Unlocking the panoramic format ... is it a gimmick?

[farlymac]

While I like doing panos by stitching several frames together, I find that the fact you need to make so many exposures to get a decent overlap really hurts when you've only got one roll of film on you. And the possibility of varying exposures across the frame doesn't help. But I will also fudge a pano by cropping a wide angle shot from the top and bottom, and most folks can't tell I did it.

That said, I wouldn't mind having a dedicated pano camera, such as what Keith is using. I might not shoot a complete roll in one location, but it would come in handy.

PF

[Keith]

Originally Posted by farlymac

While I like doing panos by stitching several frames together, I find that the fact you need to make so many exposures to get a decent overlap really hurts when you've only got one roll of film on you. And the possibility of varying exposures across the frame doesn't help. But I will also fudge a pano by cropping a wide angle shot from the top and bottom, and most folks can't tell I did it.

That said, I wouldn't mind having a dedicated pano camera, such as what Keith is using. I might not shoot a complete roll in one location, but it would come in handy.

PF

I broke my rule and went out with the Widelux and did some 'street' yesterday which is effectively out of my comfort zone ... I'm not a natural, comfortable street shooter!

I was surprised at how quickly I got through the full roll (21 exposures) and also surprised at how usable the format is in this environment. I mainly got the camera for landscapes in areas where the 3:2 format leaves me wanting a wider perspective.

The Widelux does have some odd limitations though and I discover them when I develop each roll I shoot!

[Texsport]

Originally Posted by Turtle

It is very personal, but I have seen relatively little truly breathtaking work done on the panoramic formats. I own an Xpan, but feel the 45mm, whilst workable, is not ideal for me. I recently acquired a 30mm and have a feeling that this will transform the format for me. I need depth to my frame, for most of what I do.

Gimmick? Can be, but it can also be tremendously powerful when well used.

Wow! If you want some inspiring panoramics, look around this guy's site for a while.

http://www.phototheque.arnaudfrichph...s-photos/paris

I particularly like the night time mutiple exposure panoramics.

Texsport

[randolph45]

Keith

My first pano was three thirtyfive mm frames,printed,hand cut,pasted and photocopied.
A Widelux was my dream then.One day I will own one.
Till then it's digital stitching.

Check out Max Lyons forum on panos,most are digital,but all are great shots.

[Turtle]

Thanks Texsport. I had a look and thought they were 'good' and no more, but as always, these things are personal. Some strong photos, but in many I felt the format did not contribute to a successful image and held them back as often as it made them special. I tend to look at cameras as 'things to make documentary images with' and so my perspectives are skewed.

FWIW, I think 3:1 or even 2.7:1 is a wee bit long. 2.5:1 is about the longest before it looks awkward for me, with 2.25:1 looking most relaxed. Oddlly, 2:1 can look a little short at times, but I do like this 'short pano' format because it functions quite differently and works well with foreground interest, unlike the longer ones.

I'm going to have a real crack with my 30mm and if that does not work out, I will sell it all. I suspect it will work very well, however, because I have been 'feeling the frames' when shooting with the 45mm, only what I have wanted to get in tends to lie somewhere outside the frame lines!

[hausen]

I am looking forward to finishing the roll I have in my Xpan because I was shooting some motorway Long exposure shots last weekend as sun went down and I am sure I had shot 5 shots and counter showed 19 left so I think I have some double exposures. Was B&W Pan 25 so should be interesting. Don't use mine as much as I did because I have so many MF options now and love B&W MF because it is so smooth.

[Rayt]

I like the Xpan and have a few ok shots on Flickr. Successfully composing in pano is quite challenging for street. I think most pano shots either don't work because of failure to fill the frame with interesting elements else it is too formula and boring.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by randolph45

Keith

My first pano was three thirtyfive mm frames,printed,hand cut,pasted and photocopied.
A Widelux was my dream then.One day I will own one.
Till then it's digital stitching.

Check out Max Lyons forum on panos,most are digital,but all are great shots.

Randolph ... your first pano sounds very similar to my first effort of a couple of months ago!

[rxmd]

Originally Posted by Keith

Randolph ... your first pano sounds very similar to my first effort of a couple of months ago!

That's a rather nice one. Did you glue the negatives together and contact print them?

[Keith]

Originally Posted by rxmd

That's a rather nice one. Did you glue the negatives together and contact print them?

Just taped the three 6x6 negs together after trimming them to get the alignment then scanned them on my V700 flatbed!

So much for invisible tape!

[c.poulton]

Hey Keith, just curious, money aside, if the rumours prove to be true, would you consider buying a digital X-Pan?

[Keith]

Originally Posted by c.poulton

Hey Keith, just curious, money aside, if the rumours prove to be true, would you consider buying a digital X-Pan?

