Holga
In the early 1980s the
Holga was introduced just outside of Hong Kong. The intentions of this camera
were more about selling an affordable camera and less about aesthetic and
artistic adventure. But at the time the Holga came about, so did the onset of
35mm film and small format cameras along with their affordability. This
competition drove the Holga towards that more artistic crowd. Since its
inception, the Holga has gained the most respect in the Toy Camera world and is
available in many different styles and modifications.
Diana
This camera was born in
The Great Wall Plastic Factory in Kowloon, Hong Kong in the late 1950s. You
could buy the Diana or Diana F (flash) model for about $2.25. The basic
construction of this camera included many quirky specifications: the shutter ranged from 1/15 to 1/250
of a second; the aperture was about f4.5
to f16; plastic lens + focusing =
whimsical; the viewfinder / lens alignment needed getting used to; and of
course random light leaks. But it is with all these traits that the Diana
became a desired tool with amateur and professional photographers.
