Second body? Xpan!

[rcyoung]

Actually there is a scanner that will take the XPan panoramics...the Coolscan

8000 or 9000 ED.

 

Use the FH-869GR (120/220 Film Rotated Holder with Glass), and the

panoramic "mask" that is included. There are several masks for different film

formats standard with this holder. It does a GREAT job of scanning ( 4000 dpi

actual...not interpolated) with NO need to stitch multiple negative scans.

[lutz]

Hmmm, boys... Let's have a deal: I'll work hard to improve my "poor spelling" if you promise to improve your reading...?! ;-)<p>

<i>"You may of course scan a full frame in one pass with the help of most flatbed scanners or with <b>a dedicated MF scanner</b>."<br>

"If Hasselblad/Fuji decided to market one or two fast lenses, though (for <b>just the 24x36 format</b> use, to make it <b>optically possible</b>)..."<br>

"There�s a dedicated center-filter for the standard lens available as well, recommended with wide apertures to compensate for <b>vignetting</b>. Both center-filters reduce the effective f-stop on each lens by one stop, so (and that is the major drawback of this otherwise stunning camera, IMHO) you end up with <b>a 5.6 standard lens and a 8.0 wide-angle</b>, the short tele being the fastest among the three lenses - at 4.0."</i><p>

Now let's all take a deep breath. <br>Inhale... exhale...;-)

[Jim_Tardio]

<i>On a more practical note, does anybody know a person at Hasselblad/Fuji to contact personally in regard to the "fast Xpan lens" issue?</i>

<p>

Just go to their website and send an email to their "contact us" link. I've done it twice, and boths times received an email reply thanking me for my interest, and a promise that the request would be taken under consideration.

<p>

In other words...don't get your hopes up. But, you never know.

[squareframe]

Lutz,

 

you are not a poor speller, and sometimes it is difficult to read with clarity after you have been stabbed in the back several times. I am off on my sailboat, which brings to mind a very successful Xpan photographer who told me that the Xpan was his favourite camera of choice for sailboat photography.<br><br>

 

check out <a href="http://www.vanderwal.com/">Onne Van Der Wal Xpan gallery</a><br><br>

 

I am hopeful this qualifies as a useful contribution and that everyone will enjoy Onne's excellent nautical photography.

[mlpowell]

Thanks a ton for those scans, Lutz. The vignetting isn't nearly strong enough

to bother me (but I carry a Holga everywhere I go, vignetting schmignetting).

 

Lutz also covered pretty much all of the reasons I'd like a fast X-pan lens or an

M adapter - I'd sum it up as smaller kit = better kit.

 

Scanner-wise, I think any of the new Coolscans would work ok for print film - a

feeder system (strips up to six), so you don't have to worry about cutting up a

negative holder or anything. Just lock exposure and scan at the same time.

[lutz]

Thanks for the link, Daniel, and enjoy your sailing!

[tom_madilao]

Lutz - Thanks for the write-up on X-Pan. I have been using X-Pan II for 3 months. I

enjoyed using the camera very much - it is reliable and reasonably light. The two

lenses I have (45 and 90 mm) is sufficient to cover most of my street candit shoots. I

would welcome any additional new X-Pan fast lens too.

 

As for scanning, I am using Epson Perfection 4870 (flatbed) without any problem. In

somecases I can directly create thumbnails from the scanner.

[lutz]

<i>In somecases I can directly create thumbnails from the scanner.</i><p>

Could you explain your workflow?

[tom_madilao]

Epson Perfection 4870 scanner allows me to see the slides I scan in the preview mode

as thumbnail or normal. In a normal setting I can see the whole slides and then select

one I want to scan by cropping the selection. In a thumbnail setting, the scanner

automatically cut the slides into individual pieces.

 

Sometimes, the scanner can distinguish X-Pan picture by cutting the slides properly

(i.e. 24 X 65 mm), but other times it cannot (cut the slide as it was a normal 24 X 36

mm).

 

I am using Normal mode most of the times and able to scan X-Pan slides properly.

[Jim_Tardio]

For the web, I scan my Xpan stuff on an Epson Perfection 1640su. Newer units have been introduced since that model came out, however.

<p>

If I license one of my Xpan shots, I have it drum scanned.

