany

History: In production from 1957 to 1963 with slight variations in design resulting in various models: Isola 1, Isola 2 etc.

Expect To Pay: You can get these in perfect condition for around £5 (~$10)

Summary: A super-dependable, lightweight & robust camera with a pull-out lens. It

produces photos with a wonderful period feel.

Technical Details: • 1/30 & /100sec + B

• f6.3 & f11

• Plastic meniscus Agfa Agnar 6,3/75mm • Red window on camera back

• focusing at 3.5, 4, 5, 7, 10, 20 & inﬁnity • Shoe & synch

• Standard Mount

Attributes: • Flat ﬁlm plane

• The lens is sharp in the middle, but softens out towards the edges. The Isola manages to pack a lot of ‘charm’ into its photos.

• Tinting adds a great ‘period’ feel to both colour & b/w photos. • Slight vignetting at the extreme edges.

• Light can get in through the ﬁlm counter window in bright conditions & sometime around the bottom of the camera back, but again – only in very bright conditions.

• Unlike most toy cameras ﬁlm speeds as slow as 100ASA can be used in the Isola in most weather conditions.

Film loading is straightforward, but make sure it’s drawn tightly across before closing the back. It isn’t obvious at ﬁrst, but having the ﬁlm loaded loosely will have an effect on your results.

The Isola 2 is probably my most consistent performer and the one I take on holiday in preference to most toy cams because I know I’ll get some usable snaps. The shutter release is a bit soft and can take some getting used to. Film must be advanced between shots which means multiple exposures are not possible in the way they are on Dianas and Holgas. The lens barrel must be fully extended before the shutter will work... I’ve missed many a “perfect moment” by not checking this before going for a shot. The viewﬁnder is pretty accurate

framing-wise. The bulb setting allows you to take shots in low light; if you want to freeze a moment as well as getting some atmosphere in the shot, use the Isola on bulb in conjunction with a manual ﬂash (i.e. someone else’s digital camera) and end the exposure once the ﬂash has gone off. This technique can be very effective.

Agfa Isola

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(19)

Ansco Panda

Coupe Signs

(20)

Manufacturer: Agfa/Ansco, Binghamton, NY USA History: Built 1939-1950

Format: 6x6cm on 620 ﬁlm Expect To Pay: $5 - $10

Summary: A basic, light, Bakelite, TLR box-style camera Technical Details: • 1/25 - 1/60 (approx.) No ‘b’ setting

• f16

• Single element, glass lens, ﬁxed focus for 6ft and beyond • Large, bright waist-level viewﬁnder

• No ﬂash options • No tripod mount

• No special features or functions of any kind.

Attributes: • The lens is nameless and fairly wide in angle.

• Images can be surprisingly sharp, but it does better in the near to middle distance, with focus falling off as it goes to inﬁnity.

• The lens has no tinting.

• The camera does not vignette, but does produce subtle distortions, especially at the edges.

• While I am sure some old Pandas leak light, mine does not. • Recommended for ﬁlm of ISO 100 and above.

Focus is described at 6’ and beyond, but is actually a bit closer.

The Ansco Panda is the most basic of toy cameras and could not be cuter or more appealing. The images it produces are impressive, from the surprisingly sharp to the slightly soft and distorted. It renders accurate color, with good saturation, as well as detailed B&W negatives with good tonal range. The Panda’s big and bright, waist-level viewﬁnder is very welcome to middle-aged eyes. Highly recommended! A Panda users’ group can be found at: http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/AnscoPanda/

Ansco Panda

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(21)

Ansco Pix Panorama

A series of stitched images

St. Paul’s SAMPLE IMAGES

(22)

Manufacturer: Ansco Photo Optical Products Corporation, USA

History: Produced in the early 1990’s to rival Kodak’s “Stretch” and “Funsaver 35” formats. Literally hundreds of other manufacturers made similar cameras in different shapes, colours and sizes, but the Pix Pano is a pretty snappy dresser and has caught on in toy camera circles.

Format: 24x36mm on 135 ﬁlm

Expect To Pay: 50p - £5.00 (approx. $1 - $10)

Summary: A really fun, lightweight, plastic, panoramic aspect camera which ‘leterboxes’ the 135 negative to produce a print with a different aspect ratio.

Technical Details: • 1/125th sec fixed • f11 • Plastic 28mm 2 element • Automatic film counter • 3 feet to infinity • No flash options • No tripod mount

Attributes: • The 25mm lens produces some sexy distortion at the extreme edges of the frame.

• Lenses are very sharp considering they’re plastic. • No obvious vignetting.

• No light leaks unless you have a beaten up example.

• In anything other than sunny conditions 400ASA ﬁlm should be used

This baby is simplicity itself. Compose your shot and just click away.

After using the camera for a few weeks I realized it might be fun to turn it on its end, take a series of images of a single subject and then stitch the series together in Photoshop afterwards. After a few attempts I got it down and breathed new life into the format. To try your hand at this flavour of toy photography pick up any similar plastic ‘panoramic’ camera. Don’t wait specifically for an Ansco as they’re all pretty much the same. Despite being a cheap plastic gimmick, these cameras can produce some very fine images. For me it works particularly well with 400ASA b/w film to produce some really gritty material. The different aspect ratio forces you to look at subjects in a different way and go for different angles and perspectives. When you get it right it can be really rewarding.

Ansco Pix Panorama

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(23)

Bioﬂex

Picnic Area, Walker County Lake (Skipping School) Sleeping Dog SAMPLE IMAGES

(24)

Manufacturer: Great Wall Plastic Company, Hong Kong

History: Unknown. Likely made in the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. Also sold as the Traveler Camera.

Format: approximately 5x5cm on 120 ﬁlm Expect To Pay: $35 to $100

Summary: Great Wall’s take on the Rolleiﬂex TLR—feature packed and almost too sharp! Technical Details: • 1/25, 1/50, and B

• f8, f11, f16, and f22 • Single element plastic lens

• Red window frame counter with sliding blind (no taping!) • Adjustable, 6 feet to inﬁnity

• Accessory shoe and PC socket. • Standard tripod socket. • Reﬂex and sports ﬁnders.

Attributes: • Sharper overall than its sister, the Diana.

• Good center sharpness with mild distortion and blur at the edges. • Slightly muted, warm color rendition.

• Very slight vignette.

• Some edge fogging (at times severe) from loosely ﬁtting back; tape suggested.

