Medium Format panorama camera

Stephen L

Stephen L

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I’m idly looking into the possibility (funds permitting after the current hostilities) of a medium-formal panorama camera. However, I know less than diddly squat about what to look for. Any comments and recommendations? Cheap is good.
 
I think in terms of cheap, you'd be looking at a 4x5 large format camera with a 6x17 or 6x12 roll film back and a lot of luck on eBay. Esp if you already have an LF camera.

You can get cheap 35mm with the sprocket rocket and the Horizon and others, but for 120 there aren't any cheap options I'm aware of...

I'm selling my Tomiyama in the classifieds, but cheap, it 'aint.
 
Harlequin565 said:
I think in terms of cheap, you'd be looking at a 4x5 large format camera with a 6x17 or 6x12 roll film back and a lot of luck on eBay. Esp if you already have an LF camera.

You can get cheap 35mm with the sprocket rocket and the Horizon and others, but for 120 there aren't any cheap options I'm aware of...

I'm selling my Tomiyama in the classifieds, but cheap, it 'aint.
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Your Tomiyama fits my requirements spec-wise. But not quite price wise. Probably too good quality for me. (Yorkshire for “HOW much?”) :eek:
 
Actually, just had another thought.... I bought these plastic lugs from AW (link) that allow you to fit 35mm film into 120 roll film cameras. I've had decent success with them in my RB67 which gives panoramic results on cameras with decent glass. Potentially a middle ground for quality versus an XPan or a plastic fantastic.

And cheap - yep. they're cheap!
 
Harlequin565 said:
Actually, just had another thought.... I bought these plastic lugs from AW (link) that allow you to fit 35mm film into 120 roll film cameras. I've had decent success with them in my RB67 which gives panoramic results on cameras with decent glass. Potentially a middle ground for quality versus an XPan or a plastic fantastic.

And cheap - yep. they're cheap!
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It’s an alternative. And I might give some sort of 35mm panorama a try (though an X-Pan is unfortunately out of the question). But for some unfathomable reason I want to do pano on 120. Maybe brought on by me just (eventually) having put my first film through my Selfix 820 Special. Awaiting the results. I’ll probably go off the idea in a couple of days. I usually do. :coat:
 
Harlequin565 said:
Actually, just had another thought.... I bought these plastic lugs from AW (link) that allow you to fit 35mm film into 120 roll film cameras. I've had decent success with them in my RB67 which gives panoramic results on cameras with decent glass. Potentially a middle ground for quality versus an XPan or a plastic fantastic.

And cheap - yep. they're cheap!
Click to expand...
Stephen L said:
It’s an alternative. And I might give some sort of 35mm panorama a try (though an X-Pan is unfortunately out of the question). But for some unfathomable reason I want to do pano on 120. Maybe brought on by me just (eventually) having put my first film through my Selfix 820 Special. Awaiting the results. I’ll probably go off the idea in a couple of days. I usually do. :coat:
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Would I be right in thinking that the 35mm put through a 6x9 with this adapter might be the equivalent of 6x17 rather than 6x12? Must be worth a try with a roll of Pan f?
 
There isn't a cheap 120 pano that isn't a plastic lensed lomo thing.
You can shoot pano on 35mm film with a 120 camera but that obviously isn't 120 film.
You could try a pinhole pano on 120 ??

I'm afraid "cheap" and "pano" of any format are reluctant bedfellows...:)
 
Depends what you class as cheap.
I was looking at these before this virus thing happened. As the camera is made in Italy I doubt you’d be able to get one for the foreseeable future but it’s what I would call cheap for a pano camera. https://www.maleficwares.com/malefic-6x17
You need to supply your own lens though
 
A cheaper option than off the shelf panoramic 120 cameras would be a SnapShot with a 612 rollfilm back. I don't have a working prototype of my own 612 back yet, but there are off the shelf holders available.

https://chroma.camera/snapshot/

Alternatively, you could try out a Kraken 612 if you get in touch with Graeme and speak to him about UK suppliers (assuming you don't want to print it yourself?)

http://frozenphoton.com/kraken/
 
Having now read, here and elsewhere, some of the drawbacks I am rapidly going off the idea. I shall re-evaluate my yearnings and go to Plan B. I really fancy a Fuji GSW ...
 
You can get a 35mm panorama adapter system for the mamiya 7s. I did that as I wanted an MF fairly idiot proof camera too.

I tried up a Bel Air. Awful plastic thing. Didn't even get as far as loading film in it before returning it. If you can find one cheap in a car boot they're probably worth messing around with.

There aren't that many cheap and good panorama solutions. Most seem to be quite pricey.
 
Peter B said:
Would I be right in thinking that the 35mm put through a 6x9 with this adapter might be the equivalent of 6x17 rather than 6x12? Must be worth a try with a roll of Pan f?
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Would that be an image 24 x 90mm? which is 6x22!! If you go all holy and shoot the sprockets, it'd be 35x90 which is 6x15. If my maths is correct. Which it often isn't.
Edit to add, in 6x7 it becomes 24 x 70 which is almost bang on 6x17.

