With the Ansco and ERA in: Shanghai

During my last trip I explored the very basics of panorama photography. Using the chinese bw film ERA in a Ansco plastic panorama camera with fix 1/125, f11 and fix focus. I used occasionally my lightmeter, I must admit that trains your light sensitivity ! The camera is handy, almost zero weight. I paid more for the development of this film than for the film and the camera together !

This is not about fancying cameras or trash photography. Its about seeing !
My 2 cents for today.

Shanghai 4x5 black and white film

During my second visit within 4 weeks to Shanghai, I decided to hunt for the bw film brand i only heard of before: "Shanghai". Same location, "Xing Guang Photographic Center". I found a shop only selling large format equipment - How do they survice ? - having stock of these brand. I bought 2 boxes, 80 RMB each (about 8 Euros), each box contains 48 sheets. Also get another four 4x5 film holder. Next weekend will do some test shots and enlighten you with the results.

Shen Hao GJ 4x5

The latest addition to my collection, a large format field camera (4x5 inch) from the chinese manufacturer Shen Hao (see link). I bought it used with a Nikon W 210mm/5,6. Seems this model is no longer available. My treasure shows some traces of use but after using some wood wax and brass polish, its a pleasure to use and look at.
Next satruday I will source for "Shanghai 4x5 film" in Shanghai. A local contact told me the price for one box with 50 sheets is 80 RMB. Lets see. As soon I am able to use it I will update you with some stunning large slides.

Panorama Camera Collection: Ansco Pix Panorama

Latest addition to my panorama camera collection. Maybe the cheapest, I bought for 1U$ and got it shipped for another 10U$ !The Ansco Panorama camera, a piece of plastic from the pre-Holga era, with fix focus, 1/125 and f11 exposure uses 135 film and mask to 13 x 36mm. This specific model was packaged by the Outdoor Company. Ansco does not exist any longer, the factory was torn down around 2001. This camera was made in China anyway, from some recherches in the web it seems Haking Ltd in Hong Kong bought once the name for the consumer market products.

Will dont spare you from experiencing some Ansco panoramics soon.

More info: The old company Ansco does not not exist anymore (see link Ansco Chronolgy by William L. Camp), also the name is no longer used for an actual product. The HP 122 (see link at Haking website) still looks a bit like the Pix Panorama !

You are looking for the manual ? Check this:

First steps with the Roundshot

The roundshot is a great tool. And its different ! Even I use a Noblex which also follows the rotating lens concept, I need to get used to the Roundshot. No automatic, of course. No viewfinder, only a bracket that helps you to roughly aim or rather estimate where the top and bottom border will be (you need to use a tripod for this feature). Anyway I shot 3 films as starter to learn the way of Roundshots. Most importnat things I learned: At least f-stop 11, you try to expose medium format film with a SLR Nikon lens, there is vignetting at the top and bottom. Expose more degrees than you need, the first and last few millimeters of the exposure are slightly blurred. Go for a dgree value of 180 degree or more, the effect in the picture smaller with smaller values is not as exciting as you get with 180 or 360 degree !

I keep on walking and keep you posted about new and more serious works.
I want to use the opportunity and thank Thierry, who helped me to get the Roundshot to Singapore.

With the Xpan in Delhi

I want to share some more of the street portraits I made in the temples and tombs of Delhi.
All shot using the Xpan with Agfa APX 100.

Mr. Lag He told me about the history and what he was doing in his professional life and afterwards he agreed to make a couple of portraits.

Testing Lucky Film SHD 100

I spare no expense to share my first hand experience with the Lucky black and white film. The film gives certain vintage look and easy to handle with exposure. It comes with grain and has for sure its own field of application. I need to highlight the sensibility for scratches, the lab which develop my films never fail so far and I have very good experiences with them, but the Lucky is pretty scratched. I assume its during being wet he get scratched easily.

The example image is made with the AGFA Billy Record I from 1953 on a recent trip to Delhi. The second images shows some sample scratches.

Shanghai Panorama with the Point-and-Shoot

You were wondering about the panorama in the previous entry? I brought the 1994 NIKON 310 AF Panorama (masking 24x36 frame to 9x36, aspect ratio 1:4 !) with some AGFA Portrait along. Dont expext too much, but it is a REAL panorama, no cropping in PS. And it will not replace my 617 ! But its easy to handle, full auto, no one realize the camera and just take you for a stupid tourist.

Hunting Lucky film in Shanghai

A short report about my attempt to hunt for the chinese film brand LUCKY whilst staying in Shanghai last weekend.

I heard about about a photo shopping center called XING GUANG Photographic Equipment Center in Shanghai (corner Lu Ban Road and Xie Tu Road).

You show any cab driver the above signs and he will drop you at the right corner. You cant miss it, its at a big junction with a big city highway above it. A shopping center with 6 floors full of shops where you get anything from the latest digital stuff to old fashion Seagull cameras, tripods and bags in all shapes and sizes and even film. Dont miss the Shen Hao Shop (wonderful wooden large format cameras) and the second hand shops where you get all kind of Leica and Hasselblad equipment at a reasonable price (sorry, I am not expert for these brands, so go there make your own opinion).
I also dig out some ERA black and white film. I will update you with the latest results of these films soon.
Thanks to Vargas, my Chinese friend to company me there to do the talking, most of the shop owners or staff hardly speak english.

