Holga HL-C Canon DSLR Lens Black

I love post processing and I love vintage film photography so after a shoot (even a small one) with my (moderately) expensive gear I spend a hefty amount of time processing the photos, often selecting a few well composed photos to turn into vintage photos. I also love the sort of story told by much older lenses or, even, toy lenses--the emotions they evoke can be very powerful. So, having spent many a wee hour making photos taken on expensive camera gear looking like they were taken on crappy camera gear I thought I should stop mucking around, cut out the middle man and just turn my expensive camera gear into cheap crappy camera gear. Enter the HL-C! So, anyone interested in vintage photography will have heard of Holga and the gloriously distorted, colour burnt, heavily vignetted moments they capture. Whilst this lens is undoubtedly 'crappy' it is perhaps not crappy enough! When it arrived I rushed home from work and had 15 minutes or so before the house would fill up. I feverishly jammed it onto my 650d (yes it's plastic but it feels fine and solid going on the camera), put the shutter and aperture at fairly neutral settings (it wont make a great deal of difference anyway), headed outside on an overcast English early-evening and started snapping. Having read reviews I thought it would struggle in the dim light but it sucked in plenty of light! The 60mm (on a crop sensor camera) is good length for snapping things and the simple-to-understand focussing ring (4 settings--fairly close, portrait, group portrait and mountain!) doesn't do much so there was no real need to worry too much about focussing. Even on a cloudy day it was clear enough in the viewfinder to 'attempt' to focus. I did try it indoors and no, dont bother. (you can find the results of a no-thought quick shoot on my flickr stream). So, the most important bit, what did these first few rushed shots come out like? Well, they may not be for everyone but if story telling is more important to you than crystal clear sharp images then you'll enjoy this lens. To be honest, at 15 quid or so you weren't really expecting to hit the front covers were you? But, there is no reason why you couldn't. For me, photography is story telling and this lens tells stories. Sometimes it tells stories from 30 years ago but that is part of the point. The colours are wonderfully vibrant at times, muted in other places. Playing with colours produces a multitude of results as the lens saturates colours differently as they pass through it. The end result is simply wonderful. Purples, yellows, limes, even reds, all are usually fantastically vibrant. The grain is excessive and attempts to post-process these photos beyond any additional cropping are fairly futile, it is what is it and the images are what they are. Post sharpening--don't bother, embrace the wonderfully soft and grainy finish. Post colour balancing--again, don't bother, this is part of the glory of this lens. Post spot removal--don't worry about spots on your photos, leave them, it's too grainy anyway. In short: * This lens will not be for everyone but I suspect that those who like this lens will love this lens. * Your technique is stripped back to only composition and because you are zooming with your feet you are an even more active part of the scene. * Mundane becomes interesting with little photographer skill. * Your mindset as a photographer changes as you embrace the challenges this lens throws at you. * For £15 this is a fun addition to your kit.

What a fun lens this is. It won’t suit those who want sharply focused photos but if you’re interested in experimenting & creating something different it’s worth buying, it’s so cheap. You need to use manual settings & plenty of light to get a decent exposure but the results are well worth it. It fits fine on my full frame camera.

Cheap and cheerful and as a child of the 60's the images remind me of bygone days. Still playing around with it.

Bought for my daughter to use in GCSE work, but she's only taken test shots on her 2000D with it so far. They seem decent though, heavy vignette and spherical aberration but that fits the Holga aesthetic you are probably looking for. Black and white shots seem to have better outcome.

As you will know this lens isn't for perfect pictures its a fun lens that gives you a new twist on your pictures I quite liked using it on long exposure photography. Perfect if your board as even a boring photo can look much better with this lens. Try it its only £11:99

item arrived safely and in good time a . it works well on my 40d and is a fun lens to experiment with! very different to a normal lens as it allows so much less light thru, gives pinhole effect.You need to use in good light to get results.fits easily on to the camera body.

Make your 2k camera produce low quality images anf feel like you have done good. Fits well

Nothing shouts out shabby chic like a thousand quid camera with a plastic hole for a lens. Use on manual for best results. You might even learn how to use a camera properly! Be prepared to ramp up the ISO a bit as it doesn't let a lot of light in. It works OK on crop sensor cameras but is magic on a full frame. Construction is awful but at least you cant go wrong when there's nothing to go wrong. Order now and have some fun

Obiettivo carino, è un giocattolo rispetto ad altri obiettivi, ma l'effetto delle fotografie è molto simpatico! Consigliato a chi ama togliersi degli sfizi!

nice

I bought this on a whim to use when heading out to shoot areas I frequently visit and continue to challenge myself with new ideas. This did not let me down! You have to understand what you’re getting (imperfect lens with lots of flaws in the image), but it open s up a whole new way to look at the world. If you are considering it, take the plunge!

I love this little lens. It's super fun to shoot with, it's pretty sturdy, and looks good.

It’s very good