In this age of high megapixel counts and digital perfection, the desire for a more organic, natural, and humanistic feel in photography is growing. Instagram is the most obvious example of this, giving users the ability to degrade their cell phone images using filters designed to look vintage or nostalgic.
The popularity, even today, of the Holga lo-fi film camera is another example of this. This iconic toy camera, originally brought to life in 1981, is an ultra-basic film camera with a plastic lens that produces richly textured, unpredictable images with a soft focus and occasional light streaks.
T .M. Lee, the 84-year-old creator of Holga cameras, h as recently launched Holga Digital, revolutionizing the retro camera without the necessity of 35mm film.
Through a partnership with S martGears Global, Holga has created a new line known as Holga Digital cameras, which not only reintroduces the iconic toy camera to the world with a fresh color pallet, but also allows users to instantly work on their photos u sing a WiFi SD card.
“We’ve noticed the demand for film cameras is shrinking because the film development process is costly and time consuming”, said Lee. “I think the Digital Holga can fill the gap for Generation Y, so they can enjoy the artistic imagery that Holga cameras produce without the hassle of that process.”
The Holga Digital is a high-quality glass optic with F2.8 and F8.0 aperture settings to fit different environments and situations, giving users the freedom to experience the unique Holga image style. For users interested in further developing their own unique shots, Holga Digital will also offer different lenses and mounted external flashes as available accessories.
“Holga Digital is not the camera to replace the current digital camera market,” explained Lee. “Instead, it opens up a whole new genre for digital photography, by giving the younger generation a sample of how photography used to be and drawing in more people who are interested into film photography.”
Individuals have until October 15 to back the Holga Digital cameras on Kickstarter, and are still able to claim a variety of rewards, including:
- Super Early Bird Holga Digital camera: $57 USD
- Holga Classic package (one Holga Digital camera and custom designed leather strip): $72 USD
- Holga Artist package (one Holga Digital camera, one lens package with Fisheye, macro and
- portrait lens attachments, one built-in color gel flash light, a custom designed leather strip, a
- Holga Digital lens adaptor, a Holga postcard set, and a Holga photo book): $200 USD
- Holga Collector Masterpiece (one limited edition Holga Digital camera, one lens package with
- Fisheye, macro and portrait lens attachments, one built-in color gel flash light, a custom designed leather strip, a Holga Digital lens adaptor, a Holga postcard set, a Holga photo book, and a serial number certificate signed by T.M. Lee): $438 USD
Backers can expect delivery from December 2015 to January 2016 based on their reward selection.
Example shots taken with the Holga Digital:
I’ve reached out to a company representative and they have agreed to send me a review unit so that I can do a proper full review. Watch for that in an upcoming post!