deecy Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Anybody have any actual hands-on experience shooting with the Hasselblad XPan? There's now an improved second edition, and Hassy is offering great discounts - even financing. It's an intriguing camera. Only reason I bring it up here is for want of a Hasselblad forum, and it *is* a rather specialized camera.Or is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_conboy1 Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Optics are good, and the switchable format is a big plus. Using it in pano format has helped me see things sometimes a little differently. Drawback is the size and weight, and it is battery dependent.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob___10 Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 it is a very well made piece of equipment. i was able to take some excellent images with it before i sold it. purely for financial reasons. bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_chamberlain Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 I had one in my hands for a while on Sunday.. the shutter is extremely quiet and the camera feels very solid and well-built. I didn't particularly like the way that the shutter speed iformation is displayed in the viewfinder. It sticks up in the actual field of view (but not the in the image frame) in a blacked-out area that takes up too much space in my opinion. The RF patch was extremely bright and clear, even when I put it in the most flare-inducing position that I could find. The camera seems to handle well, though I haven't had it on any extended trips with it. The weight seems a bit high to keep it around your neck for an long time. If I had enough cash on hand I would buy the thing for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Taylor Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 I love my Xpan. That said, I find the slow lens somewhat limiting for my type of shooting. Mounted on a tripod, the results improve. <p> <a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/1182030&size=lg" target="_blank">xpan sample</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob F. Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 I love my XPAN. It goes with me right along with the Leicas on trips. I can get a wide-screen image that is very adequate much of the time, with the normal 45mm lens. The 30mm comes in handy for an extra-wide view, but it is one stop slower, and the center-spot filter takes away another stop and a half (as I recall). One of the best things about the 30 is the auxilary finder that mounts in the accessory shoe. It is bright and clear. There is no distortion, despite the wide angle of view. The camera is smooth-running and the aperture priority works well. I recommend it for anyone who wants a panoramic format on 35mm film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 It's surprisingly easy to use despite its considerable girth. It's a very wide camera. although handholding isn't a problem. Ian has pointed out that the lenses are quite slow, and once you add the centre-spot filter for transparancy film, then you lose another stop or so. The camera fully advances the film during loading, and as you shoot, each frame rewinds back into the cannister. So if you do something dumb, like open the film back, you won't lost any shots that you've already taken. The shutter and film advance are quiet for a motor driven camera. Quality of construction is extremely high. The body is very rigid, as you would want a panoramic camera to be. This also contributes to its weight. My camera came with one of the cheapest quality neck straps ever. You get 21 shots on a roll of 36. You can also mix and match between panoramic and regular 35mm, but that sort of defeats the purpose of owning it if you're going to shoot regular 35mm. The countdown frame counter adjusts as you switch formats. The metering system seems extremely accurate though with any of them, experience is a big plus in making adjustments. I believe the camera uses a small sensor inside the body for frame positioning. Early cameras fogged infrared film. I believe Fuji resolved this in later cameras and with the Model II. It's an easy camera to use for street shooting or for weddings or for landscape. Best with available light for obvious reasons. I imagine it would be fine for a studio light setup though not as good when slapping a single flash unit on the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart d Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 See Lutz's <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=007i3b" >EXCELLENT WRITE-UP</a> from earlier this year. I can't say enough positive things about the Xpan myself, despite the slow maximum aperture and the vignetting if you use colour slide film. Neither of these is a real issue for me, as I know the relative strengths of the Xpan and the M6, and I shoot accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecy Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 Mike said: "You get 21 shots on a roll of 36. You can also mix and match between panoramic and regular 35mm, but that sort of defeats the purpose of owning it if you're going to shoot regular 35mm." Couple of questions: 21 shots per roll? Even if you don't shoot any panoramics, but make all regular format exposures? Everybody here seems to say the camera is" rigid, strong, bullet proof, easy for street shooting, great lenses, wonderful balance, feel, etc". Well then, what's wrong with it for "regular 35mm" shooting? (as per Mike) Another question: how do the lens lengths compare to say, Leica lens lengths? e.g. does Hassy's 50 mm lens cover the same angular view as any other 50 mm lens? does the 90? And when shooting regular format, is vignetting a problem, or just with the pan feature? Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving! Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love4leica Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Great camera. Love it !!!