Easy operation with well-placed controls, but reflex finder is difficult to use and inaccurate; stick with the sports finder.

Suggested ﬁlm speed:

Varies with lighting conditions; adjustable shutter and aperture allow for greater ﬂexibility in ﬁlm choice.

A real curiosity, the Bioﬂex attempts to replicate the complex features of a quality TLR camera with the materials and build quality of the classic Diana. Results are mixed —the adjustable shutter and aperture settings are useful features that expand the capabilities of the camera, but it seems delicate for something that is large and complex as toy cameras go. A larger 5x5cm negative size (as opposed to Diana’s 4x4cm negative) is a welcome feature. The single element plastic lens is related to that of the Diana — but offers increased

sharpness, with less edge distortion and vignetting. Whether this is a good thing or not is entirely a matter of personal opinion!

Bioﬂex

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

CHRISTOPHER W.

TRICE

(25)

Brownie Holiday

Kansas Cornfield My Only Reliable Mode of Transportation SAMPLE IMAGES

(26)

Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY

History: Manufactured (most likely in great numbers) from 1953-1962, also available as the Brownie Holiday Flash.

Format: approximately 6x4.5cm on 127 ﬁlm Expect To Pay: $5-$10

Summary: A cute camera, boxy and solidly built. Similar in size and shape to a US

‘Chinese Restaurant’ take-out box.

Technical Details: • Fixed shutter, approximately 1/50.

• Fixed aperture, approximately f8. • Single element plastic lens. • Red window frame counter. • Fixed focus, 5 feet to inﬁnity? • Flash model synched for bulbs • No tripod socket.

Attributes: • Curved ﬁlm plane.

• Slightly soft focus throughout the frame, no noticeable edge distortion • No noticeable vignetting

• No light leaks unless camera body is chipped around the seams • Suggested ﬁlm speed: ISO 100

Like many 127 Kodaks, loading film can be rather fiddly. Make sure film is flat against film plane. Viewfinder is fairly accurate.

This user-friendly camera is a good companion on any day trip. Images have a graceful, airy quality. Something about the lens’ focal length — coupled with an almost panoramic format — gives the photographs a calm, spacious feeling.

The viewﬁnder is fairly accurate on the sides, but you sometimes get more than planned on the top and bottom. Since I like to crop in-camera as much as possible, I recommend standing a bit closer (perhaps 3 feet) than the viewﬁnder would indicate.

Good results are very possible with this camera, but you should tape the side clips—their seal can be iffy, and should they slide loose during shooting the ﬁlm edges may fog, especially with color ﬁlm. Also make sure to tape any chips in the body as well as the frame counter window to prevent unwanted light leaks.

Brownie Holiday

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(27)

Handstands, May 2004 Spain, January 2005 SAMPLE IMAGES

(28)

Manufacturer: Coronet Ltd, 308-310 Summer Lane, Birmingham, UK

History: Made during the 1950’s, there were several versions of the 4-4; all with slight design/feature variations.

Expect To Pay: between £1 and £5 (approx $2 - $10)

Summary: A beautiful UK-made, small, all-plastic toy camera originally marketed

towards women.

Technical Details: • Single aperture

• Fixed shutter speed • Plastic lens

• Red window on back of camera • Fixed focus

• No ﬂash options on the standard 4-4. • No tripod mount

Attributes: • Very slightly curved ﬁlm plane.

• Reasonably sharp middle with subtle distortion radiating out from the centre to produce a slight feeling of motion.

• Subtle vignetting

• Rare to ﬁnd light leaks on a 4-4, but tape over the red ﬁlm counter in bright conditions.

• 127 ﬁlm speeds are usually limited to 100ASA.

Go easy on the ﬁlm winder. It was designed for a woman’s hand.

This camera looks wonderful and when you get a good example it feels good too. The winder seems to be an area of slight concern with most problems stemming from that feature, but the camera is easy to take apart and tinker with.

As pretty as it looks however, the 4-4 is deﬁnitely a camera for bright conditions only so leave it at home on dull days and don’t bother using it indoors.

Getting the best out of one deﬁnitely takes a few goes, but once you work it out you’ll be delighted. Keep everything at least a metre away from you and shoot subjects that don’t require a lot of detail.

Coronet 4-4 Mark II

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(29)

Diana

as most popularly known. also used for larger family of “clones”

Flower Headless Horses

(30)

Manufacturer: Great Wall Plastic Co. (unveriﬁed)

History: 1960s-1970s

Format: 4x4 cm on 120 ﬁlm (spin off variations on 620, 127 & 126 ﬁlm)

Expect To Pay: A “Diana” camera can go as high as USD $100 due to the popularity in that

name. However, numerous clones can ﬂuctuate between USD $10-$25 (as seen on eBay.com)

Summary: Plastic body, plastic lens, 16 4x4 cm using 120 ﬁlm Technical Details: • 1/50-1/100

• f11, f13 (middle), f19 (smallest) • plastic lens

• red-window opening in back of camera

• focus steps: 4-6ft, 6-12ft, 12-inf (European models uses meters) • various ﬂash models were produced

• no tripod mount

• bulb setting on most Dianas

Attributes: • General softness in all Diana photos is common

• Center of frame can be in focus (not necessarily sharp, but detail can be captured) with gradual blurring towards edges

• Some photographs can have soft gradual vignetting, while others can be very sharp fall-off. Best vignetting is achieved with wide-open aperture. • 400 ISO film recommended for most Dianas that have a tight shutter spring for cloudy, partial cloudy days. An ND filter can be used in full sun if film is loaded.

• Good results and details can be achieved with 125 ISO in full sun conditions, OR with shutters whose shutter spring has worn down (1/50 or lower, comparison with other Dianas is key to determining this).

Light-leaks are common with most Diana cameras. Use “Gaffer’s” or common hockey tape to cover all seams, particularly on the back of the camera. Vintage Kodak Series VI filters and adapter ring fit on focus knob. Shoot with aperture on full open to maximize vignetting, control exposure with filters. The viewfinder lies, as subjects get closer to you, expect more parallax error, for subjects 6ft or less, compensate by raising camera slightly.

Headless Horses: This photo was taken with one of my ﬁrst Diana cameras. It was an overcast day during a work outing to a ‘team building’ event. One of the events was going for a ride on a horse-drawn sleigh. I pulled out my trusty Diana camera, focused on the

closest setting (4-6ft) and took the shot.

