The Holga 120 Pan

As you might be aware, I have been making panoramic images on film for quite a while, and some of my earliest efforts were made using toy cameras such as the Holga 135 Pan and 35mm adapter for a Holga 120N ( link).  I later purchased a Holga Ultrawide 120 pinhole camera, and after several years, sold it for more than I paid for it.  While it worked pretty well, I wanted something other than a pinhole camera.  That model was discontinued, and now there is a Holga 120 Pan, a 6x12 pano camera with a 90mm lens.  The Holga 120 Pan is much improved over the original pinhole camera, and other than being panoramic, it works like any other Holga 120 series camera.  

The Holga 120 Pan features two flash hot shoes along with the bubble level on the top deck.  The viewfinder gives an approximation of what the field of view will be on film.  Of course, there is the standard Holga focus zones represented by icons, a 90mm lens with two apertures  (f/11 and f/8?), 1/100 sec shutter speed (Normal) and B.  Two tripod sockets are situated on the bottom.  One is located where the regular Holga cameras have them - on the shutter assembly, and one centered on the back film chamber.

 My Holga 120 Pan also came with a mask insert for using 35mm, which I may try doing someday.  A 24 x 108 mm negative is rather intriguing.    

I’ve seen where some photographers have modified the Holga 120 Pan so that they can mount a 90mm 4x5 lens  for better images.  That’s on my list of things to do at a later date.  For now, I will use the camera just as it is.  

So far, I have shot one roll of film with it, and am pleased with my results.  It’s definitely the cheapest entry into medium-format panoramas!  If you are thinking of buying one, they are just under $100.  Remember to use the film window in the back at numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 to get 6 frames per roll of 120 film.  

The following images were shot on Ultrafine Extreme 400 (Kentmere 400), developed in D-76, and scanned on my Epson V700.