Xpan 30mm or 6x17 ?

[PHOTO24]

Hi all,

I know it sounds like a stupid question. Someone offered me a used Technorama 6x17 with 90mm Angulon for 2.800,- Euro and someone else a xpan 30mm (new) for 2.500,- Euro. Both attracts me very much, 30mm is much easier to carry, the Technorama is simply amazing but bulky and heavy.
Both is lot of $$$ !

any ideas ?
cheers
Sven

[Pherdinand]

what do you plan to do with the 6x17 film?
Do you have the possibility to enlarge/scan/print/project it? It's a large beast, you know!

[Stephan]

If I were you I'd go with the 6x17, the results are just way beyond what you can get on 35mm film. Of courses there are drawbacks, so it may not fit your shooting style.

[Stephan]

Which version of the technorama is that by the way ? Sounds like a great price.

[sf]

617 for landscapes or to make enormous enlargements.

just the 30mm lens for 2500? seems like the technorama camera in total for only a small bit more would make more sense.

Really, the Technorama is HUGE. too big even to carry around in a camera bag. It's a camera for a backpack and a heavy tripod. Like a 4x5 camera. heavier than some, even.

[Terence T]

Personally I don't think the 30mm lens for the xpan is worth the money. I had one for a while before selling it off. The 45 and 90 lenses work just fine for the type of work I do. The perspective just isn't different enough to justify the enormous difference in price between the 30 and the 45.

That said, the xpan and any other 617 setup are obviously different in size and mobility. The each have their different uses and you'll need to ask yourself what it is that you need most. Do you think you'll do enlargements? Do you mainly do landscapes? Do you think you'll plop the camera on a tripod most of the time? Do you have easy access to buy and develop 120/220? If you answered yes to all that, then the 617 is the way to go. If not, go with the xpan.

[Finder]

If you print yourself, you need a 5x7 enlarger for the 6x17. And it is a BIG camera.

[PHOTO24]

thats feedback... :-)

I wont print by myself. have a 6x7 enlarger, but no color.
Scanning available. I would print on my EPSON 4800, means
half digital workflow after all.

cheers

[wdenies]

Highest quality: 6x17
Traveling: Xpan
The Xpan uses 35mm. You can still find this film "everywhere". 120 rolls could be a problem.
PS.
With the Xpan do not forget spare batteries.

Wim

[Terence T]

Night photography with the Xpan can be a problem too if you're intending to use it for that purpose. Bulb exposure is a max of 4+ mins only.

[Ben1]

Dont forget the NEED to have a hand held meter for 617... if u dont got one u'll have to buy one of them too..

Xpan has one inbuilt.. not very good, but good enuff if you know how to use it

[tron]

It's not a stupid question but an interesting one. I have experienced that myself.

I do not own a 30mm but I have tried it. it does covers a lot more when you take panoramic pictures. However, this width is only useful to me when I am away on trips in places like Tibet and Xinjiang, China. i have no use of it at all when I am in Hong Kong, where I call home.

To me, the time a 30mm is really useful is when I need to shoot 24x36 with the TX-2. As a 135 system, starting with a 45mm is really not good enough.

That said, I can never persuade myself to pay that kind of money for a 30mm lens. I can still have loads of bills and coins left in my pocket by buying another camera with a lens of that width. And it is not that much heavier.

Neither will I take that offer on the 617. With that kind of money, I can readily buy a Large Format camera and a lens of similar width with all the gadgets I need, hitting the road right away.

That's what I did. I bought a Toyo 45AII, a 90mm lens (equivalent to 28mm in 135 system) and other gadgets, all for less than US$2,000.

Mind you, a LF Field camera is not that heavy and it operates just the same way as the 617. You will still need a tripod, a meter and frame your image through the ground glass behind the hood. In my case, the Toyo's body is only 2.2 kilos and the lens is much lighter and easier to stowaway than the 617's.

Everything remains equals, you do not need me to tell you the difference in image quality, not to mention you will have a much wide choice of lenses and frame sizes.

So, my advice is, keep about from both offers and use your money more sensibly.

Just my two cents.

[Terence T]

A LF camera isn't a mobile solution. I'd think a Mamiya 7 with the 43mm lens and 135 panoramic adapter would be a more viable solution. Everything would work out to be under US$1800. 21mm FOV (135 equilvalent) on a 24x65 negative, works great.

[europanorama]

i would take a lightweight tripod-wooden berlebach with panoramic leveller- and shoot panoramics(stitching).

you could use this program for shift.
http://www.deraltenburger.de/Win-Tools/Index.html

i received impressive images from the developper. sorry its german only.

i would get horizon s3-pro for 120 degrees panoramic shots. 28mm lens.very large prints are possible. camera-production has started again and lens has finally been adjusted to a perfect position to get best DOF since is fix focus. i have 27 years adn more years of roto-panoramic experience. go to my forum. that camera is battery-independent and vey reliable. dont buy used and ask for a newest production model.
my rotopancam-forum is here
http://forums.delphiforums.com/pancams

i would take the mamiya 6 and horizon s3-pro with you. forget any other horizon. that modoel has all important exposure times.ok, price was raised but also production quality-after high-pressure i gave through my findings....
24x58mm is an impressive size. shooting 4x 90° even 360 shots are no problem.

http://people.freenet.de/europanimages/wabipanmopa.html all images made with older horizon 202. dont even think about getting /using this camera(too much potentional problems).

it was a bit narrow inside. i would have loved a 24 or 26mm-camera.widelux e.g.

think about using this fantastic anti-distortion-program/also shift

rectiliniar from www. altostorm
not cheap but very effective up to 140 degrees.
i will now test kodak v570 which has a dual-lens setup with 23mm. but i dont have great hopes since kodak did not think this trough. you cannot fix exposure times......