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Easy enough to sketch the format on mylar or similar and place it over the groundglass on bigger format cameras.
Mechanical XPAN, is it possible?
- Thread starter pushto1600
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Jonathan R
Well-known
That’s very impressive! Would you be willing to share more details?Here's my mechanical Xpan. Canon 7 body hacked to 63mm frame. Modded for continuous advance, two strokes needed via stop for correct spacing. Fuji 45mm f5.6 lens (from GS645W) on Kodak/Compur shutter and recycled helicoid. RF modified to couple the lens.
Canon 7 Panoramic mod by Olivier, on Flickr
Canon 7 pano mod by Olivier, on Flickr
OlivierAOP
medium format
Happy to answer any questions you may have!
Jonathan R
Well-known
Thanks! Erm, can we start with ‘How did you do it?’ Honestly, I’m pretty handy, but contemplating this I feel out of my depth. I’d really like to make one, though.
OlivierAOP
medium format
Well it starts with a Canon 7 body, a GS645W (lens), a Kodak Retina I (shutter) and Hoya 28mm lens (helicoid).
Remove the focal plane shutter and other bits and hacksaw the film gate. Plug all holes; without the shutter light leaks are an issue. Transfer the lens to the mechanical shutter and check the approximate back focus. Dismantle the donor lens and fit the lens/shutter via 3D-printed parts. Body and donor lens needed machining on a lathe to make everything fit and it took a few tries to get the lens at the right distance for infinity focus (checked via pseudo auto-collimator). Let's just say 0.5mm is a LOT for a wide lens.
For the RF I replaced the arm for the cam follower with slightly shorter, 3D-printed one (some math involved), and screwed a cam of sort (also 3D-printed) on the back of the lens to contact the cam follower. For the film advance, by chance I found that by raising slightly the plate which is actuated by the rewind toggle (under the bottom plate) it would allow for continuous winding. So I bolted a stop for the half pano frame.
Remove the focal plane shutter and other bits and hacksaw the film gate. Plug all holes; without the shutter light leaks are an issue. Transfer the lens to the mechanical shutter and check the approximate back focus. Dismantle the donor lens and fit the lens/shutter via 3D-printed parts. Body and donor lens needed machining on a lathe to make everything fit and it took a few tries to get the lens at the right distance for infinity focus (checked via pseudo auto-collimator). Let's just say 0.5mm is a LOT for a wide lens.
For the RF I replaced the arm for the cam follower with slightly shorter, 3D-printed one (some math involved), and screwed a cam of sort (also 3D-printed) on the back of the lens to contact the cam follower. For the film advance, by chance I found that by raising slightly the plate which is actuated by the rewind toggle (under the bottom plate) it would allow for continuous winding. So I bolted a stop for the half pano frame.
Jonathan R
Well-known
Ah, that’s really helpful, many thanks. Unfortunately you mention two technologiesI don’t have: a lathe, and a 3D printer. I’m sure I could learn the skills (eventually), but I don’t have the kit.
But I am extremely impressed by what you’ve done.
But I am extremely impressed by what you’ve done.