Hasselbald X-pan

Lensflare

Lensflare

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Simon Everett
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Anyone use one of these? I have one but haven't used it for a couple of years now. It is tucked away carefully, with its 45mm and spare 90mm lens and filters with a stock of lithium batteries in case I get the urge to take some more panoramics - when work allows! It also takes great standard 35mm pictures with its slightly wider "50mm" standard lens and the portrait length 90mm - absolutely stunning images but none of my clients want film to fiddle with anymore and I don't get time to do any personal work at the moment.

One of these days I'll stick a roll through it, for old time sake. I have been keeping the shutter worked occassionally while it is stored. It is perfect and I really used to get a buzz out of the reaction picture editors gave when I presented them with some panoramics from a shoot - they simply went into raptures, the pictures on Velvia were as sharp as a tack and rich and just gave an emotional uplift when they went onto the lightbox.

Changed times now with the souless, digital age. It is like music, there is none of that fun music making now - remember the Barron Knights, Scaffold, Captain Beaky from Keith Michelle....fun songs that made light of life. Now it is all too serious in the never ending chase of the £ or $....as a species we seem to be losing sight of life. Some of us are rebelling against the march, but too few unfortunately.

Blimey, I sound like a Grumpy Old Man.:gag:
 
I love it when film threads turn philosophical :D

As for the X-pan - no, haven't used one, but one of these days I'm going to pick up either one of these or a Fuji 6x17. Stitching film scans in photoshop just isn't the same...
 
One of my mates, Colin Prior, used to use a 6x17 Fuji, the one with interchangable lenses with a protection frame on the end of each lens. He does landscape panoramics from all over the world - his Scottish landscapes sell well all over Scotland, he has an outlet beside the exhibition Armadillo building in Glasgow. He does books of these panoramics too.

The funny thing is, he has given up the 6x17 and gone over to stictching digital panoramics........the grass is always greener.:lol:

I used to use the panoramic for countryside stories and even for my marine feature work. Somewhere there are some pictures I took with it of decoying geese, with the decoys in the foreground, geese coming in to land and the gun in the hide just standing up to shoot. The sky was totally blue, light in the right direction - everything just came together. The Shooting Gazette had them...they don't have them anymore. Lost oin the office move when the magazine was sold to IPC.:shrug: I can still see them though. There will be a few other outakes somewhere. Scanning them is the thing, or rather getting them scanned - not my thing. I wouldn't know where to start.
 
Yep I have and X-Pan and used it on holiday this year. I really should use it more but have some much gear at the moment it has to wait its turn :lol: Problem is the scanner I have can only do 35mm film so scan one side turn it around and scan the other half then stick them together in PS.

But they are fantastic pieces of kit
 
I went to YSP a couple of years ago specifically to see an exhibition of Fuji 6x17 prints, I forget the photographer...:thinking:

They were awsome...."no photographing the exhibits pls"...:p

2eycmcm.jpg
 
I still affectionately remember the Barron Kights especially Angelo and am now singing it to myself :lol: You may want to hunt out The Lancashire Hotpots they do tend to take the **** out of southerners of which I am one, but they are quite funny the track "Chippy Tea" being one of my favourites. :) Hotpots Hope you like it.
 
If you need someone to give it some "exercise" I'll happily volunteer!

One of the commercial directors at work was grumbling about the lack of quality in the digital images they now get to work with. I can see he'd love these! :)
 
Eventually a 617 is on my list of things to get. I managed to play with a horseman 617 when I went on a lee frost workshop and fell in love, they are amazing. The xpan is a nice bit of kit too, but I think I would want to do it big rather than on135 film, although the pics I have seen from them do look great.
 
The funny thing is, he has given up the 6x17 and gone over to stictching digital panoramics
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I was genuinely shocked when that happened. Going from the jaw dropping trannies the fuji produces to a digital file, where you can't even compose the shot before (yes I was going to type prior) shooting.

Still, I know he does climb and hike a long way for his images and it's a VERY heavy kit to lug around.
 
Feels wrong that a camera like that isn't being used enough, i'm behind Ali B in the queue
 
I agree, i think the ony fair thing to do is set up a travelling Xpan thread :D

I really do have to resist this one, much as i hate to
 
Where are you AliB? Thaere is a chance I would let you - shame to let it linger.
 
