Xpan test roll

[matt_m__toronto_]

a follow up post to the one i made last week looking for panoramic camera options.

 

trix, 45mm lens, cloudy day, 2 hours in china town.<div></div>

[calebcondit]

This is a great camera. You're going to have to learn to see again.

The shot is alright, but the extra space seems a bit wasted here. I think your shots will become more successful when you learn what to include in the extra space this format allows for. Have fun with this incredible tool.

[matt_m__toronto_]

2. (dusty and un corrected-on laptop not with crt right now)

[matt_m__toronto_]

...,<div></div>

[michael s.]

Had to scroll to see the whole shebang, but it's a good one. I disagree that the street bkgrnd is 'wasted.' For me, it's context.

 

You're off to a good start. Look fwd to seeing more of your wide stuff, Matt.

 

Never heard a bad thing about the picture-taking capabilities of that camera or that lens, incidentally.

[david_chang_sang]

Matt,

<p>

Where are you getting your negs developed (or are you dev'ing them yourself)?<br>

I'm just curious as I considered the Xpan at one point as well.

<p>

Cheers,<br>

Dave

[35mmdelux]

What Caleb said.

[michael s.]

#2 is also good. I like the way the metal gates -- at different stages of being closed -- have framed this.

 

I seldom shoot this wide (don't trust myself yet and don't have pano) but I like the look.

[matt_m__toronto_]

david, i'm getting my film developed at toronto image works. any lab will develop the negs, it's just not many that can print.

[matt_m__toronto_]

let's try 1 more.<div></div>

[35mmdelux]

#3 works for me. I'd call it a good one.

[james mitchell dc]

Perfect camera for cinematographers. I wish I had extra cash for one... Nice pics, Matt.

[michael s.]

Yep. I'd want to see the feet and the tool the man is working with hitting the pavement, and I might increase contrast and get blacks a little more toward black (in post-processing, since I've never learned darkroom), but those are details.

 

You're gonna have some fun with that rig, Matt.

[calebcondit]

Yeah, now 2 and 3 are much better. But I stand by my opinion in one. I think that the extra imagery simply says you were in the street. But the composition is much, much better in 2 and 3. You're obviously talented, but just offering constructive criticism. It's how we all improve and grow.

[calebcondit]

This is what I see as the essential storytelling info. I agree, I want the extra for context, just not all of it.

[paul hart]

No. 3 is very good, and I needed almost the whole of my 24 inch iMac to see it all! Often

wondered about the Xpan, but must resist the temptation to go down that road.

[matt_m__toronto_]

thanks for the comments guys. nice crop caleb :)

 

sorry about the image size. i keep my monitor at a high pixel count or whatever the term is, so large pics show up fine.

 

cheers

[ray .]

Cropping would seem to defeat the purpose of xpan. And you can crop to expan proportion

with any good high resolution cam, can'tcha?

[Spearhead]

Ray is right. If you are going to crop, there's no point to a panoramic frame, but if you can't produce good panoramic images (it's difficult), then there isn't much point to the camera. It's a lot more versatile to use a Mamiya 7 and crop the 6x7 image down to panoramic. Unless, that is, one uses a swinging lens camera like the Noblex.<p>

 

I think all three of these are more about the format than the photos. The first two need severe cropping to be effective. The third is better, but still could have been just as effective with a normal format. To see some work that can educate about use of the panoramic frame, check out the work of Michael von Graffenried, especially his spectacular Aperture book on Algeria.

[matt_m__toronto_]

jeff - Ray is right. If you are going to crop, there's no point to a panoramic frame, but if you can't produce good panoramic images (it's difficult), then there isn't much point to the camera. It's a lot more versatile to use a Mamiya 7 and crop the 6x7 image down to panoramic.

 

i disagree. mamiya 7 and said lens would be less cost efficient and more of a mass to carry around, to end up with a negative just 5mm wider. (70mm in the mamiya vs. 65mm width with hassi)

[Spearhead]

You missed the point. There's a lot more choice with the Mamiya 7. You can use a large negative for a variety of things. It's not that heavy (I've carried one to Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America without a problem) and the prices are reasonable these days.

[matt_m__toronto_]

i dont think i missed the point. people have travelled all those places with 4x5 cameras, hardly relevant. prices are reasonable for most film gear across the board. why make the talk about 'gear'?

[vivek iyer]

Agree with what James said. Nice test shots, Matt. I always lusted after one. Compact set-up (camera + lenses).

[harvey_edelstein1]

The 45 on the xpan is a 24mm on a 35mm format fov. I think this is fine for regular wide angle landscapes, but way too closed up for pano. The 43mm lens on the Mamiya 7 is more wide 21mm equivalent on 35mm format and this makes a lot of difference in the way it looks as a pano when cropped down from 6x7 plus the Mamiya lens is a full Biogon design and might be the sharpest lens for its format size at that focal length.

[Spearhead]

<i>why make the talk about 'gear'?</i><p>

 

I commented on the photos, it was your choice to respond only to the gear comment rather than the comment on the photos, not mine.