Polaroid HOLGA120S, HOLGA120SF User Guide

HOLGA by Polaroid

A Concise Guide to the HOLGA120S & 120SF

This concise guide cont ains several points of
interest in regards to t he imperf ections of the
HOLGA camera. As a result of its unique design
the HOLGA has continued to draw passionate
support from photography fans around the globe.

We encourage you t o experiment with the
photographic effects t hat can be acheived and
enjoy the mysterious charm that t he HOLGA
has to offer.

5. Using the Flash

6. Extracting the Film

■ For HOLGA120SF

A) Set to ON by sliding the flash ON/OFF switch (10)

to t he right.

B) The flash may be used w hen the flash lamp (9)

begins to flash on and off. (The camera will make
a high-pitched sound unt il it has recharged.
This is not a product fault.)

■ For HOLGA120S

For the HOLGA120S, flashes available on the market
can be connected to the hot shoe located in the
upper part of the camera. In this case, the camera
is used w ith t he focus set to F/8 ([cloudy] on the
w eather sw itch (7)).

In many cases, the flash fails to w ork (does not
synchronize) or flashes tw ice (once w hen pressing
the shutter but ton, and again when releasing the
shutt er butt on) when a flash available on t he market
is connected to the HOLGA120S. In cases w here the
flash occurs t wice, a slight delay in releasing the
shutt er butt on is recomm ended.

A) Continue to t urn the w inding dial (4) in the direct ion of t he arrow unt il the f ilm has completely w ound off .
B) Once the f ilm has been com pletely w ound of f, open t he back cover and extract the film.
C) Wind the film firm ly around the spool for developm ent.

Caution

• The core remaining in t he film chamber is used as a spool to w ind the film for t he next set of exposures.

• Film w hich is not tightly wound around t he spool w ill result in photosensit ivity.

• Film should be removed in a dark location in order t o prevent photosensitivity.

• Used film should be st ored in a dark location and should be developed as soon as possible.

Getting the most out of the HOLGA

When t he shutt er butt on is pressed and then pressed again without w inding the film, t he resulting picture has an
overlapping eff ect (mult iple exposure). This produces an unexpected result w hich can be a lot of fun to try.

There are countless ot her ways in w hich the HOLGA can be used. For example, some people take pictures wit h a
35mm film (normal size film). Others damage the lens w ith a file to deliberately produce pictures w ith interest ing
eff ects. Professionals set up full-scale lighting equipment in photography studios only to take pictures w ith a
HOLGA. Other photographers take brilliant portraits of film directors and musicians using a HOLGA. Simply put,
the HOLGA is the world’s most unpredictable, uncontrollable, and beloved cameras. There are no rules.

Enjoy the freedom of a HOLGA. Good luck!

For inquiries concerning HOLGA please call toll-free 800 -2 2 5-16 1 8 .
Lines open Monday-Friday 8 am t o 7 pm EST.

For more information visit w ww. polar oid.c om .

(1) Lens
(2) Focus Ring
(3) Shutt er
(4) Winding Dial
(5) Flash*
(6) Finder
(7) Weather Swit ch
(8) Back Cover
(9) Flash Lamp*
(10) Flash ON/OFF Switch*
(11) Film Counter
(12) Anchor

*

HOLGA 120SF only

Welcome to the world of HOLGA cameras!

The HOLGA characterizes the w orld of novel ty cameras, represen ting an
inexpensive and unique cam era wh ich is truly f un to have. Find out why t he
HOLGA has captivated p rofessional enthusiasts and artists ar ound the wo rld!

Lens f/8 60m m (plastic lens)
Shutter Approx. 1/100thsecond

Leaf Shutter
Focus 1m~ ∞
Film Used Conventional 120 roll f ilm or

Polaroid Type 80 Series (84, 85,

87, 88, 89)
Image Area 4.5cm x 6cm 6cm x 6xcm
External Measurements 140 x 102 x 76(mm)
Weight 200g
Accessories Neck Strap

1. Inserting the Batteries (HOLGA120SF only)

A) Slide the anchor (12) downw ard (Picture 1), and remove the back cover (8) (Picture 2).
B) Take out the frame m ask located inside (Picture 3).
C) Insert 2 triple A batt eries (Picture 4).

