Author Topic: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????  (Read 4723 times)

gothamtomato

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Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« on: February 05, 2017, 02:56:39 PM »
OK, so a coworker has a Hasselblad Xpan (with the 45mm lens) that he's thinking of selling and I'm very, VERY tempted to buy it. Of course, the practical side of my brain is telling me I shouldn't; that I have 'enough' cameras, that I should save the $$$$ for retirement, or for my next trip to London.

But the not-so-practical side of my brain just says, ME WANT ONE; that I should buy the camera and take it on my next trip to London (if they're still accepting American tourists).

So...should I take the leap? As for the camera, any warnings? Anything to look for or look out for when buying one used?

Pete_R

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2017, 03:38:27 PM »
I should buy the camera and take it on my next trip to London (if they're still accepting American tourists).

Yes, US tourists still accepted. Well, all accept one - we don't want 'him' to comb over here.  :o
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gothamtomato

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2017, 04:03:04 PM »
I should buy the camera and take it on my next trip to London (if they're still accepting American tourists).

Yes, US tourists still accepted. Well, all accept one - we don't want 'him' to comb over here.  :o


We were hoping to send him there then change the locks before he could return.

chris667

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2017, 06:58:30 PM »
Of course, with the US situation being what it is, Swedish cameras may not be allowed back in on your return.

I suggest you buy it, and if you have to leave it here I will take care of it for you.

Seriously, do buy it if it will bring you pleasure and not leave you in debt. Life is short, and it's only money.

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2017, 09:03:24 AM »
Deborah,

I had one for a while and they are superb.  The "killer" for me was lack of a fast aperture.  The other thing I didn't like was not having shutter speed shown in the viewfinder, so I was having to take my eye away to check the LCD screen on the back of the camera so that I wasn't going to get blur because the shutter was down at 1/15th, etc. 

The lenses are stellar in terms of sharpness, contrast, etc - but they are slow.  Some say that you don't need the centre spot filter on the 45mm lens but I definitely got some vignetting, so I tended to leave the filter attached - which robs you of a further stop of light. 

All of that said, I'd definitely recommend owning one as they produce stunning negs.  I had all 3 lenses with mine.  I found the 90mm was used least.  The 30mm was awesome - but you need a separate viewfinder because it is sooooo wide - and it's also the slowest at f5.6.  However, it's also the one you'd most likely use with a tripod as it's not really a "street" lens - it's very much a landscaper's lens.

Paul Mitchell used to have one and he said he always regretted not keeping it.  I miss mine from time to time but only for views.  It just depends on whether your idea of a walkabout camera is one that offers a panoramic format.  I suppose the good news is that you can switch to 36x24 if you want to use it as a traditional 35mm camera - but why would you?


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gsgary

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2017, 04:59:43 PM »
OK, so a coworker has a Hasselblad Xpan (with the 45mm lens) that he's thinking of selling and I'm very, VERY tempted to buy it. Of course, the practical side of my brain is telling me I shouldn't; that I have 'enough' cameras, that I should save the $$$$ for retirement, or for my next trip to London.

But the not-so-practical side of my brain just says, ME WANT ONE; that I should buy the camera and take it on my next trip to London (if they're still accepting American tourists).

So...should I take the leap? As for the camera, any warnings? Anything to look for or look out for when buying one used?
Get the camera (I'm trying to get a lady at our camera club to sell me her Xpan) and forget about London it's a shit hole there are much nicer places to visit in the UK

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Adam Doe

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2017, 07:28:25 PM »
...Of course, the practical side of my brain is telling me I shouldn't; that I have 'enough' cameras, ...

If by enough you mean any of the following:

  • Enough to shoot all available and many no longer available film formats
  • Enough to retire on should I decide to sell them
  • Too many to lift at once
  • More than any sane person would own

Then you should know that none of these is a legitimate excuse for a Filmwaster to not add another camera to their arsenal (note I did not use the word collection).

astrobeck

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2017, 09:39:45 PM »
I say buy it.
The reason is simple, you want it.

Now I should tell you a story about a Mamiya 6 that I had once upon a time.
I had lusted for a Mamiya 6 for several years.  Bad lust, so bad I was patrolling ebay and KEH all the time looking for one.
Then Leon Taylor listed his for sale, and I bought it. 
I was in heaven. The camera was a dream and a beautiful machine....for about 3 rolls.
In use and in the hand, it was not exactly my style of shooting.  It was too sharp!  Yes, too sharp!!!

so I sold it!  But I have no regrets in buying it or selling it.  Had I not had it I would have always wondered how it was to own one and use one.  After I had it for a few months, it became apparent it was not the ideal camera for me and my style of shooting. 

