Panoramic film camera

[dsd400]

<p>I am visiting Grand Canyon in April. I am looking for a film camera (panoramic). What brand would you suggest? I do not see much use of this camera later, so want to keep it cheaper. I saw Fuji nexia on Ritz website for $13 which comes with 2 rolls. Would that suffice?</p>

[andylynn]

<p>A Fuji Nexia camera is an APS film camera. There's nothing wrong with that, but the panoramic bit on them can be confusing so I'm going to clarify, with the caveat that none of this means you can't use the camera to get some good photos (and at $13 you can't complain about the value):<br>

1. It uses APS film which tends to cost more in stores<br>

2. It has the same somewhat confusing lens measurements as DSLRs<br>

3. It doesn't really do anything special for panoramic mode</p>

<p>To explain, an APS film frame is just like a 35mm film frame but smaller. So the 22mm lens on the Nexia is actually like a 33mm lens on a normal film camera. To make a panoramic it takes a normal shot and inserts a mark on the lens that tells the machine making the prints to crop off the top and bottom. Kind of like if you took an episode of Seinfeld, chopped the top and bottom and called it a widescreen show.</p>

<p>What you can do instead is take any camera with a wide angle lens (a 35mm camera with a 28mm or less lens will beat the wide angle of the Nexia camera) and crop it yourself. Most digital point&shoot cameras will work for this also. Also digital cameras can be used for panorama stitching on the computer.</p>

<p>So if you're looking to do really wide panoramas this isn't going to get very wide for you. If you're looking for a simple to use and inexpensive film point&shoot this might be right for you.</p>

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>The widest cheap film camera around is the Ultra Wide and Slim... but it's really just a toy. Real panoramic cameras such as the Widelux 35 and Horizont 35 will cost you in the $500-$2000 range. A 35mm SLR with a wide lens... 24mm is nice, will be much cheaper (around $200-$500) more flexible and can be used for other purposes. Don't expect to find an SLR lens wider than 24mm for less than $500 though... thats the kind of deal people wait their whole life for. If you don't mind distortion, there is a Russian company called Zenitar that makes a 16mm fisheye lens for just about every film SLR and digital SLR mount for under $300. I think thats the cheapest/best quality panoramic film combo you are going to find. If you have a digital SLR, I think it is a very good investment to get the film equivalent. Canon, Nikon, Sony (Minolta), and Pentax all have film cameras in the same mount as their digital SLRs.</p>

[benjaminoliverhicks]

<p>Holga makes a <a href="http://www.freestylephoto.biz/193120-Holga-120WPC-Wide-Angle-Pinhole-Plastic-Medium-Format-Camera?sc=24100">pinhole panoramic camera</a> or you could buy a Holga 120 and the <a href="http://www.adorama.com/CZHFAK.html">35mm adapter</a>. One problem with the Holga and 35mm film adapter is that to unload your film you have to use a darkbag or unload someplace where there is no light (not completely positive on this). You could also make your own pinhole panoramic camera.</p>

[clive1]

<p>The Vivitar PN2011 costs $6.40 new. Although not exactly panorama, it does have a function that cuts the top and bottom off a 35mm picture to give the effect of panorama. The images have a rather appealing black frame along the top and bottom that can be removed in scanning or in Photoshop. Here's an example that retains a bit of the black frame on the bottom.<br /> <a href="http://fotogrotto.wordpress.com/"><img src=" http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/2357069605_1a9d39b044_o.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

[dsd400]

<p>Thanks to all responders. Back in 1999, I had visited Mt. Rushmore and badlands in South Dakota & had used Kodak panoramic one time used cameras. The quality was good and I could choose between normal (C or H) and panoramic (P) mode & panoramic prints looked very impressive. Since then I have not used panoramic cameras. This time around, I found that Kodak has stopped that line in 2004 and Fuji is the only major player who still makes them (And are available in small towns) but probably they are also phasing them out. That was the reason I thought of Fuji Nexia. I did not know I could do it in digital P&S. Thanks for your information. I shall expolre more.</p>

[clive1]

<p>Try again: <img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/2357069605_1a9d39b044_o.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[graham_powell2]

<p>This may be of some interest to you: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-19313</p>

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>Vivitar PN2011 I beleive is just cropped 28mm... which is a pretty cheap lens if you went the SLR route. If you are just interested in panoramic disposables, then it would be about the same quality.</p>

[dsd400]

<p>One more question to all responders if you will. What is a better choice for SLR film? I will be shooting mostly the canyon. I was thinking about Fuji Superia Reala 100 or Ektar 100 or Fujicolor PRO160. For quick pictures, I am carrying my digital P&S.</p>

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>Any of those films will be fine.</p>