Often people ask me if I was crazy for getting this close to these horses, but in actual fact, this particular Diana camera had an accident with the lens that creates a bit of a telescopic modiﬁcation. The lens somehow got pushed in, perhaps just an eighth of an inch. This seems to cause a telescopic feature, perhaps equivalent to a 1.4x lens.

This photo was one of those really lucky shots that had great density and contrast to the exposure, and continues to be one of my favorites, and one that generates the most feedback.

Diana

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(31)

Fujipet

Platform Guard Carousel

(32)

Manufacturer: Fuji Photo Film Company, Tokyo.

History: Built 1957 to 1963. One million sold. For young children and students. Not exported from Japan commercially.

Expect To Pay: Normal gray Fujipet – ¥5000 to ¥8000 ($45 - $70 USD). Colored Fujipet – from ¥10,000 ($90 USD). EE versions are similarly priced.

Summary: A sturdy build, fun & very easy to use camera with subtle toycamera effects.

Technical Details: • 1/50 and ‘B’

• f11, f16, f22

• Single element plastic lens • Red-window frame counter • Focus free

• External ﬂash sync • Tripod mount • Extendable lens hood

• Available in a variety of colors (brown, green, red, blue & yellow - gray most common)

Attributes: • Curved ﬁlm plane

• Sharp center with soft edges

• Good color rendition with slight period tint • Soft vignette

• Small light leaks are present sometimes • Suggested ﬁlm speed: ISO400

You must cock the Fujipet’s shutter manually for each photograph. Lens and shutter-plate are easily accessible by removing the front lens screw-ring. The lens hood is also removed this way. Lenses are readily interchangeable as a result. Swap a sharp lens for a blurry one… The ﬁlm tension springs in both chambers work well, with only the occasional loose wound spool.

Although very toy-like in appearance & operation, the Fujipet is a moderately competent camera. It is well made, with a number of metal parts, and high quality plastics. Though all are at least 40 years old, most have aged well.

A User’ Story:

I carry a camera with me every day, and I ﬁnd the Fujipet is a nice compromise between my Diana and my Holga. It is sturdy, easy to load in the ﬁeld, and has subtle toycamera results. I also think the ‘Thunderbird’ looks of the Fujipet really cool. Wide-adapters also work well.

The small amount of aperture & shutter speed control allow me some level of effect over my results too. With my early Holga, much was left to chance. Although I miss the super quirky lens and light leaks of my Diana, I enjoy the more solid feel of the Fujipet.

Note ‘B’ function in ‘Platform Guard’ – about 1s, and the effect of the ﬁxed focus in ‘Carousel’. Both photographs show the subtle Fujipet vignette, and the slightly curved ﬁlm plane.

Fujipet

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(33)

Holga 120FN

Central, Hong Kong Elastic man

SAMPLE IMAGES

also available as Holga 120N (no ﬂash), Holga 120GFN (glass lens) and formerly Holga 120S & Holga 120SF

(34)

Manufacturer: Universal Electronics Industries Ltd. (Hong Kong) History: Modiﬁed from Holga 120SF series in 2004

Format: 6x4.5cm or 6x6cm on 120 ﬁlm Expect To Pay: $17-$21 (Brand new)

Summary: Made in China, plastic lens and housing Technical Details: • 1/100 and ‘B’

• f8, f11

• Single element plastic lens

• Red counter window with frame number pointer. (#12 for 6x6 ﬁlm mask, #16 for 6x4.5 ﬁlm mask)

• Focus ranges

1. Symbol of one person = 1m 2. Symbol of three persons = 2m 3. Symbol of several persons = 6m 4. Symbol of mountains = 10m • Built-in ﬂash

• Tripod mount

• Polaroid back available (optional)

• Other models: 120N – hot shot model without built-in flash; 120CFN – color filter function for built-in flash

Attributes: • Loose ﬁlm plane

• Sharp center with relatively soft edges • Good for B/W, some color shifts on color ﬁlm • Soft vignette

• Some light leaks

• Suggested ﬁlm speed: ISO400

Switch for apertures of f8 and f11 has no real function - there is no such mechanism inside the lens. It is always in f8. This can be modiﬁed to two real apertures.

A simple and reliable plastic toy camera with ‘B’ mode and tripod mount after the modiﬁcation.

It could be disassembled by users easily, add or modify custom functions. Such as pinhole Holga, using 135 ﬁlm instead of 120 ﬁlm in a second.

It is still in production, price is very competitive.

Lens is somehow sharper than another Hong Kong built camera, the famous Diana toy camera.

Holga 120FN

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(35)

Imperial Mark XII

Pipe & Wire Varick at Spring

SAMPLE IMAGES

includes Imperial Mark XII Flash, Debonair, Savoy and others.

(36)

Manufacturer: Herbert-George Co. - Chicago, IL

History: The Herbert-George Co. made many items besides cameras, exclusively employing the “material of the future” - plastic. According to information on the Internet, The Imperial Mark XII and Savoy were re-badged as the “Ofﬁcial” Boy Scout, Girl Scout and Brownies cameras. Even Roy Rogers had his own branded Imperial camera. The company was purchased in 1961 by the Imerial Camera Co. and seems to have disappeared soon thereafter.

Expect To Pay: $5 - $20 depending on condition and accessories

Summary: Made in the U.S.A., this very basic box camera was produced in mass

quantities and was the “point and shoot” of its day.

Technical Details: • Single shutter speed of approx. 1/30 - 1/60

• Unknown aperture - assumed to be approximately f11 • Single element plastic lens

• Knob-wind with red counter window • Fixed focus: 6ft - inﬁnity

• Some models have attachable ﬂashbulb unit

• Available in a wide range of colors - seafoam green, gray, red, brown, and tan.

Attributes: • Uses 620 only, 120 reels do not ﬁt

• Lens is relatively sharp but doesn’t cover ﬁlm area resulting in minor vignetting.

• Large opening behind lens results in negative larger than 6x6cm. • Lens seems mildly wide-angle, perhaps 65-70mm

• Boxy design and placement of shutter release make for awkward usage • Viewﬁnder covers less than actual capture

I have placed the hook side of the velcro around the red window after cutting a proper size hole, then the loop side I use as a flap to keep it covered outdoors. Also, if you use this camera frequently, make sure that the two-piece design stays together firmly, as the single metal tab on the botton that supposedly “locks” the body shut can wear out, causing drastic light leaking and film loosening. Rubber bands should fix this nicely.