I think even if money was no issue I'd balk at that. Every time I buy a digital camera (D700 aside because that gets used for work) I marvel at its capabilities then it sits in the cupboard when it eventually bores me and I go back to film. It's a repeating pattern and I'm just coming to realise that!

I haven't used the OM-D I bought in a month now ... and have little desire to do so.

[ricnak]

Hallelujah brother (smiley face emoticon thingy)

[Ezzie]

Originally Posted by Keith

I think even if money was no issue I'd balk at that. Every time I buy a digital camera (D700 aside because that gets used for work) I marvel at its capabilities then it sits in the cupboard when it eventually bores me and I go back to film. It's a repeating pattern and I'm just coming to realise that!

I haven't used the OM-D I bought in a month now ... and have little desire to do so.

You took the words right out of my mouth. In my case I think it boils down to the feeling of involvement. With film photography I am more involved in the process, more of the responsibility lies with me as a photographer.

[hausen]

Keith, didn't you get a RD1 as well?

[Texsport]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Thanks Texsport. I had a look and thought they were 'good' and no more, but as always, these things are personal. Some strong photos, but in many I felt the format did not contribute to a successful image and held them back as often as it made them special. I tend to look at cameras as 'things to make documentary images with' and so my perspectives are skewed.

FWIW, I think 3:1 or even 2.7:1 is a wee bit long. 2.5:1 is about the longest before it looks awkward for me, with 2.25:1 looking most relaxed. Oddlly, 2:1 can look a little short at times, but I do like this 'short pano' format because it functions quite differently and works well with foreground interest, unlike the longer ones.

I'm going to have a real crack with my 30mm and if that does not work out, I will sell it all. I suspect it will work very well, however, because I have been 'feeling the frames' when shooting with the 45mm, only what I have wanted to get in tends to lie somewhere outside the frame lines!

Hmmm! I think several of the images would be impossible in any format other than panoramic, so the contribution is the ability to compose the image at all.

Of course, if the subject matter isn't personally interesting, there is little reason to capture it.

As to formats, I use XPan, 6x9, 6x12, 6x17, Widelux, and Noblex. I use the camera that is most pleasing or required to frame what I'm trying to depict.

Sticking to a single, ideal panoramic format limits possibilities enormously, so if you are very discriminating about exactly matching an image to a single format, you might never find or record the perfect image.

I know I'm not good enough to fit everything into a single format, and use the multiple approach as a bit of a crutch I reckon.

Texsport

[Jubb Jubb]

If you search around, every now and then a bargain will come up. I got mine hardly used for very little over $1000 AUD. it's cheaper than buying an M6 body, and it has a lens!

[doolittle]

The finish on the paint is very poor, which means that many of the xpans look like beaters even though they are not. You can get a bargain sometimes where the camera is in great condition, just cosmetically ugly.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by hausen

Keith, didn't you get a RD1 as well?

It's currently living in the cupboard ... a shelf down from the OM-D! thank god it was cheap!

I keep wondering if the solution to all this is to spend more money ... an eight thousand dollar Monochrom would be hard to ignore when you can't afford food!

[Jubb Jubb]

Panoramic can definitely be a gimmick. But in a age of digital photography, so is shooting film. So using an xpan is a double gimmick!

[Keith]

Having been a panoramic shooter for almost a week now I can say it's no gimmick for me! It's another format to be used when the desire or need arises ... and I do feel that it matches my vision a lot more than the square for example. I also like the way the Widelux swing lens sees the world!

[hausen]

I know the feeling Keith, my M9 has been on the shelf for a period of time now. Would love a Monchrom though. Like the first one above a lot, very interesting perspective. Maybe I will take my Xpan out this weekend.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by hausen

Maybe I will take my Xpan out this weekend.

Do it ... I've discovered that the way to keep myself motivated and constantly thinking about photography is to refresh my vision frequently by changing formats. It probably wouldn't work for everyone though!

[Keith]

One thing I'm noticing about composition with the Widelux is the way I compose is being affected by knowing that virtually everything in the frame will be in focus. A lot of my compositions in other formats are based around depth of field.

It really makes you think and you soon realise that balanced content within the frame is very important!

[peter_n]

Originally Posted by kuzano

OK folks.... all this talk of Aspect Ratio, cropping, 25% this and 30% that. I can't take it. I just take the camera out...(Fuji GL690 normal 100m lens), plant a tripod under it. bubble level the top of the tripod rotating platform and the top of the camera and shoot...

The capacity of Pano Stitching software pretty much takes care of the rest.

We're all different, and stitching or even thinking about stitching is not helpful to me. I need to see the subject matter in a 3:1 panoramic viewfinder all in one go. Views like below are real helpful when it comes to composition.