So buy the camera and use it.
You can always sell it later, but at least you will know for sure what it is like to have one.
I know it's a tough decision, but you can't just wonder about it all your life.  Take the plunge!
Becky

Francois

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2017, 10:24:41 PM »
Just to help, I remember when it came out, Hasselblad had a contest between their pro members.
The guy who won it was usually shooting in the studio with a 500 or something in the same family. They interviewed him after he had finished his first roll and he said he didn't remember having so much fun in years... so that goes to show...
Francois

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Ed Wenn

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #9 on: February 07, 2017, 12:00:23 AM »
If only to make me jealous, I say you should get it.
 ;D

Ed Wenn

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #10 on: February 07, 2017, 12:01:48 AM »
....and forget about London it's a shit hole there are much nicer places to visit in the UK

Er, charming. Some of us actually choose to live here. There are probably nicer ways of getting your point across.

Aksel

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #11 on: February 07, 2017, 08:04:07 AM »
Wanted one, had one, sold one - my idea was that this should replace my Leica and give me double standards  ;)
It did, it´s superb when you come to accept slow lenses and the fact that you can´t really rely on the A-priority in low light conditions.
The way you think wide when shooting it is cool but if you are shooting 120 format as well, I ended up thinking, why not go with something that can give me both wide and tall, crop when needed and live happily ever after? I ended up with the SWC, then moved over to Mamiya 7ii for the convenience of swapping lenses. With the 50mm, it costs about the same as the Xpan, size wise it´s not really a big difference in size and weight (non of them fit in you pocket) but the 6x6 / 6x7 combo gives you more to work with!? Just a thought  :)
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gothamtomato

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #12 on: February 07, 2017, 11:01:18 AM »
Wanted one, had one, sold one - my idea was that this should replace my Leica and give me double standards  ;)
It did, it´s superb when you come to accept slow lenses and the fact that you can´t really rely on the A-priority in low light conditions.
The way you think wide when shooting it is cool but if you are shooting 120 format as well, I ended up thinking, why not go with something that can give me both wide and tall, crop when needed and live happily ever after? I ended up with the SWC, then moved over to Mamiya 7ii for the convenience of swapping lenses. With the 50mm, it costs about the same as the Xpan, size wise it´s not really a big difference in size and weight (non of them fit in you pocket) but the 6x6 / 6x7 combo gives you more to work with!? Just a thought  :)


Hmmm...this is something to think about as well. You're all giving me a lot to think about, and I like the way you're all encouraging me to spend money :)
« Last Edit: February 07, 2017, 11:03:38 AM by gothamtomato »

gothamtomato

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #13 on: February 07, 2017, 11:02:30 AM »
....and forget about London it's a shit hole there are much nicer places to visit in the UK

Er, charming. Some of us actually choose to live here. There are probably nicer ways of getting your point across.



I LOVE London! I know there are other fabulous places to visit in the UK and I would if I could drive on the opposite side of the road. But London is gorgeous!

gsgary

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #14 on: February 07, 2017, 11:03:50 AM »
....and forget about London it's a shit hole there are much nicer places to visit in the UK

Er, charming. Some of us actually choose to live here. There are probably nicer ways of getting your point across.



I LOVE London! I know there are other fabulous places to visit in the UK and I would if I could drive on the opposite side of the road. But London is gorgeous!
Sorry not to me, it's great for museums and art galleries

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« Last Edit: February 07, 2017, 05:15:00 PM by gsgary »

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #15 on: February 07, 2017, 11:58:46 AM »

I LOVE London! I know there are other fabulous places to visit in the UK and I would if I could drive on the opposite side of the road. But London is gorgeous!

Debbie, if I can drive from 2,800 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica - never having been to the USA or driven outside of the UK - you can work out how to drive on our little island  ;)

Trains are another option - or fly to another UK city such as Manchester and get the National Express bus (our feeble attempt at a "Greyhound" type service.)

London's where I work (but I wouldn't choose to live here as I prefer hills and countryside) - but it's a great place for shows, galleries, etc.  However, the UK is very London-centric when it comes to tourists.  Oddly, our airports are called "London" Stansted, "London" Heathrow, "London" Gatwick and "London" Luton - despite these places being a minimum of 30+ miles away from London.  The only airport that is actually in London is London City airport - used mostly for UK internal and short-hop European destinations.

