Seriously considering a Horizon variant. Help....

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stompyq

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I used to own a Xpan but had to sell it for financial reasons (read loosing my job and pending marital issues). In anycase i've decided to try my hand at pano again and have seriously been looking at the horizon cameras. The Xpan was great but I frequently felt like going wider which was not a option considering how expensive the 30mm lens is. I also like the look of the rotating lens pics of late and would like to try my hand at them. Budget is a huge concern so the cheaper the better so Noblex or widelux suggestions.

I can't seem to understand what advantages the more expensive horizon models have over the older ones (202?). I also can't find a lot of real world user experiences either. I plan to do cityscapes and candid stuff. Can any one who users these give me some idea of what to expect?
 
I got myself an original Horizont (+t for the 1960s model, -t for the 1990s models) few months ago. Its a solid camera, however, mine has light leaks that need to be fixed - I think its mainly the light seals around the turret, should be user replaceable.

Horizont has less speeds than the new ones: 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/250. It also has a detachable viewfinder (mine was/is very dirty inside).
 
The old metal body Horizont has its lens set at infinity focus. Using a smaller aperture will increase DOF but it's not for closer subjects. There is a DIY fix to change the plane of focus by applying thin strips of dymo tape to the film rails - haven't tried it yet.

This is my camera
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Some samples

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I have an intermittent light leak on mine too, maybe a sticking lens rotation gear. See the top center and bottom left frames:

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I was following user comments about the Horizon/Horizont some four or five years ago. People fairly consistently said that there were quality control issues. More than one person said that they had to buy three of them to get one good one. The bright side was that they were (and perhaps still are) imported by someone in Georgia, who is very good about accepting defective ones for exchange. This was said to be a much better way to buy them, compared to ordering directly from Russia. When a good was finally secured, their owners liked them very much.
 
I had the 60-70s metal rectangular one and it was great when it worked, sharp and contrasty... but some rolls would get chewed up without rhyme or reason.

I think the middle and newest versions are each more reliable but haven't shot with them. I had the Horizant Kompact, the simple cheap one sold by Urban Outfitters... it was simple and reliable... but they set the focus at infinity or even past infinity, so even stopped all the way down you couldn't get things sharp closer than 20'.

I tried tape on the rails to move the focus back. You need magical super fantastic tape to stick... I didn't have any luck getting it to stick and last through a roll. Very frustrating.

Personally I would save and hold out for a 120 6x12 Noblex or not bother, just learn how to stitch.
 
I had the old (metal) one like on the picture. I sold it because of light leaks and bought the new one (plastic) and used it so far. Up to now now defects except one srew on the film transport axis scratched the film. I filed part of the screws head off - not it's o.k.

Just my 2 cents.
 
I have to correct my post:
Previous: I filed part of the screws head off - not it's o.k.
Correct: Now it's o.k.
 
My partner has one of the Kompacts. It's quite a solid thing, and is capable of quite stunning images. We live in Cornwall, and she's taken some stunning photos of wild Cornish coastlines.

It's not without problems, though. Film loading is awkward and time-consuming, the winder feels gritty, the rewind feels worse, and it has - on occasion - torn films completely in two (I've had to rescue half an exposed roll of FP4 from it before), and I've not studied it enough to figure out why.

For the price, it's a great camera. Just be prepared to have the occasional bit of strife.
 
I just sold my Horizon 202 but it was a great little camera while I had it. I purchased it to take on my honeymoon to Vegas, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Red Rock and Valley of Fire. It performed well with no light leaks, etc. It was definitely fun to use and the clockwork mechanics got some interesting looks. Especially buzzing and whirring for 8 seconds inside of Antelope Canyon. :)

I think you'd enjoy it. As far as I know, the lower models don't give you control over aperture and shutter speed. The Horizon 202 has f/2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11 and 16 with shutter speeds of 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/250 and then lower shutter speeds of 1/15, 2, 4 and 8 if I remember it right. I'd prefer the Horizon 202 or one of the higher end models to get more control over exposure.

Here are a few quick scans from my trip. Note: I left the rough black border on them because I like it like that, you can crop it out and get nice crisp lines if you choose.

Enjoy:

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My wife catching a nap in the airport

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Our plane at the gate

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At the Hoover Dam

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Hoover Dam visitors center

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Another from the Hoover Dam

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Our group at Antelope Canyon (Our guide, Jackson, is the older guy in the middle)

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Some weird little ghost town thing we found out west
 
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