| Taping the Holga |
I've used black gaffer's tape, electrical tape and black masking tape to cover the seams of all of my Holgas. From my experience, gaffer's tape is best but also the most expensive. When I first get a new Holga, I remove the insert inside the camera and begin taping the inside as well as the outside. After the insert is removed, two holes for the insert's tabs can be seen. I take some small pieces of black tape and cover those.
After I load the camera with film, I tape up all the seams around the camera back. Of course I have to do this each time I put a roll of film into the camera. It's a pain, but it does cut down on the amount of light leaks. In my experience however, no amount of taping, short of completely covering the camera, guarantees it to be light proof. When I am not actually shooting, I keep the camera in a bag or pocket and away from direct sunlight and I always advance the film immediately after exposure. Besides taping, the next best thing you can do to prevent light leaks is to paint the interior of the camera flat black. I've done this with all my Holgas and noticed less light leaks. However, like taping, it will not guarantee that light leaks will go way. Light leaks are part of the Holga 'experience' so it's best to assume you will be getting them regardless of what kind of prevention you do. | MORE HOLGA INFO: » Photo 101 » Other modifications » Adding color » FAQs |