I'm just outside Stockport which is hardly very photogenic for that kind of camera! I would love to be able to go and play in North Wales, the Yorkshire dales and my very own paradise..........The Scottish Highlands Oh yes!
 
dizidav said:
This is one clever bloke...
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The clever bit is the CNC router I have at work. This is how it does finger joints in oak: http://stevesmithphoto.webs.com/corner.jpg

This is the lens on its helical mount on a removeable board: http://stevesmithphoto.webs.com/lensboard.jpg

And here it is in place on the body: http://stevesmithphoto.webs.com/front.jpg

Finally, here is the pressure plate which holds the film against the film rails: http://stevesmithphoto.webs.com/pressure.jpg

Excuse the crappy pictures. When I have some more time, I will do a better report on the whole construction and post it.

The body just needs a bit more sanding and a lacquer finish and I need to make a back which is similar to the body but a lot less deep. The pressure plate will fit to this.

There are a few parts taken from a broken Mamiya C33 TLR on this camera such as the roller guides for the film, the spring mechanism for the pressure plate and the tripod mount thread. The film wind mechanism was taken from some other poor quality consumer camera. I can't remember which one now but it's not getting it back!

The lens board fits to the recess in the body with a couple of threaded knobs. I want to make it removeable so I can use it on a different body which I want to make next - one which takes 5" x 4" film holders!


Steve.
 
Steve, your handiwork is pretty impressive. Your choice of materials isn't quite what is expected, but the "plastics" are probably more stable than timber, even mahogany. Like everyone else, I would love to see it when it is finished - and some pictures taken on it.

AliB - I have just come home from going virtually past you.:bang: I had a bike to photograph up near Rotherham and rode up the A56 - I am in Uttoxeter, so only 40 miles south of you via Buxton.

When you going to Scotland? I would be happy to let you borrow it, on the understanding that if you broke it in any way, Luigi and his sidekick would be very clumsy, know what I meana.....:razz:

Get in touch and we'll work something out - it is only sitting here in its box.
 
Lensflare said:
Steve, your handiwork is pretty impressive. Your choice of materials isn't quite what is expected, but the "plastics" are probably more stable than timber, even mahogany. Like everyone else, I would love to see it when it is finished - and some pictures taken on it.
Click to expand...

The grey plastic is a 9mm thick PVC. We have it at work in 6mm and 4.5mm thicknesses as well. I'm supposed to use it to make assembly and test jigs and I thought it would be good for this camera too. The CNC is of the type used to drill and rout printed circuit boards and cannot cut metal like larger CNC machines do so that limits the choice of material.

I used four pieces of 9mm PVC stacked up to make a modular film roll holder which incorporates the film gate. The film is loaded with this part out of the camera and is then dropped into the body. When the back is fitted, the pressure plate applies pressure to the film holding it flat against the film rails and also holds the whole film holder assembly into the body (I hope!).

I just need to make the back now which is basically just a much narrower version of the front. I have not worked out how to hold them together yet. I have been looking at woodworking websites for brass cabinet catches but haven't seen anything I like the look of yet.

I can't wait to use it. I keep seeing scenes which I think would be good subject matter for it.

Anyway, I apologise for hijacking your thread - lets get back to talking about the X-Pan!


Steve.
 
Steve,
you're Ok, we're only talking [PLEASE DON'T TRY TO BYPASS THE SWEAR FILTER] anyway!

Could you use hidden pins to hold it together? Rather than catches, which do exactly what they are called, and catch on everything. Or a wrap around strap closure?
 
Lensflare said:
you're Ok, we're only talking [PLEASE DON'T TRY TO BYPASS THE SWEAR FILTER] anyway!
Click to expand...

That's o.k. then. That's my speciality!

I have a few ideas but I want to try them out on some scrap material first. I expect it will have a couple of rubber bands wrapped round it for its first outing to check it's lightproof.

I have some quite nice shiny black knurled knobs with a threaded brass insert which will be used to fix the lens board to the body. I could use a couple of these on the back too as long as they don't overlap the sides and look too ridiculous.


Steve.
 
A pal of mine had an X-Pan when I first met him and he did some astounding city-scape work with it. He eventually sold it to raise much needed cash and he now shoots Canon digital. Even though the Hass fetched great money, he still hankers after it.
 
I won't be sellingit - but if AliB wants to borrow it, maybe for a donation to the gin foundation, or the whisky terminal, then I am happy for it to be used. Got the 45 and 90 lenses for it too.

The great thing about the X-pan is that it can shoot both panoramics and normal 35mm frames on the same roll with no wastage. Very useful. The 45 is a great focal length for everyday standard stuff and the 90 is ideal for portraits - they are stunningly sharp lenses because in effect they are 6x7 image circle, so medium format lenses - the camera has just blanked out the sides and is just using a slice of the 6x7 film, so instead of wasting the film area, just use a film that fits the slice.

