Holga Modifications

6x6 Conversion

Normally, you simply remove the 6x4.5 insert provided with the Holga to take 6x6 photographs.  However, this leads to vignetting and light leaks onto adjacent frames unless you mask off the frame. A better solution is to buy two Holgas (unless you will never take 6x4.5 photos).  Cut out the insert of one Holga as shown in this picture, making sure there are no rough edges to scratch the film.  I used a hobby knife and steel rule, making repeated cuts until I got through, and then finished up with a fine fingernail file.  Watch your fingers!

Spool Tensioners

As you’ll quickly find when using the Holga, there is no tension on the film spools and they have a natural tendency to unwind from tight to loose by themselves.  Worse, the film can move by itself after you wind the film to the next frame.  Admittedly, that can produce interesting effects.

Nevertheless, you may wish to provide spool tension for some of your Holgas. It’s no fun to have some good shots ruined by a loose roll when you open the back, particularly on a bright day. You need some thin but stiff plastic that is bendable. I used a thin flexible plastic ruler, and cut two strips about 1” long and 1/2” wide off the ruler.  I bent over about 1/8” of the edge and super-glued the strips to the Holga back.  The gel type of superglue (cyanoacrylate) works better.  Seems to work fine. As I pop these backs off, I slide my finger under to keep the spool from unwinding.  You could also glue the strips inside the body. While loading the rolls may become a little more difficult, the tension will remain on the roll after you pop off the back. 

Light Leaks

The Holga is infamous for light leaks. Many users point this out as one of the strengths of the camera.  However, I found that painting the inside with Krylon Ultra-Flat Black (Wal-Mart carries it at the time of this writing) improves the camera considerably.  Don’t accept any substitutes for ultra-flat black.  Go to a model shop and get camouflage paint if you can’t find the Krylon.

Mask off the outside of the camera, including the viewfinder (but not the slots that seal out the light), and take off the lens and shutter or put tape over the shutter on the inside (note: the following photo has a pinhole installed - consider it a piece of masking tape protecting the shutter).  Then paint away in short bursts about 10” - 12” away. For maximum flatness, spray a little and let it dry before seeing if there are missed areas. Then spray a little again and dry. It dries very quickly.  Spray the back also (tape over the red window).

You can see the difference in reflectivity between the two photos. The buildup of the paint in the slots also makes the back fit tighter. Between the tighter fit, the reduced internal reflectivity, and the spool tensioners, you’ll experience fewer light leaks, if any.

Disassembling the Holga

Five screws hold the Holga together. You need a very small #0 Philips screwdriver to take the camera apart.

1. open the back and remove the insert, if present
2. Remove the two indicated screws to take the shutter/lens assembly out.
3. Pull the shutter/lens assembly off.  Cut the wires to the hot shoe only if you do not plan to use a flash.
4. Remove the two indicated screws to take the shutter assembly out.
5. Pull the shutter assembly off. Remove the indicated screw to take the lens off. This screw stops the lens from unscrewing all the way off.
6. Unscrew the lens until it comes completely off.
7. Congratulations.  Your Holga is disassembled as far as you can go without breaking something.

It is possible to remove the top of the Holga as well. If you need to do this, you have to pop off the rewind knob with a screwdriver.  There is some possibility of damage doing this, but Holgas are cheap. Three more screws hold the top on; one is visible, the other is under the rewind knob, and I believe the third is behind the Holga nameplate (I haven’t tried it).

Modifying the Holga Shutter (B - Bulb Mode)

Long exposures on the Holga requires modifying the shutter.  Once you have done this, the 1/100th shutter speed will be gone.  The camera will only operate in B, otherwise known as bulb mode (hold the shutter button down, release to close).

The Holga shutter is pretty simple.  There is a lever arm coupled with a spring to a rotating disk.  The rotating disk has the shutter opening in it. If you could stop the rotating disk in place, the shutter would stay open for as long as you hold the shutter down.  Some Holga owners have glued the rotating disk in place, but here is a better way to do it, though not as simple.

Snap the shutter open and hold it. With your other finger, catch the post on the rotating disk and move the disk around until the shutter is completely open.

Let the lever arm close but hold the rotating disk in place. Mark the location of the tab on the rotating disk.  This is where the rotating disk needs to hit a stop to stay open.

Cut a piece of material to act as a stop.  The lever arm must be able to pass over this stop.  I used a piece of rectangular brass stock from a hobby shop, 1/16” x 1/4”.  A piece of thick plastic will do as well. Using a small drop of quick gel superglue (cyanoacrylate), glue the stop to the shutter baseplate after cleaning both surfaces well with rubbing alcohol.  Be extremely careful not to glue the shutter too.

Press the lever arm - the shutter should snap open and remain open, jammed against the stop, until you release the lever arm. This is a ‘B’ shutter action - it remains open while you hold the shutter button.

You can use a cable release with a locking screw to hold the shutter open, but you will need to further modify the Holga to hold a cable release in the proper position.  The cable release may cost more than the Holga. Or you can continue with the following modification to have a push-on, pull-off shutter for very long duration exposures.

Modifying the Holga Shutter (T - Time Mode)

One drawback to the B mode is that holding down the shutter button introduces shake from your hand during long exposures.  A further modification can be made to the shutter assembly so that pushing down on the shutter button opens the shutter and pulling the button back up closes the shutter.

The first step in the T modification is to remove the return spring. This prevents the shutter from snapping back when you release the pressure on the shutter button.The return spring is wrapped around the big post at center left of this picture.  Unwind it and slip it off the post. Save the spring in your Holga box in case you ever want to restore ‘B’ operation.

The next step is to add a tab to the shutter button. I used a section of the same rectangular brass stock, glued into the recess of the inside of the shutter button. 

See the following two pictures for illustrations of the open and closed positions of the shutter and where the shutter button presses to activate the lever arm.

With these two changes, long duration exposures are trivial.

Tripod Mount

The Holga shutter is approximately 1/100 sec.  This is generally fast enough for steady hands. However, for maximum sharpness and pinhole use, a tripod mount is recommended. I add mine on the right side of the light chamber (looking from the back) and towards the front. There are several advantages to this location rather than in the customary center of the camera. This puts the tripod mount right under the shutter button and winding knob for maximum stability during operation.  Also, the corner location is structurally much stiffer than further out in the base.  By the time the nut is epoxied in, it is wedged in the corner and can’t break free and spin.

Drill a 1/4” hole (I use 5/16” to tolerate a little misalignment) through the base as shown here.

Use a 1/4”x20 nut, preferably a locknut. This is a special nut with a nylon washer embedded in one end.  When the bolt reaches the nylon, it becomes difficult to turn, which helps prevent the tripod screw from breaking through. Put a small piece of masking tape over the top of the nut (nylon washer side) so the epoxy doesn’t seep down into the threads.  Thread a regular nut onto a 1/4”-20 bolt, put the bolt through the new hole and screw it into the locknut. Tighten the regular nut so the locknut is held tightly in place inside.  Mix some black epoxy and pour it over the nut in the corner.  Use regular epoxy if you can’t find black, and spray it black afterward.

--- Clint O’Connor

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