Problems with XPan are in most cases of the same kind. After some years of XPan and TX repair, I found the most problems concerning the distance-metering in need of adjustment. When the camera is shocked or fallen, the distance metering in the finder need adjustment. The Neck-trap connection is a week point, both neck-trap connections are fitted with two screws and secured with screwlocker, a kind of Loctite. They get loosen easy in time. Problem is, that you have to remove the complete finder unit to tighten them on the left side and after that the distance-metering need re-adjustment, on the right side you have to loosen a flatcable to reach the screws. I use not only screwlocker on the screw-head but bring on the some screwlocker before completely tightening the screws, this bring some screwlocker under the screwhead so it is some more secured, no problem if they have to be removed later for any purpose, I use a kind that can be weakened in solvent.
Another loosening item is the selector switch on top, it need to be screwlocked the same way, some locker under the screwhead. Look for a specialist to do this.
Other point of concern is light leakage on the right side at the hinge of the camera back. Only a small strip of foam protect against leakage and after some years the foam loose elasticity. You can repair the foam yourself, order some so called import soft foam 2mm (adhesive) from Curt Fargo,
www.micro-tools.com , remove the old foam by peeling off with your nails and cut a small new self sticking foam. Do not remove the foam around the door, only the vertical strip at the hinge.
Above is not ment as critic to the quality of XPan or TX, any camera is having its week points and repair people live from that. Comparing with other cameras you cannot say it is surprising, but if the camera was much longer in production, these problems could have been minimised.
My critic is to the missing knob to see the framing of what the 90mm should do, using the 45mm like with the M-Leicas and ofcourse the quality of the paint on the housing, everybody knows that. The spiritlevel should have been build in the finder or in any case in the body like with the Fuji GSWIII. My respect is to the AUTO function with diafragm pre-setting, thanks to that it is a very basic concept which can be used very quick and user-friendly. Great camera !!!
The XPan/Fujinon lenses are razor sharp, I have never seen sharper lenses on my Auto-Collimator (Lenstester). I wonder if there are other possibilities with these lenses as in 35mm movie, or any video format. the image circle of the panorama format of XPan is only 1mm smaller then with 4,5x6 pictures. A 4,5x6 camera could use them.
Wilco Jansen Hassyparts (see my prototype camera Fuji GSW with S-Angulon 47mm on
www.fotoapparatuur.nl search with search word
,, PROTOTYPE", on top of at the right side of the main page)
Linear Mode