[chris_tennyson1]

and after reading this thread, I am certainly buying an Xpan. I always knew i wanted one, you have all thankfully convinced me of that fact. :)

[fp1]

Hi.

 

Don't know how I ended up in the Leica forum, but...

Strangely enough, I bought the Xpan as a second

body/supplement to my Fuji 6x9. I don't particularly care for

normal 35mm per se, but the panos from the Xpan are delightful.

They seem to be, quality wise, somewhere between 35mm and

medium format.

Though it does not produce negatives as rich in detail as my 6x9,

the Xpan is far easier to manage; with or without a tripod.

Several nay sayers have questioned, subtley and overtly, as to

why I would purchase such a beast in addition to the Fuji. I have

determined that answering such a question is a complete waste

of time, even if the questions are from myself. Fact is, I LOVE

shooting with this thing, and, like a new girlfriend, seem to be

unable to keep my hands off it.

 

The lenses are not the fastest, true. For that matter, neither is

the 65mm on the GSW690, but there is not a Lecia minted that I

would trade it for. In looking for a low light shooting solution, of

course a Noctilux comes to mind. But once acquired, I do not

think it will disappoint me because it does not provide for a

panoramic option.

 

F.

[stuart d]

Today I added an Xpan to my armory, partly inspired by the favourable reviews such as this one, but mostly because of the surroundings I live in and want to record (Colorado and the Rocky Mountains).

 

Here are my initial impressions, from just blasting through a test roll this afternoon.

 

(1) Construction and handling - Very well proportioned and balanced, it fits nicely in my hands. Not too heavy, but enough heft to know you're not carrying a point 'n' squirt. Overall, the body is well built, solid. The rubberized grip is comfortable and reassuring. Having been a fully manual kinda guy for the last 3 years with my Leicas, I appreciated the motor winder, the Aperture Priority mode, and the Auto Exposure Bracketing function. The lens (45mm) also felt good quality (although it didn't have the weight that some of my brass barrelled Leica lenses have). The aperture ring was a little stiffer than I expected, but the clickstops were distinct. Focusing was very smooth. It'd be nice, though, to have a cap which fits over the lens hood.

 

(2) Rangefinder - Too early to know how accurate mine is, but I can see the same design as in the Fuji MF rangefinders. It's a smaller patch than the Leica M, but it's clear enough for close-ups and landscape photos. I saw no rangefinder patch flare, which is definitely a relief.

 

(3) Viewfinder - The framelines are bright and clear, both in 24x36 and panorama modes. They're easy to see with my glasses - the magnification isn't a problem the way it is looking at the 35mm framelines on a 0.72 mag Leica. But in bright sun the metering diodes become virtually invisible. I'll have to get used to that.

 

(4) Metering - Definitely less sensitive in low light than my M6 TTL, but with slower lenses, does it really matter? I like the +/dot/- arrangement of meter diodes in the viewfinder. No need to guess which way the aperture or shutter speed dial need to turn. I did, however, notice that the central diode (the dot) stayed lit for a full stop, and occasionally a stop and a half, so it's obviously less sensitie to change than I'm used to. I'll have to practice more to see what works best.

 

Well, that's about it for my initial impressions. I'm looking forward to getting out & about with the Xpan this weekend. Composition's going to require a bit of a rethink, but hopefully I'll have some worthwhile results to post before too long.

 

Cheers, Stuart

[fp1]

Hi.

 

Lutz:

 

Your commentary regarding the Xpan is much appreciated! I

used the 50% gradient and, though not perfect, I must say it

worked wonders with one light impaired slide of mine.

 

Thanks for your commentary. Hopefully, there will be much more

to follow.

 

F.

[lutz]

You're welcome. I just scrolled up to see whether I fully explained the drill - I didn't. <p>So, here's how I'm doing it: I create a distinct layer, call it "gradient". I then create a radial gradient of 50% from black (center) to white (border), but go _beyond_ the frame of the PS window by about 30% (i.e. with a 7400x2700 scan the radius of my gradient will be about 5000 pixels!). Now, the most important thing is selecting the "soft light" mode for the gradient layer - that will work wonders! Experiment with opacity, eventually apply another layer and flatten your image. Cheers.

[in the eye of a holga 120]

XPAN 2 Is Good !

XPAN TAIWAN : http://www.pbase.com/xpan