Panorama Camera Collection: Noblex 135N

This was actually my first film panorama camera I bought somewhere in 2001. Produced by Kamerawerk Dresden since early 1990's the camera follows the same principle as Widelux and Horizont cameras with a rotating lens (swinglens). It exposes on 35mm film 19 24x66 mm images with roughly 135 degree of view with a fix focus 29mm f/4.5 lens.

The N/S/U version differ by shutter speed range (actually no shutter involved!) and shift control. The N offers shutterspeed from 1/60 to 1/500 and no shift, U and S have shift, U extends to 1sec and S (sport) to 1/30.

• KWDO Website
• http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kamera_Werk_Dresden
• Manuals http://www.kwdo.de/deutsch/noblex/download.htm
• Review from March 1999 http://www.shutterbug.com/content/noblex-prosport
• Flickr Group: https://www.flickr.com/groups/noblex/

Panorama Camera Collection: Seitz Roundshot 28 220

One of the jewels of my panorama camera collection, the Seitz Roundshot 28 220 which was introduced somewhere in 2002 and I bought a used set early 2007.
The set comes with body, lens, view finder and battery charger in a pelican case. My serial number is 009. Wonder how many they produced.
Did not use it for quite a while, I still run it once in a while to keep the mechanics smooth.

Interesting facts about the camera:

• It exposes 120 film but uses a 35mm format lens, the Nikon 28mm/3.5 PC (Perspective Control, aka wider image circle) lens.
• It has a standard Nikon mount, though it wont render any useful images with another Nikon lens. Never tried that.

Images

You can notice a significant fall-off at the top and the bottom, sometimes my camera also produce the strange exposure problem on the left side.

More infos:

• http://www.shutterbug.com/content/roundshot-28-220bra-rotating-panoramic-camera
• http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/roundshot-28-220.shtml
• http://www.marcomguy.com/pdf/Panorama-Fall2003_.pdf
• Manual: http://www.roundshot.com/documents/Roundshot_28-220_Instruction_Manual.pdf

Camera Collection: Bilora Stahlbox

Produced between 1948 and 1952 by Bilora, a company still in existence, but they stopped producing cameras in 1979. This camera, like all boxes, cant be more simple. Put in a 120 film, click the button to get a fix focus - fix aperture - fix speed - picture. The total reverse of any hightech loaded DSLR. The box would work at any condition I guess, provided the light conditions fit the settings.

This would I got for 3 Euro ! and it is in quite mint conditions plus a slightly stinky case.
(The shipping cost me twice as much.)

Bilora Box

Some info about the camera and Bilora:

• http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Bilora_Box
• http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilora
• Flickr Group: https://www.flickr.com/groups/boxcamerabeauties/

Camera Collection: lhagee Exa 1a

Like the EXA 500 this camera was produced by lhagee (later VEB Pentacon) in Dresden between 1964 and 1977. 

More infos:

• http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Exa_1a
• Manual: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/exa/exa_1a/exa_ia.htm
• Flickr Group: https://www.flickr.com/groups/exa/

KMZ Horizont Manual

Share this with you, in case you come across a Horizont camera without a manual.