Panoramic street photography - what format?

sar-photo

sar-photo

Simon Robinson
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I'm looking at getting a panoramic camera for street and urban photography and probably a bit of landscape as well. It'll either be a Fotoman 612 with a 65mm lens (21mm equiv on 35mm) or a Fotoman 617 with a 90mm lens (19mm equiv on 35mm).
I was wondering if anyone could point me to any examples of panoramic street/urban photography so I can decide between 6x12 and 6x17. At the moment I'm tending towards the 617, but then you do get 2 extra frames on 612, but then 617 is soooo nice, but the 612 is lighter, but then 617 is sooo nice! Do you see my dilemma?

Cheers
Simon
 
No advice here...sorry
But just wanna let to know that i enjoyed looking at your pictures on your website =D
 
trix said:
And of course Josef Koudelka
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Thanks also for the link to Michael von Graffenried's work, excellent stuff looks like it was done with an Xpan. To the OP look at Koudelka's book Chaos. Also that 90mm lens is quite wide for street, Koudelka used a 105mm lens on his 617 body. Personally I prefer the 617 format as I don't find the Xpan gives me a true panoramic feel.
 
The choice of camera may depend on what type of street/urban photographs you're after. The Xpan is smaller and has aperture priority exposure which speeds things up a bit. You get 21 shots per 135-36 roll. A 612 or 617 camera will probably be slower to operate and have less shots per roll but much better negative quality.

Some of my Xpan shots:

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Great pix Nick!

Koudelka got his inspriration from the great Czech, Josef Sudek. Sudek was truly an amazing man, and it was his work with a home-made panoramic camera in north-west Bohemia that got Koudelka started on his panoramic "mission". Sudek also shot many panoramics in Prague. Sad Landscape shot in Bohemia is still available in central Europe, but Prague Panoramic is out of print and extremely expensive. Sudek was a visual lyricist and his work is well worth studying. You can probably get the books through your local library.
 
didjiman said:
I am having trouble visualization Street Photography and 617 cameras....
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ryan26 said:
http://www.markushartel.com/blog/alternative-cameras/
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Good stuff! A couple from Josef Koudelka:


http://bit.ly/159LY0, http://bit.ly/CsgaP, http://bit.ly/EbYsl


and one from me, this shows a historical tableau on Friedrichstrasse near Checkpoint Charlie. The two lines of paving
stone in the footpath and road left-of-center marks the old border between East and West Berlin.


08-0509-R6_27_2nd.jpg
 
I have a Fuji G617 with the 105. Great camera but it is large, gets 4frames on 120 and only focused down to about 10ft. I would select the Xpan for strre shooting. Oh yes, the max aperture on the Fuji 105 is f8 and then the center filter that I feel is essential knocks it down to f11. I had a Widelux for a while and liked shooting it but it was a high maintenance camera.
 
That Fuji G617/105 is the camera Josef Koudelka used for his panoramics and the book Chaos. I have a Fotoman 617 with a Schneider 110/2.8 lens that doesn't need a center filter which I suppose makes it much more usable. I really like the format though.
 
Call me fickle, but now I'm tending towards the 612 with a 65mm Rodenstock lens. It's smaller and lighter than the 617 (obviously!) and I can always crop if I want a 3:1 panoramic.

Simon
 
It is certainly practical to do that, but you will probably end up with fewer panoramics than you will with a dedicated pano body.
 
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