Originally, Holgas were manufactured in China as cheap plastic toys. The camera is so cheaply made that light often leaks through or weird distortions will occur in your pictures. Despite - or perhaps because of this - some really beautiful and unique photos have been created.

The holga camera is a cheap way to keep 120 format alive, but also just a plain fun tool for any photographer to use. There's really no limit to the holga. I've heard stories of taking them apart, of adding SLR lenses... A holga produces some of the most unique images you'll find. You can take a photo with a holga and have absolutely no idea how it will turn out until it's developed.

The film advance in completely manual, allowing you to take multiple exposures or otherwise experimenting. The depth of field is small and the shutter speed is slow so it tends to make the things closest to the lens pop out. Often the lens distorts close up subjects as well. Really a fun camera to have for photography enthusiasts.