My ﬁrst Imperial (the Mark XII pictured) was purchased at the Chelsea Flea Market in Manhattan, which is notoriously overpriced, for around $15. I considered it a bargain,

however, because it came with its original box, ﬂash attachment, a box of ﬂashbulbs, instructions and 4 extra 620 reels!

Upon receiving the first roll back from the lab, I was pleased with the results. The plastic lens provides the classic sharp centers with distorted and vignetted edges. Not Diana-league, considerably sharper in general, but nonetheless a very distinctive toy camera look. One caveat - the respooled film I purchased was an extremely tight fit when winding to a 620 reel and resulted in some scratching of the negatives. The Debonair that I purchased doesn’t seem to have this problem...

Imperial Mark XII

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(37)

Lomo Compact Automat

Eiffel at Liberty Island Pete Double

(38)

Manufacturer: Lomo PLC, St Petersburg, Russia

History: In production since 1983 but production numbers fell sharply after a few

years. In 1992 Lomo PLC was convinced to begin full production again by the newly established Lomographic society based in Vienna. Most LCA’s after this time were produced only for the Lomographic society and as such “Lomography” was born. The specs of the cameras have never changed but given their cult status, customised models are now starting to appear. (Snakeskin coverings etc)

Format: 24x36mm on 135 ﬁlm

Expect To Pay: Brand new from Lomo the cost is roughly £135/$200. There are a few legitimate dealers where they can be a little cheaper, or of course you can expect to pick one on Ebay for as little as £50 from a reputable dealer.

Summary: The main question has to be “Is the LCA a toy?” At over £100 for a new piece and made of metal with a quality glass lens - it doesn’t look like one, but deep down I think all those that own an LCA see it as a toy, you play with an LCA you don’t intend to take serious photos with it! That’s not to say its not capable of producing stunning images - the LCA is a beauty of a camera, the Minitar lens bursts with colour & a style all of its own.

Technical Details: • Shutter Speeds:1/500 to 2 seconds The electromechanical program shutter

is controlled with an electronic exposure meter, this means that the shutter will stay open as long as it needs to expose the image.

• Aperture: Fixed Aperture of f2.8

• Lens: Professor Radinov’s Minitar 1, 28mm wide angle • Focusing range: 0.8m to Inﬁnity

• Flash: Hot shoe Standard Mount

Attributes: • The lens can be pin sharp, with that unmistakable “LCA” look

• Vignetting is a common occurrence

• The LCA can handle a good range of ﬁlm speeds and given a pair of steady hands will perform well in low light situations.

• Simple and easy to use

• Lomography.com offers a massive range of accessories, a guarantee on the units they sell, and also a good free hosting facility to display your lomographs.

Don’t expect amazing results with your ﬁrst ﬁlm, I did and was seriously let down! The LCA is an unusual beast, it needs to be loved and cared for, then when you get to know it, it’s the

camera that keeps on giving! There are a thousand different tips and tricks to learn with the LCA, and that’s where the fun lies.

When I’m going out to take photographs or on holiday the LCA is the first one in the bag. In my opinion it’s consistent. Given the 35mm format it’s not as fiddly to load as a Holga or Diana, there’s no tape needed, it’s a pretty quality unit. But then its not a 120 format camera, its not even your typical “Toy” camera. As explained before it’s a plaything! During the day it can be used to capture robust images and then later on, whack the flash on and you’re ready to go again.

Lomo Compact Automat

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(39)

Lubitel 166U

Untitled, 2005 Untitled, 2005

(40)

Manufacturer: Lomo Factory, Soviet Union and Russia

History: The Lubitel 166 Universal (or Lubitel 166U) twin lens reﬂex camera was produced from 1984 through 1998 however, earlier versions of the Lubitel date back to 1949.

Expect To Pay: A used Lubitel can sell for anywhere from $25 (obviously used and possibly in

need of extensive cleaning) to $100 (mint or like-new). A Lubitel 166U in mint or like-new condition should also come with accessories such as the limiting gate, leather-like case, lens cap, strap, clear protective ﬁlter, shutter release cable, and original box and manual. Ultimately, price will vary based on the condition of the camera and how popular the Lubitels are at the time you are looking to purchase.

Summary: Plastic body, glass lens (both objective and viewﬁnder lens), 12 exposures (or

16 exposures with 4.5x6cm limiting gate installed).

Technical Details: • Aperture Settings: f4.5 to f22 (objective lens)

• Shutter Speed Settings: 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, Bulb

• Relative Aperture: f4.5 for objective lens and f2.8 for viewﬁnder lens • Self Timer: 7-15 seconds

• Filter Size: 40.5mm (primary lens) • Focal Length: 7.5cm

• To prevent light leaks, make sure that the ﬁlm compartment latch is tight.

• Follow the suggestion in the manual and load and unload film in subdued light (or better yet, in a darkened room). This isn’t Soviet propaganda, 120 film is susceptible to light striking the film from the edges near the spool ends.

• The top-down viewﬁnder takes some getting used to but will yield accurate compositions. Just remember that if you move the camera to the left, the image in the viewﬁnder will move to the right (and vice-a-versa).

• Because you will normally hold your camera at waist level (while using the waist-level viewﬁnder), remember that your subjects should look into your camera and not at your face (which is the norm for most through-the-lens or digital cameras).

• For a revised edition of the original Lubitel manual in English (PDF format), visit: http:// home.earthlink.net/~pgiguere/toycamera.html

At a recent science fiction convention, I took my Lubitel with me and snapped some photos. I got a lot of curious stares. A small group of young convention attendees stopped me and asked what kind of camera I was using. I told them it was a Russian-made plastic camera called a Lubitel and that it uses 120 medium format film. One guy asked if he could hold it and take a look, so with the viewfinder open, I handed him the camera and he proceeded to compose images around him by looking down into the camera. After a minute he handed the camera back and said, “Dude, this is one bitching camera! The LCD resolution is awesome but something is wrong with it because the image keeps moving in the opposite direction.” What could I do but smile politely and take his picture?

