Noblex 135 battery life

[ryan26]

Hi all,
Just wondering what your experiences are with Noblex 135 re: battery life?

I'm a light packer, and will be away (shooting) for 2 months pretty soon and really have no clue how many batteries to pack, as my Noblex is fairly "new". Buying batteries in central africa is a last resort..

Thanks in advance

[agfa100]

Is that the only camera you are taking? The big problem on any of the Noblex cameras is not shutting the camera off when you are not using it. I have a 135u but I never kept using the camera until the batteries went dead. I would plan on at least two sets per week.
wbill

[ryan26]

My Leica's are my go-to cameras. I don't yet know if the Noblex and I 'get along'

[agianelo]

My experience is a set of batteries will do at least 2 rolls (36 exp) but no more than 4 rolls. I go to Costco and buy the 48 pack and put the batteries in 2mil 3x3 Uline ziplok bags in sets of four. Batteries are cheap to buy but priceless when you run out of in the middle of nowhere.

[ryan26]

wow, that's worse than i assumed! I'll be sure to carry spares

Thank you

[azryal]

2-4 rolls? I can't remember the last time I changed the batteries on my 135U. Are you using really long exposures? Fun camera by the way.

[agfa100]

I used to shoot about 5-6 rolls on a weekend without having to change the batteries, and it would be fine the next time I used the camera as long as I remembered to turn it off. I don't know how you will be able to change back and forth between a reg camera (your Leica) and the Noblex. I found that I had to take the time to use the Noblex only before I got any keepers with the panoramic format. It's a really a different way of seeing with a "swing lens camera". I have a friend with a X-Pan that has not been able to get their head around the panoramic format even after a couple of years.
wbill

[ryan26]

Originally Posted by agfa100

I don't know how you will be able to change back and forth between a reg camera (your Leica) and the Noblex. I found that I had to take the time to use the Noblex only before I got any keepers with the panoramic format. It's a really a different way of seeing with a "swing lens camera". I have a friend with a X-Pan that has not been able to get their head around the panoramic format even after a couple of years.
wbill

I've owned a couple of X-Pans over the years, and have used them alongside 24x36 format cameras without any problem (here). The pano camera was there for those scenes that asked for the format. I have a different thought for how I'll use the beastly Noblex, which is is a much more difficult camera to wrap my vision around than an X-Pan, but as a supplementary tool, I think it's gonna be fun!

[agfa100]

Ryan,
I really liked your Tibetan pictures. I started out with a Horizon 202 and had so much fun I went with the Noblex. If you have a 135u you can use the shift it helps some, also I got a grad density filter which was a big help at times. Now you can do that with photoshop I guess. Now as long as you have mastered the grip so your fingers don't show on the edges everything will be fine.
wbill