Any rumours yet on possible digital XPan?

[Panoramix]

Does anyone know of any rumours about a digital version of the XPan? Maybe since Hasselblad merged with Imacon, a digital back manufacturer, they are working on one?

I know the shady nature of these internet rumours, but I'm interested anyway. It would be (one of) my dream camera(s) and would save a lot of time with Photoshop 'mixing' my panoramas from normal-sized 24x35 slides (see my gallery).

Thanks! Panoramix

 

[pvdhaar]

I think you're out of luck here. It's expensive enough as it is to create a 35mm full frame digital (e.g. the top Canons) where the sensor design can be shared amongst several camera models. I doubt Hasselblad/Fuji foresees selling enough units to recoup investment in sensors that won't go into anything else than a "digipan".

 

[Panoramix]

Thanks for that, Peter! I'll have to continue improving my Photoshop stitching skills then, and/or buy a current XPan and use Berci's scanning technique (described in an old thread here).

But still, couldn't they just cut one of those huge medium format sensors horizontally in two? Secretly I continue hoping, although I take your point on the small market for XPan-type digicams.

 

[wblanchard]

Poor mans Digital XPAN? At least its a start in the right direction:

Panasonic launches the new LUMIX DMC-LX1, an 8.4 MP/ 16:9 wide digital camera.
The DMC-LX1 features the 8.4-Megapixel Industry's first* 16:9 aspect CCD and 4x optical zoom 28mm wide angle** (equivalent to 28 mm to 112 mm on a 35 mm film camera) LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens. Incorporating three aspherical lenses provides high optical performance while preserving the compactness of the unit. The aspect ratio can be easily selected between 16:9 or 3:2 in addition to the conventional 4:3 with a switch on the lens barrel on a shot-by-shot-basis to best suit the composition of the image. Even after shooting, the 16:9 ratio can be converted to 3:2 or 4:3 with the camera according to your purpose of use.
The extra optical zoom, made possible by using the center part of 8.4-megapixel high resolution CCD, further extends the zoom ratio to 5x for 5.5-Megapixel image recording in 16:9 aspect with minimal deterioration.

 

[Panoramix]

The Panasonic looks OK on paper, but I'm waiting to see tests at all ISO speeds. People have already been wondering over the noise in the higher-ISO sample shots.

I hope other manufacturers will pick up on this and develop more of these cameras! And of course they should always provide "high optical performance while preserving the compactness of the unit" - I love marketing speak...

Maybe I'm still under the spell of this idea that you can have one camera for everything you ever want to shoot, though. A panoramic camera that's decent at low ISO (like the Panasonic) and another one that excells at high ISO is maybe closer to reality!