Lubitel 166U

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(41)

Nickelodeon Photo Blaster

Seaside Heights, NJ #1 Seaside Heights, NJ #2

(42)

Manufacturer: Long Hall Technologies

History: Made in China 1997 for Nickelodeon Television Network Format: 4 images in 24x35mm frame on 135 ﬁlm

Expect To Pay: $20 - $50 US

Summary: Multi Frame Style Camera- 4 Shots to a Frame

Technical Details: • Fixed Shutter

• Fixed Aperture • Dual Plastic Lens • Film counter • Focus 4 ft- Inﬁnity • Built In Flash • No Tripod Socket • Built In Flash Sensor • Uses 2 AA Batteries

Attributes: • Modestly Sharp Lens

• Flash Fires When Needed With Sensor • Slight Flair In Strong Backlight • No Vignetting

• No Light Leaks

• ISO 200-400 Recommended

Camera allows 4 single shots to be taken on one frame of ﬁlm.

A User’ Story:

This camera gets quite a few looks when out shooting. The bright colorful accents and twin lenses are quite funky. The ﬁlm door has a lock to prevent accidental openings by younger users. Flash range is 4-10 ft. with ISO 200 ﬁlm and 4-12 ft. with ISO 400. Camera shuts itself off when the lens door is left open for longer than a minute. Close and reopen door to turn back on.

For best results and consistent looking photos, I’d suggest avoiding mixed lighting. Also pay attention to film loading on this camera. If film is not properly loaded, you can’t advance the film or take photos.

Nickelodeon Photo Blaster

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(43)

Polaroid Land Camera

Shoji Under the Tracks

(44)

(1970 Color Pack III featured)

Manufacturer: Polaroid Corporation, Waltham MA. USA.

History: Built from 1968 to the late 1970s, the non-folding cameras from Polaroid were

intended as their ‘entry level’ range.

Format: 600-series ‘peel apart’ pack-ﬁlm.

Expect To Pay: The bottom of the Polaroid heap – pay no more than $10 for a mint example Summary: Cheap cameras, expensive ﬁlm, unique operation and instant results.

Technical Details: • 114mm plastic lens

• 1/500 to 10s (electronic timed) • f9.2 and f60

• Manual focus • Flash bulb mount • No tripod mount

• Most cameras of this type are black (red, white, blue & green can be found.)

Attributes: • A variety of ﬁlms are available (see www.polaroid.com)

• Electric eye adjustment (sensitivity) varies shutter speeds. • Plastic lens, and often difﬁcult to focus accurately results in soft photographs. Low-light un-controllable shutter speeds contribute. • Soft color rendition, often with curious effects (on cold days etc). • No vignette or light leaks evident.

• Suggested ﬁlm speed: any pack-ﬁlm (ISO75, 80, 100 or 3000). • Little parallax error at close range.

When buying, try to find one equipped with the ISO70/3000 switch. As well as normal speed film (ISO75/80/100), the switch also allows high-speed ISO3000 to be used at f60 (infinite DoF, no need to focus), and at f9.2 in near dark conditions, manually timed. Some models are also equipped with both development self-timer, and a basic gravity-based focus aid. Other models can accommodate both square format 80-series film and rectangular format 600-series film. Check battery compartment for corrosion when buying. Everything is practically bulletproof. Black photographs? Replace batteries.

The Polaroid Land Camera is a truly marvelous device - brilliant in conception and great fun to use. The wide range of color and B&W ﬁlms still available means you can explore a myriad of technical as well as artistic variations. Emulsion transfers, distressed positives

(manipulations), mis-cleaned negatives and other techniques can also be used.

The hard-case cameras may lack the street-cred of an SX-70, but have far more capability and variable control (SX-70 ﬁlm is only available in one type). Do not clean your rollers or spreader bars if you want to ‘enhance’ your photographs with artifacts from lack of development spreading.

ISO3000 shot at ISO75 gives marvelous grain effects. Also known as; Big Shot (as used by Andy Warhol), Clincher, Square Shooter, Zip, Memory Maker, and Swingers.

Polaroid Land Camera

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(45)

Skolnik

Papiertiger, Linz Haarhaus Riegler, Linz

SAMPLE IMAGES

(46)

Manufacturer: MMZ (now Belomo), USSR

History: Made from 1962 to 1969, about 500,000 pieces made

Expect To Pay: I was able to get mine from a friend who got it in Hungary for 7 Euros

Summary: Camera body made from bakelite. The name means “pupil”, or “student” Technical Details: • Simple shutter (1/60) and B

• f8, f11, f16 • plastic lens 75mm • red-window on the back • fixed focus • no flash • tripod mount • cable release • honest viewfinder • weight: 275 grams

Attributes: • The Skolnik is sharp from about 1.5 meters to inﬁnity

• It has less vignetting than other comparable cameras with plastic lenses • No light leaks, although ﬁlm counter window should be taped to be sure • 400 ISO (cloudy), 100 ISO (sunny)

As the Skolnik was built for young amateurs you don’t have to think much about shutter or aperture settings. The only thing you have to decide is the speed of ﬁlm - 400 ISO for overcast days and 100 ISO for sunny days.

The interesting design is a result of the one-piece “bucket” style body molding.

The Skolnik is a reliable, lightweight travel companion, with a perfect shutter (compared to the Diana family for example), and an extraordinary design – I call it “Skolnik, the carp”.

Skolnik

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

ANDREAS

WOLKERSTORFER

(47)

Spartus Full-Vue

Flying Frog Bike

(48)

Manufacturer: Spartus Camera Corporation

History: Produced from 1948 to 1960s. Most popular of the Spartus line of cameras.

Expect To Pay: Usually between $5-$10. Some prime examples with boxes can go higher.

Summary: Bakelite, pseudo TLR style camera with plastic lens. An often-overlooked toy

camera.

Technical Details: • 1/60? and “Time” • f11? f16? Who knows? • Single element plastic lens • Red window plastic frame counter • Focus free

• External Flash synch • No tripod socket

• Art Deco aluminum faceplate, bakelite only.

Attributes: • Flat ﬁlm plane.

• Lenses are usually pretty soft. • Sharp center, very soft edges. • Usually has some nice vignetting. • Usually light tight.

• Use ISO200 or ISO400 ﬁlm.

Hold camera steady, shutter trigger has long throw. Use ISO 400 ﬁlm, can easily overexpose ﬁlm.

Often overlooked toy camera. Produces spectacularly bad photographs. One of the many fake TLR style cameras from the post-war era. Early models were pretty rugged with heavy bakelite and had a nice heft to them. Later models feel lighter, cheaper. Basically a small box-camera with a TLR style view finder on top and a really bad plastic lens. Only one shutter speed that I guesstimate around 1/60 and a ‘Time’ (bulb) selection. These cameras usually hold up pretty well due to their rugged construction. One common problem is a bad mirror in the viewfinder, but can usually be cleaned or replaced. Easy to take apart and fix if necessary.