Attention

• Batteries not included

• Batteries are prone t o being dislodged. W e theref ore recomm ended that t he batteries are secured w ith tape.

• Batteries are not required w hen flash is not in use.

Caution

• Use a screw driver should the mark on the back cover be t oo stif f to move manually.

• In the event of using a screw driver, take care not t o damage the red w indow .

For 4.5cm x 6cm Format:

1. Open the back cover (8) of t he camera and
attach the frame included wit h the camera
to t he camera (att ached as such at t ime of
purchase).

2. Set the mark on the f ilm count er (11) on
the back cover t o [16]. This enables 16
exposures per role of film .

■ Light Leaks

Wit h a HOLGA, the film is oft en partially
exposed due t o light leaks.

Although this does not concern many users,
this can be avoided by covering the w indow of
the f ilm count er (11) with material such as tape.
We recom mend t he black tape w hich is
available at camera stores.

To prevent light leaks altogether, the gaps
betw een the body of t he camera and the back
cover should be t aped over completely.

■ Back Cover

The body of t he camera and the back
cover are held together by a simple
anchor. For this reason, the back cover
may becom e dislodged during expo­sure or transportation. We therefore
recomm end that the back cover be
secured using m aterial such as tape.

■ Neck Strap

The neck strap is designed to be attached by t hreading
through the upper part of the anchor. How ever, when
hanging the camera on the neck strap, the weight of t he
camera can often pull the strap away from the body of
the camera, bringing the entire anchor wit h it.

This not only results in exposure of the f ilm, but there is
also a danger of dropping and damaging the camera itself.

Therefore, w e do not recomm end the use of the
neck strap.

■ Film Guide

120 film is normally used w ith a HOLGA. Polaroid
Peel-Apart Film 80 Series can be used when
using a Polaroid holder. When taking pictures
w ith a 120 film under sunny condit ions, w e
recomm end the use of a film wit h a sensitivity
of ISO100~ 400. In cloudy conditions resulting in
underexposure, a good ef fect may be achieved
by depressing t he shutt er butt on tw ice.

For 6cm x 6cm Format:

1. Open the back cover of the camera and
detach the frame included wit h the camera.
Although photographs may be t aken wit h the
frame left att ached, use of the 6cm x 6cm
frame included with the Polaroid holder is
ideal in order to avoid sagging in t he film .

2. Set the mark on the f ilm count er (11) on
the back cover t o [12]. This enables 12
exposures per role of film .

Pic tur e 1 Pic tur e 2 Pic tur e 3 Pic tur e 4

3. Inserting the 120 Film

A) Slide the anchor (12) downw ard and remove the back cover.
B) Peel off t he film seal and place in the f ilm chamber (Picture 5).
C) Pull the t ip of t he film out approximately 10cm and insert this into the cut in the spool (the core which winds

the f ilm), and turn the winding dial (4) 2 or 3 tim es in the direction of the arrow until the film is securely
w ound onto t he spool (Picture 6).

D) Return the back cover (4) to it s original position and firmly close t he back cover by sliding the anchor over it

(Picture 7).

E) Turn the winding dial in the direction of the arrow until t he number [1] appears in the red window of the f ilm

counter (11) (Picture 8).

The camera is now ready to take a picture.

• The film size used for the HOLGA is 120. This can be obtained at the camera store by asking for a
conventional 120 roll film.

Refer to the manual attached to t he Polaroid holder concerning Polaroid photography

Pic tur e 5 Pic tur e 6 Pic tur e 7 Pic tur e 8

4. Taking the Picture

A) Adjust the weather swit ch (7) according to

the t ype of w eather (sunny/cloudy).

B) Adjust the focus ring (2) according to t he

distance from the camera to the subject (the
object t o be taken).

C) Look t hrough the f inder (6) from t he back of

the camera, set the composition for the pict ure,
and slowly depress the shutter but ton (3).
The picture has now been taken.

D) Turn the w inding dial (4) in the direction of

the arrow until t he next number appears in
the red window of the film counter (11). The
camera is now ready to take the next pict ure.

2. Selecting the Frame Format

This camera is capabl e of taking photographs in 2 typ es of form at:

4.5cm x 6cm and 6cm x 6cm .

IMPORTANT

M ark Distance to

Subject

Approx. 1m

Approx. 3m

Approx. 6m

Approx. 10m

or more

7

2

3

4