gear

THE DIGITAL SOAPBOX OF ANDY CLEAVENGER

XPAN II

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Email:  graycard18@gmail.com

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My wife and I bought one of these about 6 years ago just before a trip to visit my Aunt in California. My wife was still teaching at the time so she was eligible for Hasselblad’s educator discount. SCORE!!!

I’m sorry I don’t get to use this camera more. I really enjoy the panoramic frame, and this is the most easily handheld camera to offer that aspect ratio. It will also shoot standard 35mm as well. In fact you can switch back and forth between standard 35mm and panoramic as often as you want without wasting any film. The camera automatically adjusts for it.

Hasselblad makes three lenses for it: an overpriced 30mm, a 45mm, and a 90mm. We bought ours with the 45mm included, and it’s honestly hard to imagine needing anything wider. I have several times wished I owned the 90mm though.

Operationally, I have few complaints with the camera. All of the controls are well placed and easy to reach. Putting a new roll of film in it can be kind of tricky sometimes. We had the best luck when the tip of the film just barely touched the take-up spool. If you pull it too far over it has a hard time catching.

The only thing I don’t like about the camera is the method for focusing it, which really isn’t the camera’s fault. It focuses by overlapping two images of the subject in the viewfinder. You turn the focus ring until the two images are on top of each other and become one. As I understand it, this is pretty much how all rangefinders focus, so for that reason, I don’t hold it against the camera. I chalk this up as merely a preference on my part for SLR style focusing. I refuse to be the type of person who buys a sports car and then complains that it doesn’t fit my family of 5.

Because of the way it focuses, I find I can really only use it for stuff that is stationary. If stuff moves too quickly I just lose it with this camera. I could probably get better with a LOT of practice, but who has the time?

As it is, I still like the camera a lot and I’m glad we own it. If you’re looking for delicious, hand held, panoramic goodness this is a great option. Just make sure that if you take your film to a lab for processing you tell them NOT to cut the film. Just get it sleeved.