does any of you use a Horizon S3 pro ?

Jim, unfortunately not. Photography books market is quite dead here, hard to find anything aside from very basic "digital photography" tutorials. But I'll watch out for it when at used books stores, thanks for bringing it up.
 
Jim, I first wanted (more than 1 year ago) to buy an old and metallic Horizont as it was looking more authentic but I was fearing light leak and mechanical issues.

I've seen that before Horizont, there were FT-1 and FT-2 (which were 24x110 !) which can still be found on ebay :
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7537626234&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

This web site is full of great details : http://www.pauck.de/marco/photo/panorama/panorama.html

A famous panoramic czech photographer published some books with an old FT-2 : Jaroslav Poncar :
http://www.poncar.de/jaroslav/index.php?page=cG9ydGZvbGlvLmluYw==&series=bG9pcmU=

Eugene, I remember Tsum, I went there to buy a Vostok Kommandirski watch for my father.
If Tsum is on your way on the next weeks, could you please have a look at it and let me know their price ? My girl friend should be in Minsk in november.


I've seen another alternative to Horizon : Widepan pro 140 which is both medium format 6x12 or 24x36. It's made in China and can be found on Ebay. But shutter speed choice is very poor, only 3 speeds :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7547902813

This is out of topic but I've found a web site from a french man using a FUJI G617. His pics are amazing :

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/thierry.vallet/pagedegarde.htm
 
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Laurent,
a book about Tibet by Jaroslav Poncar is what made me get a Horizon 202 - the webpage simply does not do his pictures justice...

Roman
 
Laurent,
Thanks for those interesting links. A link here: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10564
to a thread on this site about Pluabel Makina W67, but in which we mention Wim Wenders use of Panoramics and my friend David Parker who uses are very large Roundshot.

As the Plaubel is quite wide and is a 6 x 7 neg (actually 72mm long) I some times use this for Panoramas, just previsualising the crop. They usually end up at about 24 x 72, slightly longer than the XPan.

Have you decided what to buy yet? Or is it getting more confusing. :confused:
 
Laurent,
A couple of Panoramics from my Plaubel Makina W67 to show the approach I was talking about above. Here you still you have a flat film plane as with the XPan or on a smaller scale the Fuji 6 x 17, but the results can be effective. These ones were previsualised at the time of taking as panoramics with the final crop in mind. I usually place the area I want across the middle of the frame and crop from both top & bottom. The scan quality could be a bit better, sorry.

The angle of view for the 55mm lens would be approx 72 degrees. The Mamiya 7 has a panoramic insert so that you can use it this way with 35mm film and a secondhand 7 (not 7II) is cheaper than a secondhand XPan even with a 50mm lens, but not down to Horizon levels. You could of course use any 6 x 7. Koni Omega's are cheap and you can get a 50mm lens, but they are bit large. Any cheap folder will do if you can forgo a wide angle lens.
 
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laurentvenet said:
Eugene, I remember Tsum, I went there to buy a Vostok Kommandirski watch for my father.
If Tsum is on your way on the next weeks, could you please have a look at it and let me know their price ? My girl friend should be in Minsk in november.
Click to expand...
Sure thing. I expect to be around there later this week.
 
"I've seen another alternative to Horizon : Widepan pro 140 which is both medium format 6x12 or 24x36. It's made in China and can be found on Ebay. But shutter speed choice is very poor, only 3 speeds"

Laurent,
This looks like pretty much a copy of the Noblex, but much cheaper for a medium format swing lens panoramic if reliable. The medium format Noblex's can be a bit tempremental & my experience of the medium format Widelux, which a couple of friends have owned, is they are always going wrong. I could be very tempted by one of these at this price (no.... be good :angel: ) and think I could live with that range of shutter speeds. The lens focuses as well. ;)

An even cheaper swing lens medium format panoramic is available from this small British company that also make pinhole cameras, but it is even more limited.
http://www.horsleycamera.com
 
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Jim Watts said:
As the Plaubel is quite wide and is a 6 x 7 neg (actually 72mm long) I some times use this for Panoramas, just previsualising the crop. They usually end up at about 24 x 72, slightly longer than the XPan.
Click to expand...
Yes, I do the same on occasion, and I think this pano method is the most versatile, as you have full choice of general-purpose 6x7 cameras and of course full choice of pano proportions to suit the subject. Here's one from a Pentax with 45mm cropped to XPan proportions:
 
thank's Jim for the link of the british pano camera, it's cheap indeed but looks very raw. Well I'm now looking on ebay at MF cameras : pentax 6x7 , Fuji 645S , FUJI GW670III...and temptation is great.

I guess that at the end, price issue will make the difference and also my neg scanner (dimage scan dual IV, I thought quality would be better) which is limited to 24x36.


Doug, your shot is has a very good quality
 
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laurentvenet said:
...Well I'm now looking on ebay at MF cameras : pentax 6x7 , Fuji 645S , FUJI GW670III...and temptation is great.
...
Doug, your shot is has a very good quality
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Thanks, Laurent! One additional advantage to the 6x4.5 and 6x7 starting point is that you can keep the camera pointed horizontal to put the scene higher or lower in the frame, then crop more on bottom or top, to give some rise/fall effect to avoid or minimize converging verticals.

One disadvantage is not having a 30mm lens like the XPan!
 
Doug,
Your point about the position in the frame giving some rise or fall is very well made and one I failed to point out when I said I "usually" place the area I want across the middle of the frame. Swing lens panoramics like the 202 can have real problems here, although some Noblex's offer a bit of rising front.
 
Bad new Laurent: I've been at ЦУМ yesterday, they don't have Horizons in stock any more.
 
Spasiba bolchoi Eugene.

Well, I guess I did a mistake yesterday, I bid on a Mamiya 7 (not 7ii,6x7)... Sometimes, price is confusing between GBP and US $. And no one bid after me, so I won it.

I'm sure it's a great camera, but lens price is Huge. I guess it's time for me to write a new thread within Mamiya 7 forum section.
 
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Hi.

I read it was not really sold but just shown on web pages. I doubt many was sold, though it would certainly be a nice camera. but its price is high.
 
I just sold my XPan and have a S3. As you know the XPan is a very fine camera. Ive also owned a widelux and an original all metal Horizon. The Horizon works and is sharp but looks and operated like it was forged on an anvil. The S3 is much better in smoothness and operation. The build is very good and the lens is fairly sharp. It's a much nicer camera than the Widelux ans older Horizont.

I enjoy using it But it takes patience loading it. Its certainly a creative tool in the right hands. I think it Jeff Bridges that does a lot of Widelux work. You might google his name and Widelux.

I really love the wide aspect ratio even though im not a landscape shooter. Im much less in film now and more digital but did have thd xpan. Fuji 617 and a Roundshot.

For the price the S3 is a lot of fun.
 
I have a horizon 202. I used it a LOT the first couple years I had it, now it comes out once a year at best. But it is a great camera and I've got great results.
Like any swing-lens gotta keep it level. I ordered it from Russia, I don't remember how much it was but it was a good price. I saw them on the Lomo site for a lot more.
 
I have a Horizon 203 S pro(the one with the 1 second slow speed) and have made 8x20 enlargements and they are crisp. The swing lens design is really great at keeping the corners intact however you have to watch the sun as you'll get some weird lens flare if it intrudes from the side. I wouldn't bother too much with the F2.8 setting as its a little soft but by 5.6 sharpens up very well.


I bought a second one so I can have B+W as well as color on the go.
 
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