Xpan goes Australia

Some of the shots done with the Hasselblad Xpan and the Agfa 100 APX (both discontinued, what a pity). Most of the shots around Flinders Ranges.

Noblex goes Australia

This log entry is dedicated to the Noblex 135 panoramas. Always reliable camera, just so sensitive for proper horizon.

Adelaide, old harbourAdelaide, old harbourKanyakaKanyaka" Rust" near HawkerWilmington Museum

Panoramic Australia

A short roadtrip from Adelaide (South Australia) to Hawker, Flinders Ranges. I will delight you with a report about this panoramic trip in late January 2007.
Australia is famous for its landscapes and its a perfect environment for panorama photography. I brought the Fotoman 617, the Xpan, the Noblex and the 1Ds along, quite a lot of equipment in my bagpack ! One the arrival that made us spend some extra time at customs to chat with the officer what all that is for and were we go. One the way back the checkin agent decided to weight my bagpack that goes into the plane with me. A shocking 15kg started a discussion about the maximum weight and number of hand luggage. This is an experience I definitely want to share with you. Anyone who brings along professional equipment easily brings 10 to 20kg to the counter - after checking in tripods and any other non-sensitive equipment. I have really no idea what to do about the weight. Normally in most other countries I travel, they dont bother (yet) to check hand luggage weight (at least big carriers). Conclusion: You cant check it in - its either stolen or broken, you cant bring it on board - only if you travel with your spouse with less hand luggage. I will put my equipment on the scale and will weight each piece and next time - at least for Australia - go on an equipment diet.
Putting that aside, Australia is wonderful and the tiny piece of South Australia we explored, gave me 100's of great panorama opportunities in return. During the trip (less than 1 week), covering 1000km, I could make 12 rolls of 617, 3 rolls Xpan and 3 rolls Noblex negatives. I will select some panoramas for you and look forward to get there again.

Roundshot 28-220

Finally ! The Roundshot 28-220 arrived from Switzerland. Its not the Seitz 617 digital - who can afford it anyway ? The medium format (120) film based camera is build like a tank and creates panoramas by rotating the whole camera above the grip. Will update you with images soon.

More infos about the camera at www.roundshot.ch.

New and new old places

Did you realize that you slowly turn blind for your environment after staying for long time at the same place ? I arrived in Singapore 5 years ago and it was full of impressions and photographic scenes seemed to show at every corner. By now I really need to focus on it or, at least walk around with a certain dedication. The interesting part: Being home only few occasions a year I start to discover new (old) things and places at home which I did not notice for years when staying there. Maybe to realize this effect helps to take care of it and opens one"s eyes.

Sign: Bad Duerkheim (between Niederkirchen and Roedersheim)
Xpan, 45mm, APX 100

Birch trees - Xpan, 45mm, APX 100

Vintage Lomography

Using consumer medium format cameras from the 50's and 60's which offer the same luxurious amount of control like the modern Holga but using real glas as lens I create images with a similar look and feel. Why spent 50U$ on a hipp plastic lens when a Agfa Isoly can do the same (and I bought it for 5$) ?
I share this sequence of images with you covering vintage looks in the modern city of Singapore.
(Agfa Isoly and Kodak VC 160)

Art or Trash ?

Coming back to my favorite controversial thoughts. Who or what defines photographic art ?
The artist, a certain style, a gallery, a critic or the artist's name, known in the scene ? Is "Fine Art" art with the perfect zone system and f64 or the blurry plastic Holga camera pics ?

I define the following panorama image as art !
It is representing my impression of moving around in an environment without meaningful subjects.

With the Billy Record in: South Africa

With a slight delay due to my huge backlog in scanning slides 2 more slides made with the Billy Record I from 1952. It is still amazing what a 50 year old camera without batteries and USB adapter can do !

The capeCape Point lighthouse

South Africa is a great place to visit. From sea to desert, from suburban rich estates to townships like 20 years ago. Safe to visit, but you should be more conscious about showing expensive equipment at the wrong place and time (this applies mainly to the city of Cape Town and Johannesburg).

Swinglens

I just realized the blog is called XPan and Noblex, but I didnt publish any Noblex images yet. To compensate this 2 images from Bali Beach, early morning at sunrise. The camera is a great piece of equipment, both in 135 as well medium format. It creates unique panoramas, but a bit sensitive to non-even level during shooting due to its rotating lens.
Noblex 135 with Provia 100

Color and BW

Welcome 2007 ! A new exciting photographic years started.

Closed the old year with an inventory exercise, check negatives, scan what was not scanned yet. Make my thoughts about the material.
I want to share this 2 shots from the same place in Switzerland, the Schoellenen Gorge, one in color, which appears a bit mystic, one in black and white, a more classic view.