Spartus Full-Vue

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(49)

Others...

Manufacturer: Bilora (Germany) Year: 1955 - 1958

Format: 6x4.5cm on 127 ﬁlm Body: metal

Lens: glass Achromat 1:8 Shutter: 1/50 (sync), 1/100 & B Apertures: “Bright” (f11) & “Dull” (f8) Focus: Scale - 3.5’ to inﬁnity Note: Many variations - “44” shoots square format, Ansco Lancer is U.S. version. Hot shoe or PC sync.

Bilora Bella 3c

Manufacturer: Bilora (Germany) Year: 1959-1960

Format: 6x6cm on 120 ﬁlm Body: metal

Lens: glass Rodenstock Achromat 1:8 Shutter: 1/50 (sync), 1/100 & B Apertures: f8 & f16

Focus: Scale - 5’ to inﬁnity

Note: Interlock prevents double-exposure after shutter release. PC socket for sync. Cold shoe.

Bilora Bella 66

Manufacturer: Made in Hong Kong Year: ?

Format: 127 ﬁlm takes 16 photos Body: plastic

Lens: plastic Shutter: fixed Aperture: fixed Focus: fixed

Churchies Spy Cam

Manufacturer: Druopta (Prague Czechoslovakia) Year: ? Format: 120 ﬁlm Body: Bakelite Lens: Glass Shutter: B, 1/25, 1/50, 1/75 Aperture: F11, F16 Focus: 3 stop zone

(50)

Others...

Manufacturer: WZFO (Poland) Year: 1950

Format: 6x6cm on 120 ﬁlm Body: Bakelite

Lens: Plastic

Shutter: 1/60 & B, with ﬂash sync on Synchro version

Aperture: f8 & f16 Focus: Fixed

Note: the shutter only works when lens tube is extended.

Druh & Druh Synchro

Manufacturer: MMZ (Russia) Year: 1969 Format: 6x4.5cm on 120 ﬁlm Body: Plastic Lens: Plastic Shutter: 1/60 & B Aperture: f11, f16 & f22 Focus: Fixed

Etude

Manufacturer: Ferrania (Italy) Year: 1959

Format: 6x6cm on 120 ﬁlm Body: Plastic, some parts aluminium Lens: Glass

Shutter: ﬁxed, +/- 1/50 sec. Aperture: f8, f12

Focus: 2m-inﬁnity

Ferrania Eura

Manufacturer: Fisher Price (China) Year: 1993 Format: 110 ﬁlm Body: Plastic Lens: Plastic Shutter: Fixed Aperture: Fixed Focus: Fixed

Fisher

-Price 110

(51)

Others...

Manufacturer: Made in Hong Kong Year: ? Format: 126 ﬁlm Body: Plastic Lens: Plastic Shutter: Fixed Aperture: Fixed Focus: Fixed

Hi-Speed Insta Load

Manufacturer: Made in China Year: current

Format: 135 ﬁlm Body: Plastic Lens: Plastic 8 total Shutter: Rotating Aperture: Fixed Focus: Fixed

Lomo Oktomat

Manufacturer: Made in China Year: ?

Format: 135 ﬁlm Body: Plastic Lens: Plastic 4 total Shutter: Rotating Aperture: Fixed Focus: Fixed

Lomo Action Sampler

Manufacturer: Hamaphot (Germany) Year: 1952

Lens: Plastic (3-element) Shutter: 1/60 with ﬂash sync Aperture: Sunny & Cloudy Focus: Fixed

Note: the shutter only works when the lens is extended and the viewﬁnder only shows 2/3 of exposed frame.

(52)

Manufacturer: Made in China Year: current

Format: 135 ﬁlm Body: Plastic Lens: Plastic 4 total Shutter: Fixed Aperture: Fixed Focus: Fixed

Lomo Super Sampler

Others...

Manufacturer: Made in China Year: ? Format: 110 ﬁlm Body: Plastic Lens: Plastic Shutter: Fixed Aperture: Fixed Focus: Fixed

Mini Shot

Manufacturer: Neo-Phot (Denmark) Year: 1946 Format: 6x4.5cm Body: Bakelite Lens: Plastic Shutter: 1/30 & B Aperture: Fixed Focus: Fixed

Neo-Phot

Manufacturer: M.I.O.M. (France) Year: circa 1938

Lens: glass “Boyer Series VIII” Shutter: 1/25, 1/100 & T Aperture: marked 1 and 2 Focus: Fixed (~10’ to inﬁnity) Notes: “1” is the larger aperture for cloudy days and “2” is the smaller, sunny day, setting. Use 100-200 ASA only!

(53)

Manufacturer: Pho-Tak Corp. Year: c. 1950’s Format: 6x9cm on 120 ﬁ lm Body: Metal Lens: Glass Shutter: B, I Aperture: Fixed Focus: Fixed

T

ime T

raveler 120

Manufacturer: Wild Planet Toys ( China ) Year: 2003

Format: 135 ﬁ lm half frame Body: Plastic Lens: Plastic Shutter: Fixed Aperture: Fixed Focus: Fixed

W

ild Planet W

rist Cam

Manufactured: for McDonalds under license from Miramax Films Year: 2001

Format: 110 ﬁ lm Body: Plastic Lens: Plastic

Shutter: unknown (fi xed) Aperture: unknown (fi xed) Focus: Fixed (4ft - infi nity)

Note: Viewﬁ nder shows considerably less than the lens captures.

Spy Kids 110

Others...

Manufacturer: Polaroid Year: ?

Format: i-Zone Polaroid ﬁ lm ( 1”x1.5” ) Body: Plastic

Lens: Plastic Shutter: Automatic

Aperture: Indoor, Sunny, Cloudy Focus: Fixed

(54)

(55)

(56)

Tweaking Your Toy Camera

T

he beauty of toy cameras is their simplistic nature. They have very few settings to

choose from and are basically just boxes that hold ﬁlm. Using a toy camera the way it was intentionally designed is often more than enough to enjoy the virtues of toy camera photography. But then again, is it?