If you ever decide to explore a bit wider, please get in touch as I've lived all over the place and I'm more than happy to hep as best I can.

"An ounce of perception. A pound of obscure".

gothamtomato

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #16 on: February 07, 2017, 02:11:13 PM »
Yes, I know the airports are pretty far out of town, but I will never forget how excited I was the first time I visited a few years ago, taking the tube from Heathrow to Russell Square, London, and along the way getting my first glimpse of those distinctive British terrace houses!

The opposite side driving is problematic for me because I'm slightly dyslexic. I even have some problems with walking because the traffic is all coming from the opposite direction. I assume that's why so many EastEnders characters have gotten hit by cars :) I've been driven around (twice) by friends while there and it feels like you're being driven into oncoming traffic. I just don't think I could drive. I would love to see the British countryside, and I did take a couple of side trips out by train, but once out there I was limited in where I could get to. What I saw I loved though.

I'll be getting a hands on look at the Xpan this morning, but after what Aksel said I'm wondering if I should get a Mamiya Vii instead.

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #17 on: February 07, 2017, 03:17:34 PM »
I'll be getting a hands on look at the Xpan this morning, but after what Aksel said I'm wondering if I should get a Mamiya Vii instead.

If you can get it for a few days and run a couple of rolls of film through it, that would be the best way. If so, use it a dawn / dusk and see how you get on in low(er) light.  The Mamiya 7 (I had one of those as well) is a superb camera and has equally fantastic (but slow) lenses.  It's 120 rather than 35mm - so it will usually produce better negs but, again, it's very much personal taste and tolerance whether it's a good walkabout camera.  You can also get a 35mm attachment / conversion kit and shoot pano with it.  Both of them are also rangefinders, of course.

Another option is to look at the Flickr XPan group and see if there's any shots in there that inspire you. You might even find mine if you look hard enough (I don't think I deleted them when I left)  :o


"An ounce of perception. A pound of obscure".

gothamtomato

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #18 on: February 07, 2017, 03:18:43 PM »
OMG, it's sitting on my desk right now! The call is coming from inside the house!
Decisions...
« Last Edit: February 07, 2017, 03:49:14 PM by gothamtomato »

astrobeck

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #19 on: February 07, 2017, 04:50:28 PM »
a little voice says...."buy it"

gsgary

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #20 on: February 07, 2017, 05:31:13 PM »
Wanted one, had one, sold one - my idea was that this should replace my Leica and give me double standards  ;)
It did, it´s superb when you come to accept slow lenses and the fact that you can´t really rely on the A-priority in low light conditions.
The way you think wide when shooting it is cool but if you are shooting 120 format as well, I ended up thinking, why not go with something that can give me both wide and tall, crop when needed and live happily ever after? I ended up with the SWC, then moved over to Mamiya 7ii for the convenience of swapping lenses. With the 50mm, it costs about the same as the Xpan, size wise it´s not really a big difference in size and weight (non of them fit in you pocket) but the 6x6 / 6x7 combo gives you more to work with!? Just a thought  :)

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Iaeaix

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #21 on: February 07, 2017, 07:53:32 PM »
XPAN is such a special camera without anything similar. Go for it for sure!
If I have not had too many gears to use, I would go get one too.


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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #22 on: February 07, 2017, 08:05:11 PM »
Debbie,

A few shots from a Filmwaster trip to London's Olympic Village a few years ago - when I had my XPan.  One or two were hand-held but most I took that day were from a tripod.  Mix of 30mm and 45mm .  the cyclist was using the 90mm.  Apologies for the poor quality of processing:

« Last Edit: February 07, 2017, 08:06:46 PM by Late Developer »
"An ounce of perception. A pound of obscure".

chris667

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #23 on: February 07, 2017, 08:37:48 PM »
Manchester and get the National Express bus (our feeble attempt at a "Greyhound" type service.)

I don't know if you've tried it recently, but the National Express has changed out of all recognition in the last ten years or so.

I regularly commute from Derbyshire to Reading. I dislike driving, so used to get the train, but after the fifth time I had to stand for four and a half hours decided to give it a whirl and was really impressed. You always get a seat, and the people are friendlier. Not to mention 1/3 of the price.

There is about an hour's wait at Victoria Coach Station, but I just go and read newspapers in the library.

