tron
Established
A stupid question from a newbie who wants to try out rangefinder.
I like the panorama format, but I am slow in sight and hands.
I like shooting landscape most of the time, but I also enjoy shooting in the city, streets and people.
I also wonder, in terms of optical quality, which lens rise above the other - zeiss or fujinon ?
Thanks.
I like the panorama format, but I am slow in sight and hands.
I like shooting landscape most of the time, but I also enjoy shooting in the city, streets and people.
I also wonder, in terms of optical quality, which lens rise above the other - zeiss or fujinon ?
Thanks.
back alley
IMAGES
hey tron,
when posting a question like this, maybe post in one forum or the other in the future.
history tells us you will get a better response and not confuse us poor old folks.
as to your question, i have no personal experience but both have great reps for optical quality.
joe
when posting a question like this, maybe post in one forum or the other in the future.
history tells us you will get a better response and not confuse us poor old folks.
as to your question, i have no personal experience but both have great reps for optical quality.
joe
This is a tough choice... You're probably aware of the factors, but here's how I see it. The XPan is a tradeoff, on the one hand giving you a nice wide pano format in a convenient package, and on the other hand it's expensive, and limited in offering only three lenses in its own proprietary mount. Lovely lenses. And it CAN switch to 24x36 format when you want.
The G2 also uses a proprietary lens mount but offers a usefully broad lineup of 7 superb lenses, perhaps superior to the XPan's Fuji lenses. It's a more automated camera too, and a bit smaller. Hmmm, I'm reminded I bought mine on April Fools' Day! But I'm delighted with it. If you crop the top and/or bottom of your Contax G pics they can be pano too. This is what the APS format cameras do when you switch to their pano setting, but the downside is you ARE cropping to a smaller film area...
Though the XPan does offer "normal" 35mm format as a switchable option, it's still a more specialized tool than the Contax. Both can make marvelous pictures with no quibbles about hardware quality. So which you choose has to depend on what features are most important to you. Ideally, you'd have both! Maybe I just made your GAS attack -- Gear Acquisition Syndrome -- that much worse...
The G2 also uses a proprietary lens mount but offers a usefully broad lineup of 7 superb lenses, perhaps superior to the XPan's Fuji lenses. It's a more automated camera too, and a bit smaller. Hmmm, I'm reminded I bought mine on April Fools' Day! But I'm delighted with it. If you crop the top and/or bottom of your Contax G pics they can be pano too. This is what the APS format cameras do when you switch to their pano setting, but the downside is you ARE cropping to a smaller film area...
Though the XPan does offer "normal" 35mm format as a switchable option, it's still a more specialized tool than the Contax. Both can make marvelous pictures with no quibbles about hardware quality. So which you choose has to depend on what features are most important to you. Ideally, you'd have both! Maybe I just made your GAS attack -- Gear Acquisition Syndrome -- that much worse...
berci
Photographer Level: ****
Hi Tron,
I have an XPan II and it's a fine camera. It's practically a manual only camera with a built in meter, the only automatism it offers is the aperture priority mode, so the shutter speeds are set automatically adn everything else is by you. The lenses are superb, small, lightweight and extremly good quality. The Hasselblad sticker is not a joke on it. The 30mm lens is outrageously expensive, so an average GAS sufferer will end up with the 45mm and the 90mm lens which is enough most of the time.
I have an XPan II and it's a fine camera. It's practically a manual only camera with a built in meter, the only automatism it offers is the aperture priority mode, so the shutter speeds are set automatically adn everything else is by you. The lenses are superb, small, lightweight and extremly good quality. The Hasselblad sticker is not a joke on it. The 30mm lens is outrageously expensive, so an average GAS sufferer will end up with the 45mm and the 90mm lens which is enough most of the time.
berci
Photographer Level: ****
Some more....
In the beginning I only used the panoramic setting but I had to realize that it's not the best for everything, nowadays I keep switching between the two and approximately half of the shots are normal. With f4 it's a bit slow so for street photography you will need an iso400 or faster film and for quality landscapes you will need a tripod(and a quality landscape).
Go to a camera shop where you can try one, just the handling of it, and take your card or cash with you.
In the beginning I only used the panoramic setting but I had to realize that it's not the best for everything, nowadays I keep switching between the two and approximately half of the shots are normal. With f4 it's a bit slow so for street photography you will need an iso400 or faster film and for quality landscapes you will need a tripod(and a quality landscape).
Go to a camera shop where you can try one, just the handling of it, and take your card or cash with you.
Flyfisher Tom
Well-known
Berci , hit the nail on the head. Both systems are fine systems with incredibly sharp lenses. The Xpan does something you can't do with the other system. Which means you must ask yourself, how often, and how important is the panoramic feature to you. While the Xpan does allow you to switch to normal 35mm frame mode, it does so, as Berci pointed out, only at the annoyingly slow speed of f/4. If Xpan had a faster lens, the argument would be different. So it comes down to how often in 100 shots, will you likely use the panoramic feature. Or indeed, need it. If it is low, get the Contax G2 and see if the 21mm biogon will be wide enough for you to simulate that panoramic look for you. But if you absolutely need the pseudo-medium format acreage of the Xpan, will that answers itself ;-) best,
tron
Established
backalley photo said:
My apology for posting it that way, but thanks for the replies from all. It helps in making up my mind.
tron
Established
Just for everybody's information, I ended up with a G2 set and a Rollei 6008 AF :angel:
The Rollei is heavy but it serves dual purposes - I can have the 6x^ and I can crop anyway I like. The G2 is very good for an amateur with bad eye sight like me, except I have problem finding the 35mm lens (seems it's all out in HK).
I'm now a very poor but happy man, only that I am looking for a suitable scanner for the MF film.
Better stop here, this is afterall a rangefinder forum.
The Rollei is heavy but it serves dual purposes - I can have the 6x^ and I can crop anyway I like. The G2 is very good for an amateur with bad eye sight like me, except I have problem finding the 35mm lens (seems it's all out in HK).
I'm now a very poor but happy man, only that I am looking for a suitable scanner for the MF film.
Better stop here, this is afterall a rangefinder forum.
Wow, tron, some seriously nice gear! Of course we will be expecting to see some seriously nice pics too!
Yes, odd about the 35 Planar... sometimes it can be found used at giveaway prices, and now it seems to be in demand. I grabbed one from KEH the day it appeared in their listing!
Yes, odd about the 35 Planar... sometimes it can be found used at giveaway prices, and now it seems to be in demand. I grabbed one from KEH the day it appeared in their listing!