Oh and edit edit... If you do buy them, consider an extra a pair for the takeup spool as well. If you use a normal 120 spool for winding the film on it doesn't always wind on evenly. I've found using a 35mm takeup spool and 2 spacers works far better.
 
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You could just crop the image from your Ensign Selfix 820, like this:



Or taken to an extreme (never mind the quality, feel the width!), in black and white:

 
I agree with Mr Badger, the 820 has an amazing lens and enough area to crop to a panoramic format. Same with the Fuji another stunning lens in a slightly more modern box.
I have owned both and I am thinking of getting another 820 at some point, the Fuji was brilliant but I found it a bit boxy and uninspiring to use, the 820 is a brick but an ergonomic joy in my opinion.
 
Mr Badger said:
You could just crop the image from your Ensign Selfix 820, like this:



Or taken to an extreme (never mind the quality, feel the width!), in black and white:

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Thank you. That is most probably the route I will take. It just means more careful composition, a craft which I have yet to successfully master.
 
Andysnap said:
I agree with Mr Badger, the 820 has an amazing lens and enough area to crop to a panoramic format. Same with the Fuji another stunning lens in a slightly more modern box.
I have owned both and I am thinking of getting another 820 at some point, the Fuji was brilliant but I found it a bit boxy and uninspiring to use, the 820 is a brick but an ergonomic joy in my opinion.
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I went out with it for the first time yesterday, having bought it months ago. It has been sitting loaded on a shelf awaiting my recovery, which is now at the stage of being able to resurrect photography. Just when my trips have been legislatively challenged. The first mistake I made was only winding on after closing the bellows, which of course locked the shutter until I wasted a frame by having to wind on after re-opening the thing. After that it was lovely to use. I found the rangefinder a breeze, and even remembered it was not coupled. I took an exposure reading with a phone app and just tweaked it by eye for each shot. I was on HP5 so there should be reasonable latency. the film has now gone off to AG.
 
Stephen L said:
I went out with it for the first time yesterday, having bought it months ago. It has been sitting loaded on a shelf awaiting my recovery, which is now at the stage of being able to resurrect photography. Just when my trips have been legislatively challenged. The first mistake I made was only winding on after closing the bellows, which of course locked the shutter until I wasted a frame by having to wind on after re-opening the thing. After that it was lovely to use. I found the rangefinder a breeze, and even remembered it was not coupled. I took an exposure reading with a phone app and just tweaked it by eye for each shot. I was on HP5 so there should be reasonable latency. the film has now gone off to AG.
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It does take a little while to get used to the little idiosyncrasies of it but I think that all the Ross Ensign series (16-20, 12-20 and 820) are really underrated cameras. The lenses were considered to be a match for Leica and Zeiss in their day and you won't get a better build quality.
 
Andysnap said:
It does take a little while to get used to the little idiosyncrasies of it but I think that all the Ross Ensign series (16-20, 12-20 and 820) are really underrated cameras. The lenses were considered to be a match for Leica and Zeiss in their day and you won't get a better build quality.
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Bit heavy in the back pocket though. :D
 
riddell said:
Cheap and the general cost of film and processing doesn't go together. You get what, 4 images on a 120 on a 6x17?
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h'mm the cost of film and processing keeps coming up...using film is something you want to do and could be by some\all a hobby, and compared to the cost of booze, fags, coffee take aways, eating out etc etc it's just another expenditure...but ok if you are a tight wad, no money or living on a basic pension maybe a cheap digi compact\phone would be better and cheaper.
 
Stephen L said:
I'd have to get a bigger back pocket, that's all.
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Next to X100

Vve5Avnh.jpg
 
excalibur2 said:
h'mm the cost of film and processing keeps coming up...using film is something you want to do and could be by some\all a hobby, and compared to the cost of booze, fags, coffee take aways, eating out etc etc it's just another expenditure...but ok if you are a tight wad, no money or living on a basic pension maybe a cheap digi compact\phone would be better and cheaper.
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Actually, despite living on a pension, being careful with my money, not smoking, not buying coffees, scarcely drinking, I do enjoy photography, both digital and analogue, and the cost of film and processing comes low down my list of concerns.
 
Wouldn't the 617 be better for panoramas? Not a cheap option though! (Or particularly compact...)
 
Nod said:
Wouldn't the 617 be better for panoramas? Not a cheap option though! (Or particularly compact...)
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When we lived in Argyll a neighbour shot purely with a Fuji 617. She exhibited her work, and sold quite successfully. She always said the camera was a bit of a handful but the results were worth it.
 
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excalibur2 said:
h'mm the cost of film and processing keeps coming up....but ok if you are a tight wad,
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Sorry, but before I jumped onto digital I was spending over £1000.00 a month on film and development and that was over 15 years ago, and since then work has gone tenfold.

The savings back then were phenomenal. I didn't even bat an eyelid paying £330.00 each! for 1gb CF cards. I brought 4 of them - £1320.00 it was at that time just a months processing.
 
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