What's a Holgaroid?

A Holgaroid is a special kind of Holga hack. It involves replacing the usual Holga back with a Polaroid back, which lets you use Polaroid's 669/690 and Fuji Instant Print Film FP-100C/100B. Polaroid film is a special kind of film that self-develops shortly after exposure, enabling you to check out your creations almost instantly. There have been three versions of the Polaroid back so far, the oldest one wasn't full frame, so that's something to watch out for if you are looking for a second hand unit. Also, only the newest version is compatible with type 100 film, whereas the older versions use Type 80 film which hasn't been produced in a long time. There are also many people who make their own Polaroid backs by cannibalising old Polaroid cameras.

So what's so special about Polaroid?

In addition to having your prints available almost immediately, you can do lots of fun things with the film as its developing. You can peel and smudge the print to distress your image, you can do image transfers, emulsion lifts, and many more creative things. Polaroid film may seem quite expensive when compared with regular film, but you can often find deals on eBay or photo store clearance bins. Another issue with the Polaroid film is it has a very narrow exposure latitude, which means you have to be very careful about exposing your picture correctly. Its very similar to slide film in that respect.

What films are available?

Well, there's good and bad news. The bad news is that Polaroid announced in 2008 that they were stopping production on all film, including instant film.

The good news is that the latest Polaroid backs allow you to use Fujifilm Instant film (thanks Andy Lock!). Fujifilm are still producing the following 3.25" x 4.25" film, which are compatible with Version 3 backs:

• FP-100C - colour film, available in gloss and silk finishes. ISO 100
• FP-100B - black and white film. ISO 100
• FP-3000 - high-speed black and white film. ISO 3000

Recently the IMPOSSIBLE project have been producing film that is a replacement for Polaroid's 600 series film. Currently, the first batch of films have made it out of the factory, so it's worth keeping an eye on for the future.

Constructing your own Polaroid back

If you are still determined to shoot instant film with a Holga, you aren't only limited to using the rather expensive official back. Many people have constructed their own by taking apart an old broken Polaroid camera and fixing it to the back of a Holga. Flickr user abdukted1456 has posted a photo set of his home made Holgaroid, and I must say it's a handsome beast, as shown above. There is a lot of nice information in this flickr thread, should you wish to attempt your own project.

So where can I learn more?

If you would like to learn more about the various Holgaroid backs, or would like to see more example Holgaroid images, the following links are a good place to start:

• Images tagged with Holgaroid
• Holgaroid group
• Polaroid Transfers group
• Polaroid Image Transfers & Emulsion Lifts group

If you want to buy a back, just be careful where you get it from, to make sure you get the latest version. Here are a couple of reputable sellers:

• Freestyle Photographic Supplies - based in the US
• Unsaleable - based in Europe

If you decide to buy a used back from eBay, make sure you ask the seller if the back is compatible with type 100 film.

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