Holga 120P46.5 (Normal)

Holga nomenclature:

• Holga - a Holga 120S camera (or 120F for flash)
• 120 - 120 medium format film
• P - pinhole
• 46.5 - focal length in mm (decimal is optional)
• -f/179 - optional (so pinhole size can be determined)

The 46.5mm pinhole has a normal view.  Making this requires taking off the lens and modifying or removing the shutter assembly on the Holga.  The pinhole is taped over the shutter opening in place of the lens.

What you need:

• a standard Holga 120S camera
• a set of microdrilled pinholes or one close to 0.0099” (0.2515mm)
• ultra-flat black Krylon or camouflage spray paint
• masking tape (black preferred but you can paint it)
• hobby tools

Step by Step:

1. Disassemble the Holga, take off the lens/shutter assembly, and cut the flash socket wires at the body (there’s no shutter so there’s nothing to synchronize a flash to). 
2. You won’t need an insert for this camera.  Save the 6x4.5 insert for another camera or modify it for 6x6.
3. Adding a tripod mount is recommended.
4. Remove the shutter assembly and cut the post off in the lens base (the post is visible on the left of this photo). Put a small piece of black masking tape over the hole on the inside of the lens base.
5. Modify the Holga for T shutter operation and re-install the shutter. See the note in the Sample Photos below - you may need to grind around your shutter a little bit with a Dremel and a grinding bit.  Reattach the lens base to the Holga.  If you don’t modify the shutter, leave the shutter assembly out and just use tape over the pinhole when taking a picture.
6. Select the 0.0102” pinhole from the set.   Trim it to fit inside the lens base. Tape the pinhole in the center with black masking tape. The alignment is fairly critical but easily changed.
7. If you will not be using a modified 6x6 insert, put black masking tape over the left and right sides of the light chamber to cover the slots that hold the insert in place. This will eliminate light leaks onto the film rolls and will also reduce any scratching of the film resulting from use without the insert.
8. Put a square of tape over the opening to the shutter on the inside, mask off the body around the back opening, and then spray the inside of the body with ultra-flat black paint as discussed here. Remove all tape.
9. Add spool tensioners on the back (or inside the body). Tape over the red window and spray the inside of the back.  Remove all tape.
10. This completes the changeover to 46.5mm pinhole use. Simply push the shutter button down to open and pull it back up to close.  If you chose to take out the shutter, use a piece of black masking tape over the pinhole.

f/179 or thereabouts

The resulting f/stop will be (focal length / aperture size) or

46.5mm / (0.0102” * 25.4) = 179

Replace the underlined number with your pinhole diameter if you don’t use the recommended pinhole set. For a starting point on exposure time, you can set your lightmeter to f/32 and multiply the time shown by roughly 6. You may need to add more time to account for reciprocity failure effects in the film.

Sample Photos

Note that these photos are vignetted sharply in the upper corners. Pinholes have nearly infinite depth of field; the shutter opening is less than 1/8” from the pinhole and yet it is fairly sharp. The picture below shows where the vignetting is coming from. You may need to grind out the corners (carefully, or you’ll damage the shutter mechanism).

--- Clint O’Connor

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