<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love4leica Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Another one<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love4leica Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Last one<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david www.davidazia.com Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 I've been using an XpanII since May 2004. It's a great camera, however, the film is a pain to scan (I use a Coolscan 5000). Also, the viewfinder is not on par with the Leica - the rangefinder spot is smaller, and the image is less contrasty. In the panoramic format it produces excellent results. I find the 24x65 format more aesthetically pleasing than 24x36.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecy Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 Beautiful images, Afzal and David! And oops! I meant to say "45 mm lens" not "50 mm" (in my last post). I was just trying to get a comparison of apples to apples, so to speak. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watts Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 I had a version II and 45mm lens for a while but could never really get to grips with the panoramic format - finding it too gimmicky. I've since decided I'm not that keen on the 3:2 proportions of standard 35mm either so why I thought I'd like the more extreme proportions of the Xpan format is anyone's guess. One thing that took me by surprise is how much you need to stop down to get anything like a decent depth of field. It's easy to forget when using it in panoramic mode that what seems like a wide lens is still essentially a 45mm lens (with the same DOF characteristics). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barclayphoto Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 I shoot a bunch of XPAN and LOVE IT! I have the earlier version but plan to upgrade to the II as I want the Multi capability. If you don't care about the multi capability save some money... I now own the Microtek 120tf which has software written to scan the xpan easily! I love this scanner! My portfolio has a number of xpan images on this site. Only the last few are with the 120tf all other were scanned with an Epson Flatbed which frustrated me in its quality. I have found myself more and more drawn to shoot the xpan. I think it is like anything else the more experience you have the more easily you "see" that type of imgage. The camera is easy to use and makes very sharp chromes. I'm a big fan. My site has many other xpan images.. www.barclayphoto.com check the recent work archives... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 Hey Tom, some more musings:<p> <i>Couple of questions: 21 shots per roll? Even if you don't shoot any panoramics, but make all regular format exposures?</i><br> If you shoot standard 24x36, then you get all 36. The frame counter adjusts as you switch formats. You can do this at any point. So you can have a mix of 24x36 and panoramic on the same roll.<P> <i>Well then, what's wrong with it for "regular 35mm" shooting? (as per Mike)</I><br> The XPan is fine for use as a standard 24x36 rangefinder. I was just pointing out that it's a waste of its abilities to not use it as a panoramic. You just wouldn't be using the camera to its fullest capabilities. I occasionally mix and match on the same roll. If you're asking: Can I buy just one camera for both purposes -- as a regular 24x36 rangefinder when I want it and a panoramic when I need it? I would say, "Yes."<p> <i>And when shooting regular format, is vignetting a problem, or just with the pan feature?</i><br> No vignetting in 24x36, or at least none that I've seen. This is limited to the panoramic format and then really to transparency film. B/W and color print aren't supposed to show vignetting. But if you buy the camera, you might as well get the centre-spot filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 Here's one XPan shot. I had the centre-spot filter on the lens. Film was Fuji Sensia 200. Light was cloudy bright. Even with the 200 speed film, I still had to use a slow shutter speed - you can see that some of the pedestrians are blurred. I probably shot this at f/8. Shutter speed was probably around 1/30-1/60 ... closer to 1/30, would be my guess. This is missing part of the frame, roughly another inch to the left. Part of the negative carrier blocked it. I could have cut the negative, but that would have left me with a single (oh, forget it).<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_hurtado Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 hello! I used the X-Pan, with Ekta 100 G and a 45 mm lens, a few months ago in a printing work's, here in Grenoble, France. Normally , i mostly work with a Nikon FM2, or a Leica MP in 35mm, and a Rolleiflex 2,8 F in 6 X 6. The X-Pan lenses are superbs,(closer to the Nikon's optical "touch", than the Leica's one). Even for a "traditionalist" like me, it's definitively a great camera! Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_hurtado Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 another image... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_hurtado Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 another one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_hurtado Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 ...and through the glasses of the office... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecy Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 Eric- That's some beautiful color film you're using - dark, deep, and mysterious. What is it? Or is it the camera? And by the way, thanks everybody for all the very well informed opinions. I've already contacted Hasselblad for a look at the Xpan. (I live in the area). Best, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 One last shot. This is from one of the levels at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Those vertical lines in the middle of the shot are cables holding up the protective net behind home plate (so as fans don't get their teeth knocked out by foul balls).<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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