Holga 120 GCFN Review & How-To with Sample Images | The Best Camera in the World!

 

(This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.)

If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with the Holga camera. It goes everywhere I go and it’s a huge reason why I became a photographer in the first place. It takes the dreamiest images AND it’s super easy to use! For being considered a “toy camera”, it truly has unlimited potential. In my latest Cameras & Cats youtube video, I share all of my favorite things about the camera as well as tips and tricks for how to get the best photos possible. If you want to see the camera in action, make sure to check out my adventure video from last month, where I took the camera to Las Vegas with me!

Below, I’ve included all of the images featured in the video so you can take a closer look at them. These are some of my favorite images I’ve taken over the years. A few of them have actually won awards and have been featured in gallery shows across the US!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! You should definitely pick up a Holga (purchase your own here) if you get the chance. They are super affordable as well, ranging from $40-100 depending on which version and color you are interested in. I prefer the Holga 120 GCFN model, which features a glass lens and a built-in flash. This helps me get even sharper images than the traditional plastic lens Holga and allows me to photograph in lower light situations. The Holga, in general, requires a lot of light to perform well, so that built-in flash can really make a difference on those cloudy days or when you’re shooting indoors.

CAMERA:

Purchase a Holga 120 GCFN on Amazon

Purchase a Holga 120 GCFN on eBay!

FILM RECOMMENDATIONS:

Lomography 400 120 film

Kodak Portra 160 120 film

Kodak Portra 400 120 film

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If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

Happy Caturday!

<3 Myles Katherine

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Instax Square SQ10 Review | Double Exposures | Sample Images

 

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. 

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The Instax Square SQ10 has quickly become one of my favorite cameras to take with me on day trips. My husband, Chris, and I love to take day trips out of the city to go on hikes or to visit the beach. Usually on these trips I’m trying NOT to work, but my obsession with photography means that I have to bring AT LEAST a camera or two… or three. :)

Here are my favorite things about the Instax SQ10:

  1. It’s small and lightweight - I can easily fit it into a purse or backpack

  2. It has the ability to do double exposures (a MUST for me when buying a camera)

  3. The colors it produces with the prints are actually really nice

  4. You can pick and choose which images to print so you don’t waste film

  5. The prints are bigger than the Instax Mini (which I always found to be a bit too small)

The Cons:

  1. The camera is slow in-between photos so it’s easy to “miss the moment”

  2. The digital images that are stored on the SD card are pretty low quality and would not be useful for anything other than maybe posting on Instagram - and even then, the photos would be somewhat pixelated

  3. It’s easy to accidentally print an image if you hit the switch on the side - if it’s in the “Auto” position, it will print right after you take the image

  4. There’s no way to know how many prints are left in the film cartridge

Overall, I highly recommend this camera for beginners who are interested in learning more about film photography. The Instax Square SQ10 is a “hybrid” camera - meaning it has features that both film and digital cameras are known for. It’s great if you are learning about double exposures as well, because it allows you to see the images overtop of each other on the digital screen, as you are taking it. The main cons of this camera are just that the camera is slow when taking photos and that the digital versions of the image are somewhat useless. I have a few samples below of the digital images from the SD card.

Be sure to check out my YouTube video about the SQ10 below for the full review!

Here are some of my favorite photos I’ve taken with the Instax Square SQ10 so far:

(The first 11 images are scanned versions of the printed photos, the last 6 images are the digital version of the photos from the SD card)