The 617 is the same but with a 10x8 image circle sliced through and using roll film.
 
Amazing work, Steve! I can't wait to see the final result!
 
Lensflare said:
Anyone use one of these? I have one but haven't used it for a couple of years now. It is tucked away carefully, with its 45mm and spare 90mm lens and filters with a stock of lithium batteries in case I get the urge to take some more panoramics - when work allows! It also takes great standard 35mm pictures with its slightly wider "50mm" standard lens and the portrait length 90mm - absolutely stunning images but none of my clients want film to fiddle with anymore and I don't get time to do any personal work at the moment.

One of these days I'll stick a roll through it, for old time sake. I have been keeping the shutter worked occassionally while it is stored. It is perfect and I really used to get a buzz out of the reaction picture editors gave when I presented them with some panoramics from a shoot - they simply went into raptures, the pictures on Velvia were as sharp as a tack and rich and just gave an emotional uplift when they went onto the lightbox.

Changed times now with the souless, digital age. It is like music, there is none of that fun music making now - remember the Barron Knights, Scaffold, Captain Beaky from Keith Michelle....fun songs that made light of life. Now it is all too serious in the never ending chase of the £ or $....as a species we seem to be losing sight of life. Some of us are rebelling against the march, but too few unfortunately.

Blimey, I sound like a Grumpy Old Man.:gag:
Click to expand...

I'm absolutely with you on your reminiscences, until you got to Captain Beaky, that is...... My XPan is gathering dust as well. Can't bear to sell it in case I want/need to use it again. But will I ever? I really don't know.

What I loved about the 45mm lens was that it had exactly the same FoV as a 28mm on normal 35mm, but you could just crop out any boring foreground in camera.
 
jerry12953 said:
My XPan is gathering dust as well. Can't bear to sell it in case I want/need to use it again. But will I ever? I really don't know.
Click to expand...

I could store it for you for free. I would even include a free maintenance contract which regularly excercised the shutter to ensure it stayed in working condition!

Lensflare said:
I have one but haven't used it for a couple of years now. It is tucked away carefully, with its 45mm and spare 90mm lens and filters with a stock of lithium batteries
Click to expand...

My generous offer is open to you too!


Steve.
 
Lensflare said:
Changed times now with the souless, digital age. It is like music, there is none of that fun music making now - remember the Barron Knights, Scaffold, Captain Beaky from Keith Michelle....fun songs that made light of life. Now it is all too serious in the never ending chase of the £ or $.....
Click to expand...

rubbish. they are still out there, you just have to put some effort into finding them.
 
Lensflare said:
I won't be sellingit - but if AliB wants to borrow it, maybe for a donation to the gin foundation, or the whisky terminal, then I am happy for it to be used. Got the 45 and 90 lenses for it too.
Click to expand...
lol more than happy to donate to gin foundation or whisky terminal :)

I have some ideas of buildings I'd like to shoot in the absence of any stunning Highlands Vistas at the moment :)

Very generous offer :)

If you'd care to PM me we can arrange how to pick up and return. And if you fancy trying a Hassy 500 you can borrow mine in return :)
 
AliB - I am off to Penkridge tomorrow, fishing, but I should be able to take a run up your way at the weekend, part way anyhow. Maybe Buxton or somewhere close to that. Would that be any good to you? It is going to be filthy weather, but it would get the bike some use. I could even find an old bag to put it in for you.
 
I dunno where you're going, where you've been or where anybody lives, but..
I used to have to visit a pub to do some repairs fairly regularly, its bladdy miles away in Whaley Bridge, but the trip out there is spectacular, out through Penistone and up over the peaks is complete smack in the mouth gorgeous.
Buxton if not on route is pretty close I'm sure.
There is no way I could do that journey without flashing a couple of rolls of Velvia through an X-pan.....no way on Earth..
 
Got your number and will give you a call in the morning if that's OK? Been absoutely hammered at work and new kitten arrived home too.........aargh can you shoot a kitten with an X-Pan? :)
 
Great to meet you Simon and many thanks for the loan. Having a little play today and I'll get some film in it tomorrow. In these conditions it's going to be black and white!
 
Good to see you too. Thanks for the info on the pike fishing and the bottles.!

Have fun and find some dark, satanic mills to photograph in that monochrome then!
 
Not wrong Steve! Popped some X-Pan in it today, put it and both lenses in the crumpler and off I went to Lyme Park with the dogs. Lighting was as flat as a ruddy pancake, not a single shot.

I'm going to have to look at dark satanic mills all right. I know three or four around here. Day off on Wednesday so guess what I'll be doing? :)
 
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