The Holga. Ever since its debut in 1981, the toy camera had enjoyed a strong cult following. Its history is bumpy and it had been close to shutting down many times in the past. However, just a couple of days ago, the inevitable finally happened. Holga is no more.
The Holga is a medium format toy camera that is valued for it low cost and unique lo-fi photographs. Its contrasts and odd vignetting catapulted it into mainstream popularity, Tech Crunch reported. It was first intended for Chinese consumers but copycats quickly adopted its format and almost made the business bankrupt just like that.
Its cult following, however, helped buoy the company back to life. Tens of thousands of Holga cameras were shipped to all corners of the globe with practically no change in the original design. In a very real way, the Holga is a big part of the world's photographic heritage.
Peta Pixel noted that the Holga is credited with helping amateur photographers learn about the unique way film cameras work. Even now in the digital age, Holga cameras bring out film creativity in ways digital cameras simply cannot. But, like everything, all good things must come to an end.
Gerald H. Karmele, President and Chief Operating Officer of Freestyle, Holga's makers, stated that "It is with a sad heart that we say goodbye to a camera that has been so popular with so many. A Holga camera really is about creativity and unpredictability and a refreshing medium in today's digital age."
He added, "Holga outlived many other cameras but, as like we have seen throughout the years, is yet another casualty of the digital age." According to the factory spokesperson in China, "...all Holga tooling has already been thrown away and there is nothing available for sale." Units and parts are still common nowadays but, as they get used up, will no longer be replenished by the company that produced it for 33 years.
