Lomo LC-A 120 v Holga 120N

Lomo LC-A 120 vs. Holga 120N

We compare two Lomo cameras – The $400+ LC-A 120 and a Holga 120N which can be found for under $50. See how they compare.


The Holga is a fully mechanical, 6×6 medium format toy camera that is made of 99% plastic, including its 60mm fixed f/8 lens. It has 4 zone focus distances, a fixed 1/100th shutter speed, and you can pick one up for $50 or less. The LC-A 120, on the other hand, is nearly $400 more but you get more too. It has a 38mm Minigon lens with an aperture range of f/4.5 – f/16; an auto meter with 100 to 1600 iso range; 4 zone focusing distances; and a multiple exposure setting. The LC-A 120’s meter makes it much more versatile and its glass optics produce much sharper images than the Holga does.  The side-by-side comparisons are captured on Portra 400 and processed at The Darkroom Lab —we’d love to hear what you think!

6 replies on “Lomo LC-A 120 v Holga 120N”

I’ve been shooting with the Lomo LC-A 120 for 4.5 years and it is not that hard to load once you know how. The trickiest part, perhaps, is getting the full film spool into the camera, but you just need to make sure the bevel on the bottom pin (which holds the film in place) is pointed towards you. Then you line up the top of the film spool with the top pin and push in the roll with a small amount of force. The bottom pin is spring loaded and drops down via a plastic switch to allow the film to be loaded.

Those lifted shadows in the first image, from the Holga look sooo good…but the rich contrast in the 6th image (one with the yellow umbrella) from the LC-A look amazing too. It’s hard to say seems they are both great cameras, each with there own unique flaws and benefits!

For me the images out of the Holga are more interesting, and why shoot with either camera if you’re not after a little personality 😉

I’ve had 4 LCA120 and I agree with Chad they are not hard to load when you understand what you need to do (turn the spindle in the camera so the bevel is facing you). But my last #4 LC-A120 new from Lomo was impossible to load/unload. I sent it back to Lomography for repair – which they did quickly and very nicely.

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