X-Pan in contrast with M6 [Archive]

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macmac

07-26-2005, 08:43

I am an M6 user with the Summicron-M 1:2/35 ASPH and the Summilux-M 1:1.4/50. I read the review of the X-Pan on the Luminous Landscape web site and, frankly, am suffering an extreme case of lust. I can see the obvious advantages to the Panaramic format for landscapes -- even accepting the developing and scanning issues -- but I'm interested in your opinions as to how well the X-Pan compares in 35mm format to my Leica kit. I would appreciate your views.

NoTx

07-26-2005, 09:32

Big usggestion, rent one and take it for a spin. You will quickly know if it is for you.

It will be bigger, useable with only a lot more light, and capable of stunning photos. Oh, and noisy. But a lot of fun.

schaubild

07-26-2005, 10:32

The lenses might be slow compared to Leica. But they can be used full open without problems, their quality and sharpness still surprises me :)

CJS

07-26-2005, 10:35

I bought an xpan before the m7 came out thinking i could use it for autoexposure. It never replaced my m's. that being said, it takes SPECTACULAR panoramics. the 45mm lens is fantastic and with velvia it really is special. the xpan compliments my mp but i rarely, if ever, really, use them for the same thing. you can use the xpan in 35mm very easily but that's not really the point of the camera, i think. if you're out and about and know you need the occassional panoramic, and don't mind having a slow 50 (f4) for your 35mm needs, then the camera is great. But I myself only take it with me when I know i'll want panos. And it's worth it.

if you want panoramics and can afford it, the xpan will not let you down.

cheers,

craig

MP Guy

07-26-2005, 10:38

Take a look at the Xpan gallery on this site and get a good idea of wht its used for. I had one with the 30mm and found that lens to be one of the best I have ever shot with. It was slow but for landscape it worked magic. If I bought another Xpan it would definetly include the 30.

wdenies

07-26-2005, 12:57

I love Leica's, but with the Xpan you will enter into a new world.

P.S.
My bank account has strong arguments against th purchase of the Xpan 30mm lens.

Wim

alice

07-26-2005, 16:43

macmac,
I have both the TX-1/30mm and the MP/35 summicron asph. The M is irreplacable. When I know i can definitely get good sunlight I will take the TX-1 for a spin! with the 30mm +center filter you really need good sunlight if you are hand helding it (which is what i usually do....)
having said this, the TX-1 always gives you those kind of "Arrhh" pictures because of its stunning perspective and excellent optics. I think the shuttle is very smooth and it is a joy to shoot with.

To me, the TX-1 compliments my MP as I usually carry my MP around

macmac

07-27-2005, 12:10

Many thanks for your comments. I think I'll rent an X-Pan from Samy's and check it out.

NoTx

07-27-2005, 12:45

Good luck! You will be very supprised.

mfs

07-28-2005, 02:44

tamerlin

07-28-2005, 06:04

One weekend with the XPan and you'll most likely be addicted ;)

I use one alongside a Leica m7, and I thoroughly enjoy both of them... I mostly use the
XPan on a tripod, but there are times when the panoramic format is just too compelling
to pass up :)

Now it's just a matter of practice (for me, that is -- I'm still pretty new at this).

But I'll be posting some panos from Odessa soon, hopefully -- depends on time and
how long the critter animation I'm working on takes :)

alansoon

07-28-2005, 07:35

I'm considering an Xpan too (or a TX-2 to be exact). But I'm concerned about the slow lenses. I fear I'll be tied to a tripod. Is that an issue?

Also, should I consider something cheaper, like a Horizon S3 Pro?

myztk

07-28-2005, 10:47

I use the xpan hand held regularly. If you shoot in daylight...no problem. The first version of the xpan is pretty reasonable on the used market, but the xpan II is a better choice if you want exposure info in the viewfinder. I have gotten used to the I and it has never really been an issue for me.

tamerlin

07-28-2005, 11:46

I don't find it to be, I'm able to shoot quite nicely with it handheld during the day, but I also find
that it tends to stay in my bag until the sun goes down (except on the rare occasions when I'm
up early enough for sunrise ;)), at which point the tripod is necessary anyway :)

NoTx

07-28-2005, 12:21

I have an XPAN I, 45mm, and 90mm lenses.

