Holga Digital will outfit vintage style camera with 21st century tech

Lo-Fi photography: It sounds so 2010. But it’s an aesthetic that endures for a certain class of photo enthusiasts who tire of the perfectly focused and lit shots that commercial digital cameras seem to pump out effortlessly.

Holga Digital, out of Hong Kong, seeks to recreate the vintage Holga camera with a brand new one decked out with some modern, must-have imaging and sharing features. It launched on Kickstarter today with a goal of raising $37,742.

The new cameras — which come in black, white, pink and mixed — can be outfitted with different lenses, a tripod and an external flash that fits into the built-in hot shoe. The Holga Digital F2.8 and F8.0 aperture settings are designed for flexibility. Choose a 4:3 or 1:1 aspect ratio, an aperture setting and even a long exposure for a very cool looking shot.

The resulting images will have that familiar, highly saturated look featuring varying degrees of the signature vignette. Images can then be accessed from a Wi-Fi SD card or via USB.

There’s no LCD monitor, just through-the-lens shooting the old fashioned way. With the new Holga Digital, you can also use your lens from the Holga 135mm camera via a lens adaptor. “This way you can share lens[es] between your analog camera and the new Holga Digital,” the company said.

Holga has a long history with this type of camera, which was first created by T.M. Lee in 1981. The genre has had its ups and downs over time, but has nonetheless attracted a steady core of photo pros worldwide who have taken to its unique style and ability to create arresting, surrealistic images.

These cameras can challenge photographers to realign their vision and take a more innovative and risky approach for a unique looking portrait or landscape, or for street photography.

And because these cams are simple to operate, they are also prized by folks who don’t want to fiddle too much with complex controls.

If all goes well — the campaign already has 222 backers contributing $17, 197 with 47 days to go — the cameras will ship in December.

➤ Holga Digital [Kickstarter]