How to Use 35mm Film in a Holga Camera
- 1). Open the Holga camera and examine its interior, which has a simple reel mechanism. The film canister is inserted on the left-hand side and is fed into a plastic spool on the other as photographs are taken. As the receiving spool has a slot designed for 120-mm film, you need to shrink the size of this slot. Use the two rubber bands to make a 35-mm-sized slot in the center of the spool.
- 2). Place the loose end of your 35-mm film in the reduced slot on the take-up spool and wind it a few times to secure it. Place the 35-mm canister in the space on the left-hand side. Because the Holga is designed for 120-mm film, the canister will not fit snugly into this space. Use the folded cardboard or foam pieces to wedge the canister securely, as centrally as you can.
- 3). Replace the back of the camera. In the back of the Holga camera is a small plastic window that, when using 120-mm film, you use to see which number frame you are on. With 35-mm film, however, you not only do not have numbers, but you also risk spoiling the film from light getting in this window. Use a small piece of electrical tape to cover it up.
- 4). Wind your film on using the general rule for 35mm film in a Holga. Because you have no way of knowing which number frame you are on, as you take pictures and wind your film on, use the “34-click rule.” After taking a picture, turn the winding number for a total of 34 clicks. This should ensure that your photographs do not overlap.
- 5). Extract your film in a very dark room. Unlike 120-mm film, 35-mm film has no protective coating on its reverse. This is why 35-mm cameras have a mechanism to wind the film back into the canister when all the photographs have been taken. The Holga does not have such a mechanism, so when you have reached the end of your film, you must rewind it by hand. It is essential that you take the film out in as dark a place as possible and that you do not touch the film, as fingerprints will show.