I have some of the sharpest, and most dramatic shots with this interesting camera. Two caveats however.
1) The meter is center weighted only. There is the usual limitation - it tends to overexpose easily. So bracket.

2) The paint on the body is delicate. It flakes off easily.

Other than that the system is great. I have looked many times at the 30mm lens. The sharpness is supposed ti be exceptional. BUT SO IS THE $$$$$. Also, it requires a center filter which reduces the f stop (to even out the vignetting effects of this lens). This would make the hand holding use more difficult.

Martin

Have you tried any full length portaits or formals using the pano mode, with the 90? I have been really wanting to see some... I have seen a total of one. It is one reason I still keep an eye on Xpan threads. If they look as good as I think they should... I may still get one. Rented one for several weeks once. No 90 was availible.

ERV

10-31-2005, 18:21

I have a an Xpan with a 45mm and m6 and have discovered that when I take the pan out I almost always take my leica IIc as well since it's so small and has a completely different 'look'.
There are days when the light is changing too rapidly or I don't see in pan format and the 45 f4 shows it's limitations.
The Xpan reminds me of a contax G2 in that it's extremely sharp and has a similar body style and weight. It differs by being very quiet, almost silent like an M, and with a nice viewfinder.
Careful, however, because once you try it it's very hard to pass up!

xcapekey

10-31-2005, 19:55

been borrowing an xpan the last few days from a friend for a possible purchase....i usually shoot with an m2 and m4p...here are my impressions of the xpan compared to the leicas

it's bigger....not huge, but enough to make you take notice

not as quiet...playing with it without film the shutter sounded pretty quiet, but put some film in there and there's a definite whirring sound as the motor pulls that length of film across the gate...not too bad, but i could never tell when the shutter went off during all the sounds

slow lenses...i thought that f4 wouldn't be too bad, but during these winter months it seems like i'm needing faster glass or film...i shoot people and all handheld, so a tripod is no real remedy

cool FOV....although i've learned that it is definitely a panaromic camera and not a superwide with the 45mm....it's sorta like putting two 50mm together...it's wide, but it's still pretty corrected..no funky perspective with the 45...it's NOT like shooting with a 24mm...you get the depth of field of a 45 and the foreground background relationship of a 45, it just happens to be longer

it's fun to shoot...though i'm burning through more film faster now...i tend to take a few shots to adjust composition and i find that i'm hitting the end of the roll quickly (20 shots as oppose to 36)....

overall it's a great camera...a leica replacement? no...but definitely a good compliment

richard_l

10-31-2005, 21:21

So what if the Xpan lenses are a bit slower than Leicas? Using a tripod (or at least a monopod) is not a big deal and really should be used with Leica glass also, in order to take full advantage of the sharp optics. You pay a lot for all these lenses, so why not take the extra step and get the best possible images from them? (Unless, of course, you are doing something like PJ or Street or have a bad back or just don't give a $#!^.)

I have on occasion gotten really sharp shots without a support, but I attribute it 99% to luck, and 1% to not tanking up on coffee.

nksyoon

10-31-2005, 21:33

Here's a couple of threads from pnet's Leica forum discussing the Xpan compared to Leicas:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=007zU2
http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=007i3b

Cheers,
Nick

anglophone1

11-03-2005, 08:19

OK I haven't an M6 to compare:
However I shoot mostly with a Bessa R2/R2a and 35mm f1.7 or 28mm f1.9 with velvia 100.
When I go out "on the hoof" with my xpan [as opposed to a specific shot with a tripod etc] I either push velvia 2 stops to 400 or use Provia 400, hey presto I can pretend my f4 lenses are now f2 [if you see what I mean] so shoot just like the standard 35mm set up!
The lenses are superb wide open......................
If you're shooting B/W with tri x or xp2 can see even less of a problem? ;)
Makes sense to me!

david b

11-03-2005, 15:18

I have never owned a Leica but I can you that the Xpan II has dragged me away from medium format and has now allowed me to run around with the camera and a bag full of HP5+.

