The WideluxX is coming! New camera from Jeff Bridges

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My Cambo wide, dirt cheap compared to an X-pan, much better image quality and just crop it if you need X-pan proportions, even get a bit of rise if you need it. Also switch to 4x5 back if you want real quality.
Yes I do use it handheld as well as on a tripod.
That's enough of this for me now, I'm off on the bike.
 
I wouldn't generally take photos head-on of straight walls.

That distortion can be fun to highlight things too though.

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That earlier shot was really just testing the FOV and then retaking the shot to see if my digital setup had the same feel.

Here is another Widelux shot were it isn't nearly as noticable.

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and the digital widelux version...

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U82583I1529712111.SEQ.0.jpg

My Cambo wide, dirt cheap compared to an X-pan, much better image quality and just crop it if you need X-pan proportions, even get a bit of rise if you need it. Also switch to 4x5 back if you want real quality.
Yes I do use it handheld as well as on a tripod.
That's enough of this for me now, I'm off on the bike.
Almost same FOV/AR as the xPan with *dramatically* larger negative.

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Or for slightly tighter FOV using 35mm in the back....

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I bought a Horizont a little over two years ago. Original box, manual, and grip. Lovely set. Only shot one roll through it before I discovered the light seals were shot. On further investigation, the lens was raddled with fungus, too - needless to say, it went back to the dealer. But my favourite photo from that roll showed me where the distortion can work in your favour:

Horizont - Roll 1T - Rollei Retro 400S - LC29 (8).jpg

This sandstone feature is a local landmark. I've photographed it many times. With a regular camera with a flat plane, this angle looks quite dull. The swing lens not only captured more of it horizontally, but it added just enough distortion to make it interesting in a way that a regular panoramic or super wide shot wouldn't.

This was another one that left a good impression on me:

Horizont - Roll 1T - Rollei Retro 400S - LC29 (2).jpg

The distortion was much more subtle than I expected, and again, shooting from this position with a super wide just doesn't work the same way.

I think I'd rather have a good Horizont over a Widelux for a couple of reasons (more extensive shutter speeds, mostly), but honestly, I could see a strong argument for owning a good example of either. If nothing else, it forces you to work differently, and that alone makes them worth considering as tools.
 
U82583I1529712111.SEQ.0.jpg

My Cambo wide, dirt cheap compared to an X-pan, much better image quality and just crop it if you need X-pan proportions, even get a bit of rise if you need it. Also switch to 4x5 back if you want real quality.
Yes I do use it handheld as well as on a tripod.
That's enough of this for me now, I'm off on the bike.
though not quite so handy as an Xpan.....
 
I think I'd rather have a good Horizont over a Widelux for a couple of reasons (more extensive shutter speeds, mostly), but honestly, I could see a strong argument for owning a good example of either. If nothing else, it forces you to work differently, and that alone makes them worth considering as tools.
I sold my Widelux after getting the HorizonT for pretty much the same reason along with the better finder. The slow speed of the HorizonT is *much* more useable IMO due to the faster rotation speed.

Widelux turret rotation at 1/15


HorizonT turret rotation at any shutter speed




Pretty easy camera to work on as well once I figured it all out.


I have two of them. The one in that thread and another that was bought and CLA'd from Oleg at OKVintageCamera
 
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I sold my Widelux after getting the HorizonT for pretty much the same reason along with the better finder. The slow speed of the HorizonT is *much* more useable IMO due to the faster rotation speed.

Widelux turret rotation at 1/15


HorizonT turret rotation at any shutter speed




Pretty easy camera to work on as well once I figured it all out.


I have two of them. The one in that thread and another that was bought and CLA'd from Oleg at OKVintageCamera

I have a new Horizont that bands badly, was going to send it to Oleg. But he doesn't take work from outside the EEC. Bugger.
 
I have a new Horizont that bands badly, was going to send it to Oleg. But he doesn't take work from outside the EEC. Bugger.
Check out the thread I linked to earlier. I can probably walk you though fixing it up. It is actually easy to work on. You can take the bottom panel off and see the drive mechanism. Cleaning the speed regulator and *lightly* lubricating it might help with the banding. If it doesn't, the light seals are probably gummed up against the turret. Pulling the turret isn't hard (but scary the first time) and then new light seals are much easier to install.
 
Hopefully, filters will be available: I need a yellow 🙂 the 3D printed filter I bought from someone advertising on flickr broke when I was trying to install it ...

San Rafael by f_du, on Flickr, Widelux F7
 
Hopefully, filters will be available: I need a yellow 🙂 the 3D printed filter I bought from someone advertising on flickr broke when I was trying to install it ...

San Rafael by f_du, on Flickr, Widelux F7
I bought the set of 3D printed filters from a member of RFF (from Australia). It works very well. I have yellow, ND and one filter was empty, I asked the optician to cut the close up filter for me - with this one I can use my F8 with much closer minimal focusing distance.
 
That's the same filter, the guy was not very responsive or helpful when I contacted him. A close up filter would be nice too.
 
Sure, but it doesn't have 120 degree horizontal field of view.

It is also easy to get the exact same FOV as an Xpan on digital at this point. A 24mm on my S1R in 65:24 mode does it. A 21mm on a GFX in 65:24 will do it.

I would love to see/shoot a X-Pan and a full frame camera side by side with the appropriate lenses to what, if any, differences there are. This may not be backed up with measurements and calculations, but I often suspect I'm getting a 'fake' x-pan mode by cropping to 65:24. Otherwise, why even bother with a X-Pan that has double width frames, why not just shoot wider lenses and crop?

It's similar to a 17mm lens on micro four thirds, it's supposedly a 35mm equivalent of full frame in terms of field of view, but I wonder how much the lens design accounts for the look of the image.
 
For me it was the fun of using a Widelux with its quirky design and the overall shooting experience with a rotary lens. I tried an X-pan, but just did not appreciate it as much.
It will be interesting to see what modifications were made to the new X version.
 

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