A camera should work for you, not the other way around. The tools you choose shape how you shoot, how you move, and how much you think about settings versus composition. Some cameras get out of the way. Others force you to slow down. Understanding how different cameras affect your workflow can help you make better choices before you even press the shutter.
Coming to you from Shoot On Film—by Ari Jaaksi, this insightful video breaks down why different cameras fit different shooting styles. Jaaksi compares the Rolleiflex 2.8F and the Holga—two cameras that couldn’t be more different. The Rolleiflex is a finely tuned, precise tool with sharp optics and a classic twin-lens reflex design. The Holga is a cheap plastic camera with a soft-focus lens and almost no manual controls. You might expect a discussion about image quality, but Jaaksi focuses on how these cameras shape the way he works. The Rolleiflex gives him reliability, flexibility, and precise framing, while the Holga forces him to embrace imperfection and focus purely on composition.
This video also gets into Jaaksi’s approach to shooting. He emphasizes the importance of making key decisions before the shoot even begins—choosing the camera, film, and developer in advance so that he can focus on photography rather than gear when he’s on location. Too many choices, especially when it comes to lenses, can slow you down. He’s found that bringing fewer options actually improves his work. While some photographers rely on tripods and carefully controlled compositions, Jaaksi prefers to move freely, working handheld to get the right angles. His choice of camera affects how he moves and interacts with the scene.
Post-processing plays a role as well. Jaaksi shoots only medium and large format because he values negatives with a lot of detail and flexibility for editing. He develops his own film, scans the negatives, and selects the best images for printing or sharing. This process is as much a part of his workflow as the shoot itself. Holga’s lens, with its sharp center and blurred edges, forces creative framing in a way that no high-end camera ever would. The Rolleiflex, with its precise focus and larger negative, gives him the control he needs when precision matters. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Jaaksi.