Enter the world of toy camera modding. Tweaking your camera for maximum output, and pushing it beyond its design limits. Working within your camera’s limitations is not always welcomed and sometimes we need to excel where our cameras fail us. What will you do when you need one more second of exposure, the ability to grab that close-up, or something to keep this darn ﬁlter from falling off?

In this chapter, you will learn how to get the most out of your toy camera. You’ll ﬁnd everything from simple ﬁxes to more elaborate cutting and tweaking of your precious plastics. Tried and tested, these mods are only the tip of the iceberg, and clever mixing and matching of the techniques laid down here can turn that shelf-sitting toy into a real shooter.

BUT FIRST... THE BASIC MODS

You’ve finally picked up your first toy camera and now your ready to give it a whirl. The first thing you want to do is carefully go over it checking all the basics. Test the shutter to make sure it doesn’t stick, try to open and close the film door to make sure it fits properly. Test your focus and aperture settings if they are available. Make sure you know how to load the film properly for your make of camera (see p. 57 for Holga film loading). Getting familiar with your camera is one of the most important steps you need to take from the very beginning.

Your next logical step is making a film choice. Color? Black and white? Slow film, fast film? The choices are many. Use our film guide in this book (pp. 80-81) for some good tips and decide what conditions you plan to shoot under. After selecting and loading your film, you’re ready to start your first foray into the world of toy camera photography.

Before you make ANY modiﬁcations to your camera, shoot a roll of ﬁlm through it. It’s always good to have a baseline idea of your camera’s “features” before you paint, tape, cut and otherwise modify your toy.

The following tips are the most basic things you can do to various brands of cameras and are simply a jumping-off point to the more advanced techniques discussed later.

1. Taping your camera up is the easiest way to prevent film fogging and light leaks. We recommend Gaffer’s tape as it leaves no residue on your camera and is opqaue and black. Tape all the seams and a make sure to put a small piece across the red film counter window if your camera has one. If you fold the tape under to create a small tab, you can easily lift the film window piece when you want to advance your film.

2. Gaffer’s tape can also be used to tape filters onto your lens if you cannot find a correct size to fit.

3. A 1/4-20 nut can be epoxied to the bottom of your camera to connect to a tripod head.

(57)

You can use ﬂat black paint to dull that shine and prevent unwanted reﬂections of light. Be careful to tape the lens and shutter area before spraying. You do not want the shutter getting stuck, and even though we love our crappy plastic lenses, black paint on the rear element is not our idea of fun.

5. Trimming your camera’s film mask can allow you to make your own format size. Use an exacto knife and carefully cut away the inside film mask. A lot of toy camera shooters love a square film format.

6. When shooting 120 film, you may find that the film spool is loose in the camera. There are many ways to tighten a loose spool, depending on your craft skills:

• You can use a simple piece of cardboard from your ﬁlm box to slide under the spool to keep it nice and tight.

• If you’re a Velcro fan, try adhering the soft (loop) side of a piece under your spool. But be careful because tight going in means tight coming out, so be sure to keep a solid grip on the roll so it doesn’t unspool and ruin the roll.

• More industrious users opt for a metal spring. Simply snip a short piece of metal to width and length - then fold it into a V-shape with plyers and epoxy one side to the bottom of the ﬁlm chamber. Test it a bit with an empty spool before you commit to the epoxy.

7. Gluing a thin piece of foam, or applying well-placed strips of the soft half of Velcro on the back door of your camera will keep the film nice and flat. Be cautious with this however, because film that is too tight can pick up scratches from running across the mask.

8. If your camera does not have a bulb setting, you can build up exposure time by several clicks of the shutter. Make as many shutter releases as necessary on a tripod to get the correct exposure. Those users who are handy with tools might opt to modify the shutter to include a bulb setting. See the Resources section at the back of this book for links to tutorials on this procedure.

9. Most toy cameras lack what is commonly called a “shutter interlock” to prevent multiple exposures. Which means that if you forget to wind your ﬁlm, you’ll just keep exposing and exposing on the same frame. Embrace this feature! Multiple exposures can offer some great effects. Just trip the shutter as many times as desired without advancing the ﬁlm.

TEXT BY

(58)

Loading ﬁlm in your Holga

No Toy Camera Handbook would be complete without a

basic primer on loading and unloading your ﬁlm. Before mods, before tweaks and pinholes and zone plates, it’s always a good idea to run a roll through your toy to assess it’s particular “features.” This particular tutorial refers to the Holga speciﬁcally, but these basic principles could easily be adjusted to work with just about any toy camera mentioned in this book.

LOADING

1. Remove the camera back. 2. Take roll of film and break off seal. 3. Load film onto left side of camera (fig. 1).

4. Pull film leader across to the take up spool side. Place tapered end of film into take up spool slot. (fig. 2) A good tip is to bend the end of the film leader about a half inch long and keep pressure on the film roll to keep any slack from forming.

5. Hold some light pressure with your thumb on the take up spool reel and turn the film advance knob a few turns to advance the film. Make sure you have no slack. (fig. 3) 6. You may need to put a small piece of cardboard, for example, a flap from a film box, to keep the spool from being loose.

7. Replace the camera back and advance the film using the film advance knob. Watch for the number one to show up in the red film counter window. (fig. 4) You’re now ready to shoot.

UNLOADING

1. When you shoot your last frame, continue winding the film onto the take up spool. You can shoot either 12 or 16 frames with your Holga depending on which film mask you use. (12 with 6x6 mask, 16 with 6x4.5 mask) 2. Open camera back, and carefully remove film.

Hold tightly to keep from unraveling. Tuck ﬁlm leader corner under and afﬁx seal. 3. You can now move the empty spool into place on the left side.

*** It is always best to load and unload ﬁlm in the shade or under subdued light. Keep exposed rolls in a camera bag or out of direct sunlight.

fig. 1

fig. 2

fig. 3

fig. 4 PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

(59)

A Pin-Holga Odyssey

When I decided to convert one of my Holgas into a pin-Holga, it made me nervous at first. Almost everything I had read gave formulas for different sized holes, distances and film speeds to use in everything from a homely oatmeal box to a custom built beauty made of wood that cost more than my first car.

It was quite simply more trouble and calculation than I wanted to be bothered with. Besides, toycam photography is about fun and not precision. I wanted to a simple way to have some fun and try pinhole photography. I just wanted to take off the lens of my Holga, drill a hole in some metal, tape it back on where the lens had been and go make magical photos.

So, that’s exactly what I did.