I LOVE THIS CAMERA.

Check the gallery for some of my images.

Benjamin Marks

11-03-2005, 16:12

I have both (at least for a little while longer . . . the XPan is in the process of being sold). I wound up using them in very different situations; M6 - available light portraiture, XPan - group portraiture outdoors. The quality on the Xpan 45 lens is spectacular. They are very different beasts though. I am surprised that Fuji/Hass did not design a 50/2 or a 40/1.4 lens for this camera just to cover the 35mm format. Oy, they would have had a KILLER ap then. As it was I kept reaching for my Leicas because of the speed and handholdability of the lenses (and, really (and this is the point), the kind of photography that I do). I think it really comes down to personal style and the "frame" you put around objects/scenes in the world. If I were travelling and had to choose between the two, I would take the M6. Fewer things to go wrong, full functionality with a dead battery, no need for a tripod to frame things carefully. And ultimately that is why I decided to sell mine: so that I could plunk the $$ down on something that I will use more often. Happy snaps.

david b

11-03-2005, 16:19

The only time EVER that I used a tripod with this camera was when I was shooting Pan F+ at 25. My negs came out razor sharp and beautiful. But if you are shooting a faster film, the camera can be handheld without a problem.

The camera kicks ass.

Benjamin Marks

11-03-2005, 17:38

Sans doubt, it is a fantastic camera. I will be sorry to see mine go. But for me, what made it not a general purpose camera was the speed of the lenses. The way I shoot, f4 was just not going to do it often enough.

I'll tell you what I like best about it: the pano format really forced me to consider how I was going to fill the frame -- it made me look at things differently. Oh, and the lens. It was just super.

tamerlin

11-14-2005, 15:59

Agreed on all counts, except that being a landscape shooter, the XPan works well for my style :)

I do use the Leica more than the XPan, but when I find a sight that's worth a tripod, it's the XPan that goes on it rather than the Leica.

In the end, I have no complaints about either, other than the fact that the lenses can get expensive (otherwise I'd have a 30mm XPan and a 90mm Summicron also :)).

Terence T

11-14-2005, 16:50

The Xpan is definitely not built for speed but its ever so soft electronic shutter produces very little shake and can be handheld to speeds as slow as 1/8 without any discernable shake.

I own all 3 lenses with my TX-2 and use the 45mm and 90mm most regularly. The camera usually finds a place in my bag ahead of its other regular 35mm cousins. I've come to appreciate the pano format quite a bit and am in the process of experimenting with pano portraits... talk about having a lot of space in the frame to fill.

GeroV

12-06-2005, 13:23

tamerlin

12-07-2005, 15:43

A couple of you have mentioned using Velvia with the Xpan - do you then scan the slides or are you projecting them using custom mounts. I have a scanner on the way, so I'd be interested in hearing about your scanning results, and if you're mounting the slides, where can one find the specific mounts for this format?

I'm scanning them, using an Epson flatbed scanner and VueScan. It doesn't always work out so well though; so far, the slides invariably look much better than the scans, usually because the scanner seems to be underexposing them.

I've been told that there are mounts you can get for XPan slides, made by GePe, but you would have to mount them yourself.

wdenies

12-07-2005, 23:20

Gepe produces 2 mounts for pano.

22x54 mm art.nbr 2603
22x64 mm art,nbr. 2702

the first format fits in a 7x7 projector, the seconf does not!
You will need a special projector (8x8 I think). Those projectors are hard to find and....... VERY EXPENSIVE