Horizons

Horizon 202, 1/500, Kaiser light bracket, Russian distance meter, home built case. Proud.

What I am lacking is a filght ticket.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
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I have a 202, probably the most profitable camera I own... However and it is strange for a russian camera, it does not like cold weather, it get stuck and make some banded pix.
The MF Horizon never went further than prototype, although it was presented at several photo shows a few years ago: I guess the italian importer was pushing it but never got the Russians to produce it.
 
Have a look at the KMZ FT2 panoramic camera. An oddity that produces interesting images.
 
wyk_penguin said:
Please explain your inventory, Ruben.

Any photos?

p.s. my horizon was dropped on concrete from 3ft and it survived!!!
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For some of my pics go to the following thread\;

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34990

As for gear:

Kaiser side bracket is a plastic and very nice bracket which I use with the Horizon permanetly, first of all because I find the Horizon extremely hard to grip. The bonus is that like any side grip, it helps to reduce the photographer's hand vibration and consequently I can lower a bit the speed for handheld from the customary needed 1/250 ~ 1/125. The additional hand grip provided with the Horizons reminds more of the Kremlin than the Bolshoy.


With the Horizons, as you know very well, since you do not have a rangefinder,
in order to meter the distance to close subjects I use a Smena range finder, which is one of the several Russian rangefinders without camera, from the time of cameras without built in rangefinder. They are cheap, around $10 and very much available in new or very good condition.

Now I would like to add an heretical commentary. I don't specially like the panoramic format, which to my taste fits to very few situations. Nor I am a landscape photographer. What I do like very much is the low distortional perspective of the Horizon 28mm lens compared to a regular 28mm lens. This despite the high distortion at the frame borders with the Horizon camera. Therefore, for me, and this is very personal, the Horizon is first of all a very special 28mm lens, with a lot of trouble around, still very much worth of the trouble.

Besides, I have found the camera very useful to sneak street photos as with such a broad format, people usually don't know where are you pointing the camera to.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
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Surprised by the need for the rangefinder with the Horizon 202 as they are fixed focus!! Mine also came with a nice bayonette fit hand grip which also stores the filters. I managed to get extra filters, and SRB mounted a grey grad and a red filter in the special mounts for me. I have resolved to use mine more this year.:angel:
 

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John Robertson said:
Surprised by the need for the rangefinder with the Horizon 202 as they are fixed focus!! Mine also came with a nice bayonette fit hand grip which also stores the filters. I managed to get extra filters, and SRB mounted a grey grad and a red filter in the special mounts for me. I have resolved to use mine more this year.:angel:
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The B&W print is definitely better. Variable shutter speedsdon't go well with slides and most of the time they turn out strange (not the 1/3 stop precision I get with my Bessa). But when they come out nice, they are stunning (esp. when projected).

Hmm, a grey grad for the horizon? That is innovative. I wonder if you can adjust the point of transition as with Cokin filters.

ruben said:
Now I would like to add an heretical commentary. I don't specially like the panoramic format, which to my taste fits to very few situations. Nor I am a landscape photographer. What I do like very much is the low distortional perspective of the Horizon 28mm lens compared to a regular 28mm lens. This despite the high distortion at the frame borders with the Horizon camera. Therefore, for me, and this is very personal, the Horizon is first of all a very special 28mm lens, with a lot of trouble around, still very much worth of the trouble.

Besides, I have found the camera very useful to sneak street photos as with such a broad format, people usually don't know where are you pointing the camera to.
Click to expand...

True. I often find myself finding subjects for the Horizon and factoring the distortion into the composition.

I don't find the need to sneak photos wth the Horizon. People simply don't know it's a camera. :D
 
wyk_penguin said:
Besides, how do you guys scan you Horizon negs?
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I use my Canoscan FS 4000, I scan the slide/neg in two overlapping halves, I turn off the scanners automatic exposure control as the two parts of the neg usually have varying degrees of density, this is usually inevitable and unavoidable, but I think looks more natural. I then blend the two images in Photoshop. If you have a scanner which can scan 6x6 film then the matter is much easier.
No you cant adjust the position of the grey grad, the design of the filtermount precludes that.

The Horizon is very robustly constructed, and I agree most people don't recognise it as a camera, although others (mostly children) try to sneak a lookat the front of the camera therefore making an unscheduled apearance at the edge of the shot!!!:rolleyes:
 
kbg32 said:
Have a look at the KMZ FT2 panoramic camera. An oddity that produces interesting images.
Click to expand...
.
I have an FT2 also. It makes a 24 x 110 image. They have a... quality about them but I can not explain what it is. Strange that you have to transfer film into a camera specific holder.

Steve
 
I have Horizon s3 pro.
 

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John Robertson said:
Surprised by the need for the rangefinder with the Horizon 202 as they are fixed focus!! ...
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Yes, they are fixed focus but with each different aperture you have a different depht of field. Now you can reverse the equation and ask yourself: for this person standing as xxx meters from me, what is the largest aperture that will include him in the aperture depht of field ?

I remmarked the largest apperture as to allow the maximum freedom of choice with the equivalent combinations of speed and aperture.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
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ruben said:
Yes, they are fixed focus but with each different aperture you have a different depht of field. Now you can reverse the equation and ask yourself: for this person standing as xxx meters from me, what is the largest aperture that will include him in the aperture depht of field ?

I remmarked the largest apperture as to allow the maximum freedom of choice with the equivalent combinations of speed and aperture.

Cheers,
Ruben
Click to expand...

That's pretty clever thinking, Ruben. :)
 
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