REMOVING THE LENS

The lens assembly comes off easily enough; just two tiny screws hold it on. If you attempt this, put the screws in a small cup or other container so they don’t wander off. They are very small and easy to misplace.

MAKING THE PINHOLE

Unless a pre-made pinhole is purchased to use, hand drilling one takes up the most time for this project. You can drill a hole by hand with a sewing needle through a cut out piece of metal, preferably aluminum since it is thin. (Soft drink can aluminum is perfect for this). Hand drilling the hole is time consuming and tedious, but worth it in the end. About the time you think no progress is being made at all, viola! The needle point pokes through the metal and into your ﬁnger!

Purchasing thin brass shim stock to drill a hole through from a hobby shop is another option, and ready made laser pinholes are also available for sale online, but I simply wanted to use materials that were already on hand collecting dust around the house My ﬁrst pinhole was hand drilled through a piece of metal cut from the bottom of a peanut can. It was just sitting on a shelf waiting to be part of the magic in this pinholga odyssey. First I cut the piece of peanut can metal into a square just a bit larger than the opening where the lens had been and then placed it over that opening. Next I traced the outline of the opening from the inside of the camera on the metal piece. An X marked on the metal piece going diagonally from corner to corner determined the center. The X marked the spot where the pinhole would be drilled.

** Cutting stiff metal from something like a peanut can requires metal shears made for cutting thicker metal stock. Cutting softer aluminum is easier, and can be done with a pair of cheap household scissors. The metal edges are very sharp so use caution.

As I said before, drilling the hole takes the most time. Holding a sewing needle and twisting it by hand to make the pinhole was tedious. Some people stick the needle in a cork from a wine bottle to hold it for easier drilling. I tried that, but could never get the needle to stop twisting in the cork and not the metal. That method was quickly abandoned in favor of just toughing it out and doing it all by hand. Having an open bottle of wine on hand to enjoy while drilling the tiny hole added to the magic.

After the hole was drilled and my ﬁnger was bandaged, I used 600 grit paper to lightly sand and remove any tiny burrs left around the edge of the hole and to make it perfectly round. It took a couple of light sandings on each side and inspections with a 10x loupe to get it nice

(60)

and clean. Rough edges will cause less than ideal photos.

I made a second pinhole from a piece of soda can. The thin aluminum was much easier and faster to drill. The tiny leftover burrs from drilling also sanded off cleaner than the ﬁrst one did so this is the pinhole I taped inside my Holga.

If curiosity gets the best of you and you want to know the size of your pinhole just scan it at the highest resolution possible on a flatbed scanner then use Photoshop to measure its diameter. Once you know the hole size, it’s easy to find exposure tables and distances needed from the film plane to achieve the best results online.

REPLACING THE LENS WITH THE PINHOLE

Finally it was time to tape the pinhole on the Holga where the lens had been and continue the odyssey. I carefully lined up the traced outline of the square with the inside of the camera so the pinhole would be centered, then taped it securely with black tape.

THE SHUTTER

Black photo tape also served as my shutter. Peeling it off to start an exposure, then sticking it back over the hole to stop the exposure worked just ﬁne. Before loading the camera and taking your ﬁrst exposure, try peeling the tape off then re-sticking it over the pinhole to get a feel for how it works. Make sure no debris such as lint or dust adheres to the tape as this could adversely affect the light seal over the hole.

A STURDY MOUNT

Mounting the camera to a tripod or some other type of ﬁrm support to avoid unnecessary movement while the long exposures are being made will help keep photos sharp. There are many ways to make a mount. I used a small homemade L-shaped wooden holder with a tripod adapter nut that the camera sits on and was secured with rubber bands. Yes, it was ugly. Especially sitting on top of a very sleek Italian-made Manfrotto tripod. Something as simple as a bean bag or a folded jacket will work as a support in a pinch.

FINAL RESULTS

The final results were surprisingly decent for what little effort was expended on modifying my Holga. I know if I had ordered a laser pinhole, or figured precisely how far away from the film the hole needed to be I could have made pinholga photos that were tack sharp, but this was about fun and dreamy, out of focus, wonderland type photos. I had a lot of fun, and you can too.

I experimented with a few exposure times and arrived at the following table for 400-speed ﬁlm.

Outdoors: Sun 15-20 seconds

Clouds 20-30 seconds

Shade 30-45 seconds

Indoors: normal light 30 minutes

If you know the exact size of your pinhole, more accurate exposure times can be calculated. This website - www.pinhole. cz/en/pinholedesigner - has a guide.

The most fun about this was not knowing exactly what was going to be captured on ﬁlm. The mystery of it all and the magic feeling of how a tiny hole drilled in a piece of leftover metal creates amazing photos was immensely gratifying.

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY

Toycamera Handbook

Table Of Contents

Who Are Toy Camera

Photographers?

T

About toycamera.com

W

H.J. SEELY &

So You Want To Buy

a Toy Camera...

A

Agfa Clack

Agfa Clack

KIRSTY VANDER

VOORT

Agfa Isola

Agfa Isola

Ansco Panda

Ansco Panda

Ansco Pix Panorama

Ansco Pix Panorama

Bioﬂex

Bioﬂex

CHRISTOPHER W.

TRICE

Brownie Holiday

Brownie Holiday

Coronet 4-4 Mark II

Diana

Diana

Fujipet

Fujipet

Holga 120FN

Holga 120FN

Imperial Mark XII

Imperial Mark XII

Lomo Compact Automat

Lomo Compact Automat

Lubitel 166U

Lubitel 166U

Nickelodeon Photo Blaster

Nickelodeon Photo Blaster

Polaroid Land Camera

Polaroid Land Camera

Skolnik

Skolnik

ANDREAS

WOLKERSTORFER

Spartus Full-Vue

Spartus Full-Vue

Others...

Bilora Bella 3c

Bilora Bella 66

Churchies Spy Cam

Others...

Druh & Druh Synchro

Etude

Ferrania Eura

Fisher

-Price 110

Others...

Hi-Speed Insta Load

Lomo Oktomat

Lomo Action Sampler

Lomo Super Sampler

Others...

Mini Shot

Neo-Phot

T

ime T

raveler 120

W

ild Planet W

rist Cam

Spy Kids 110

Others...

Tweaking Your Toy Camera

T

Loading ﬁlm in your Holga

A Pin-Holga Odyssey

_{H.J. SEELY &}