Holga

While Holga might not be a household name, the lo-fi photo effects inspired by its famed toy film cameras are familiar to anyone with a smartphone. If you've ever tweaked your shots by adding heavy vignetting, dreamy softness, and light leaks, you're in Holga territory.

The film cameras have been around since the early '80s and continue to be prized as much for their simplicity as for their imperfections. However, if you're not up for the expense or hassle of shooting film and using software and apps seems too much like cheating, there is a way to return some unpredictability to your digital photography--and if you win this week's giveaway, you'll be able to do it for free. … Read more

It's understandable that many people who buy a digital SLR would not want imperfect photos. Why spend all that money just to get out-of-focus, soft shots? Well, sometimes, it's just fun to think about your photography in a different way. And that's where the Digital Holga lens comes in.

The base Holga lens is just a simple plastic lens with an effective aperture of f8 and a focal length roughly equivalent to 60mm with a manual zone focus. (It's based on the lens design from the plastic Holga film cameras.) The Kitchen Sink kit I tested--available for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, and Olympus digital SLRs--included this base lens, three close-up, two macro, fish-eye, 2.5x telephoto, and wide-angle lenses. All of these additional lenses just slide onto the front of the base lens. … Read more

A couple of years back, Lomography started selling Diana F+ adapters for Canon and Nikon digital SLRs for use with its inexpensive plastic lenses, effectively turning your high-end digital SLR into a toy camera. But why stop with just one manufacturer of plastic lenses?

Those of you who want to experiment with another lo-fi photography option (you know, beyond using software to reproduce the effects), should check out Holga Direct's line of lenses--especially if you have an interchangeable lens camera.

Though the site carries lens sets for Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Sony, and Pentax SLRs, it also has kits for Olympus PEN, Panasonic Lumix G, Samsung NX, and Sony NEX ILCs.

A single lens will only set you back $24.99, while its Kitchen Sink set comes in at just $108.99.

(Via CNET Australia) … Read more

Up until 2010, there were nearly no off-the-shelf cameras for consumers to create digital 3D photos and movies; it was pretty much a hobbyist or professional thing to do. But with people hungry for content to view on their 3D-enabled TVs or computers, manufacturers started trickling out cameras and camcorders this year that just about anyone can use for shooting 3D.

The cameras don't all create 3D in the same way, though. Panasonic, for example, is currently relying on add-on lenses that feed stereo images to a single sensor. Fujifilm, DXG, and others, however, are using dual lenses and sensors, which is the more traditional way--and some might argue the best way--of creating stereoscopic images.

Sony skips both of these methods by using a single lens and high-speed shooting and processing to simultaneously capture left and right images that are stitched together in camera. (I expect the remaining manufacturers that don't have 3D cameras to go this last route, as it's likely the least expensive option to implement.)

Plus, there's software to take the 2D content you already have and convert it to 3D, which saves you the trouble of buying a new camera or camcorder altogether. (You could always go back to film or DIY, too.)… Read more

I have a penchant for toy cameras, and it all started with the Lomo L-CA. I've since sold the Russian shooter, but I've held on to the Holga as a camera I really enjoy using despite its quirks--light leaks, soft images, plastic lens, and total lack of control. But that's what I like about such low-tech snappers.

Previously I wrote a Crave blog about the Yashica EZ F521, which from its toy-like facade, could very well be a digital twin to the Holga. After trying out the camera for a weekend, I have to say that the Yashica is close, but definitely not quaint enough to be a Holga.

The exterior

The EZ F521 may look big in pictures, but in reality it's quite small. Compared with a regular Holga, the Yashica is a petite half size. Weight-wise, it's light enough that you'll forget it's even in your tote bag.

The lens barrel can be rotated between two focal lengths: normal and macro. In normal mode, subjects that are 5 feet or more away will appear sharp, while macro mode allows you to snap about a half a foot to 1.3 feet away from the shooter.

Interestingly, the lens has a reddish tinge to it. I checked with the shop that loaned us the camera and the owner wasn't quite sure why it's like that. But this effect didn't surface in any of my shots.

There's a nice optical viewfinder on the Yashica, but this doesn't give a good representation of what you are taking. Still, it's a nice retro implementation.

Be warned about the flash because it's really bright. Subjects near the camera appeared washed-out, but that's the fun of using a toy-like camera.

Let's shoot Taking pictures with the EZ F521 is as simple as point and shoot. In fact, there isn't even a half-press mechanism on the shutter for prefocusing. Just frame and snap.… Read more

Young photographers these days may not be familiar with the name Yashica, but those who started off in photography with film will know that this Japanese company has produced some very fine cameras. Unfortunately, the firm didn't make a smooth transition to digital cameras in the late 1990s and its blip disappeared off the radar.

However, Yashica's new EZ F521 may be able to attract some young shutterbugs with its retro styling. We think it looks a lot like the Holga with the optical viewfinder relegated to the right end of the shooter. The F521 seems to be … Read more