XPan - loving it

[crist]

great photos!!! amazing camera. I really want..

 

[Parkes Owen]

Mine has just arrived and I am seriously impressed with the build quality and feel. The RF is off but I am going to try to adjust that myself or get it done by service if that fails. I'm intending to use it for zone focused street shooting and so the RF is not such a big deal for now. That 45mm lens is seriously sharp, the shutter release is lovely, the motor and shutter is nice and quiet and the machine just oozes quality. It feels so good in my hand I just know it is going to work out really well for documentary work. lack of shutter info in the VF seems like a big deal until I remembered that all my Leicas are the same 🙂 I will prob meter the same too i.e. use manual, making adjustments as I need rather than using AE.

Such a shame this camera is gone. After saving the money for a 75 cron asph, I decided to go for a Summarit and use the left over money for this Xpan. I am very glad that is what I did. Now to return the duff Summarit and get one that works. At least I can shoot the Hassy!

Congrats with the camera, I agree with you on all aspects of the xpan.
I`m surprised so few people use it for doco/street work, as it`s got similar functions of a leica m7, plus motor wind and pano option!
I have thought about getting the 90mm for a long time, but the 45mm is such a perfect lens for this camera (25mm in pano, 45mm in normal mode) I really think it`s all you need. Enjoy, and keep posting those neopan 1600 shots!😀

 

[simonxpan]

The Xpan was my 1st foray into the world of rangerfinders - a fantastic introduction. It really began to sing for me when I got hold of my 30mm. It is a camera I would recomend to anyone

 

[Colin Corneau]

hasselrad, love that. bleeding through also happens to be in heavy rotation on my end these days!

the xpan is the one camera i have longed to try out!

Colin, out of curiosity have you shot anything on the xpan that has been run in print?

Hey there
Not yet. I shot a lot with the XPan when I was travelling in China but nothing that went into print...that's nothing against the format, I just didn't choose to submit anything from it, that's all.

I think with the advent of really good quality flatbed scanners, digitizing images such as these are much easier and give greater results than ever before.

 

[emraphoto]

well it's one of those cameras that has just been on my radar for a while. the format would be a great, new challenge. using all that celluloid real estate effectively and all.

out of further curiosity, having only seen one around the neck of an friend recently, how effective is the finder when in "non panoramic" format?

 

[PlantedTao]

...

out of further curiosity, having only seen one around the neck of an friend recently, how effective is the finder when in "non panoramic" format?

Great, the framing seems to be accurate... the rf focusing patch stays the same size and is easy to focus.
Honestly, it is a nice feature, but it is not one that you would use often, at least I don't and really the only reason I did was just to try it out. It is just too much fun to use the camera in pano to switch 😀

 

[panodanno]

Wow, looks very nice to me. I've always wanted an xpan, and your photos only make me want one more!

 

[Krosya]

I always wantedto try one of these, but a couple of things were always a turn off - too few lenses availible for it (too bad it doesnt take M-mount ones) and thes lenses while may be grat optically - are way too expensive and way too slow. Why couldnt they make at least one f2 lens I could never understand. Otherwise looks like a super cool camera.

 

[fotomeow]

thanks for posting your images ..... there are at least 3 Xpans for sale in the classifieds right now, which is not common. I love the wide angle, but its a bit too narrow for me. I also cant afford to keep buying multiple cameras, so I end up shooting with a 15mm on my M6 ....... but that 24 X65 negative is ssssooooooooooo beautiful.

 

[Turtle]

I always wantedto try one of these, but a couple of things were always a turn off - too few lenses availible for it (too bad it doesnt take M-mount ones) and thes lenses while may be grat optically - are way too expensive and way too slow. Why couldnt they make at least one f2 lens I could never understand. Otherwise looks like a super cool camera.

Its not that sort of camera and when you get your hands on one and use it, I find that simplicity (one or two lenses) becomes important. I use mine for documentary work and I'm just starting to get the feel for it composition wise. I use the 45mm and will not buy any others. The 90mm is not too expensive and while the 30mm is expensive it is not as expensive as a current fast leica lens. Nowhere near in fact.

The lenses are slow because they cover a large format, so think MF lenses of which few are fast. Those that are tend to be big. Who would carry a Xpan about with 1Kg of glass on the front?

I think its strongest suit is for landscapes (in which case slow lenses makes sense) or simple docu work (in which case you will not be carrying five lenses with you).

The camera is close to ideal as it is, but it is far from a general photographic tool. I wil keep using mine with the 45mm and see if I really do end up making great images. If not, I will sell it.

PS It is beautifully built.

 

[nikku]

I would love to use one of these. That panoramic format is just gorgeous.
How do people here get their film developed? Do you just ask for it uncut then cut and sleeve yourself?

 

[Colin Corneau]

I shoot mostly B&W film on mine, and process it myself.

You'd definitely want it processed un-cut and sleeve it yourself...if you shoot pano format, that is. You can shoot regular 24x36 with it at the turn of a switch at any time.

 

[Mister E]

Were those shots with the 45mm or the 30mm lens?

 

[Turtle]

I develop and print myself. The negs can go in any glass carrier for 6x7 and up or in a home made carrier.

My usage is still in its infancy and I have made no prints, but the negs are lovely. Very, very sharp and with a contrast range reminiscent of pre/non asph Leica glass.

I'm still surprised to see how sharp images are at the edges at f4. I did some shooting today at EI 1000 and TriX and was able to get 1/60-1/90th at F5.6 - F6.7 depending on light. Will be interested to see how they feel with no CF and hard documentary subject matter. Then format is certainly challenging me, but giving me new ideas too, so thats a good thing.

 

[jmilkins]

I got a great deal on an XPAN /45 here in Australia and am on my first roll. I'm very comfortable with the CV 15mm but like Turtle the thing that is challenging me is the pano format seeming to lack the vertical width/wide angle. I can currently visualise 15mm much easier than the 45mm in pano format, but the challenge is the fun.

 

[stompyq]

I got a great deal on an XPAN /45 here in Australia and am on my first roll. I'm very comfortable with the CV 15mm but like Turtle the thing that is challenging me is the pano format seeming to lack the vertical width/wide angle. I can currently visualise 15mm much easier than the 45mm in pano format, but the challenge is the fun.

+1

I'am in the same boat. I have a hard time visualizing with the xpan/45mm combo and end up forcing the shot. I guess it just needs more time

 

[Turtle]

to my creative eye, some scenes scream 'pano' but forcing it is not IMO good. While I have seen some great docu work with the Xpan I have seen some terrible work (IMHO) where the user has forced the format on the subject. Horses for courses I think.

I recently contributed to a project photographing the Afghan drug scene and only pulled the Xpan out once, but when I did, it felt right thru the VF.

The 30mm looks great and probably the best lens for me in theory, the only prob is the huge finder on top (would not slot into the spaces in my crammed bag), and the very slow aperture and need for CF. It would give you the top to bottom depth most regular format shooters are used to working with. I suppose there is an extremely slim chance this lens will end up in my kit bag, but only if I can prove I can make the format work with 45mm first. For now it is fun, helps me diversify on a long-term project and just plain expands (geddit) my creative horizons in a way no other camera could (as tempted as I was by a Lotus 8x20" for docu work... right!)

Its all fun and the Xpan is a truly lovely camera to use. Mine is the MKI but it is still a very refined product indeed. Once I have checked the LCD on the back for appropriate shutter speeds at the selected aperture, i forget about it and get on with shooting.