So give it a go! Some of the routes are beautiful in their own right too.

gsgary

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #24 on: February 07, 2017, 09:05:48 PM »
Manchester and get the National Express bus (our feeble attempt at a "Greyhound" type service.)

I don't know if you've tried it recently, but the National Express has changed out of all recognition in the last ten years or so.

I regularly commute from Derbyshire to Reading. I dislike driving, so used to get the train, but after the fifth time I had to stand for four and a half hours decided to give it a whirl and was really impressed. You always get a seat, and the people are friendlier. Not to mention 1/3 of the price.

There is about an hour's wait at Victoria Coach Station, but I just go and read newspapers in the library.

So give it a go! Some of the routes are beautiful in their own right too.
We will have to get some filmwasters up in the Peak District

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #25 on: February 07, 2017, 11:42:07 PM »
Manchester and get the National Express bus (our feeble attempt at a "Greyhound" type service.)

I don't know if you've tried it recently, but the National Express has changed out of all recognition in the last ten years or so.

I regularly commute from Derbyshire to Reading. I dislike driving, so used to get the train, but after the fifth time I had to stand for four and a half hours decided to give it a whirl and was really impressed. You always get a seat, and the people are friendlier. Not to mention 1/3 of the price.

There is about an hour's wait at Victoria Coach Station, but I just go and read newspapers in the library.

So give it a go! Some of the routes are beautiful in their own right too.

I haven't been on one in the past couple of years but the last time was not the best.  Happy to hear they've improved and will give them a go.
"An ounce of perception. A pound of obscure".

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #26 on: February 07, 2017, 11:43:08 PM »
Manchester and get the National Express bus (our feeble attempt at a "Greyhound" type service.)

I don't know if you've tried it recently, but the National Express has changed out of all recognition in the last ten years or so.

I regularly commute from Derbyshire to Reading. I dislike driving, so used to get the train, but after the fifth time I had to stand for four and a half hours decided to give it a whirl and was really impressed. You always get a seat, and the people are friendlier. Not to mention 1/3 of the price.

There is about an hour's wait at Victoria Coach Station, but I just go and read newspapers in the library.

So give it a go! Some of the routes are beautiful in their own right too.
We will have to get some filmwasters up in the Peak District

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Lara and I will be in Derby at Format late March / early April.  Anyone who wants to meet up - we'd be delighted.
"An ounce of perception. A pound of obscure".

Aksel

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #27 on: February 10, 2017, 08:36:54 AM »
OMG, it's sitting on my desk right now! The call is coming from inside the house!
Decisions...



How does it feel?
After reading this I`m having a real bad itching for another Widelux  ;D
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Jeff Warden

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #28 on: February 12, 2017, 04:28:29 PM »
OMG, it's sitting on my desk right now! The call is coming from inside the house!
Decisions...

It would be really hard to pass up that camera.  Small, beautiful, wide angle, and interchangeable lenses.  And a rangefinder. 

I considered this camera when I wanted a wide angle with a bigger negative, but decided on the Plauble Makina W67 for the same reasons Askel cites.  I don't regret it, but like the Mamiya 7, the Makina is large and with a slow lens, and while there is the ability to guess at a wide composition I think it's just more fun to have a viewfinder that shows the format of the negative you're aiming for, if that makes sense.

You can't go wrong here.  I say get the Hassy and have fun.

Also if you google Pentti Sammallahti Here Far Away you can see his work with this camera.  And then you're done for.   ;D


« Last Edit: February 12, 2017, 04:33:38 PM by Jeff Warden »

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #29 on: February 12, 2017, 07:41:35 PM »
OMG, it's sitting on my desk right now! The call is coming from inside the house!
Decisions...

It would be really hard to pass up that camera.  Small, beautiful, wide angle, and interchangeable lenses.  And a rangefinder. 

I considered this camera when I wanted a wide angle with a bigger negative, but decided on the Plauble Makina W67 for the same reasons Askel cites.  I don't regret it, but like the Mamiya 7, the Makina is large and with a slow lens, and while there is the ability to guess at a wide composition I think it's just more fun to have a viewfinder that shows the format of the negative you're aiming for, if that makes sense.

You can't go wrong here.  I say get the Hassy and have fun.

Also if you google Pentti Sammallahti Here Far Away you can see his work with this camera.  And then you're done for.   ;D

Jeff, I've just been reading that book (one of my favourites) and Pentti has certainly produced some beautiful panoramas.  I couldn't see any reference to which cameras he uses (though some look reminiscent of the XPan - others are more stretched) and there's one or two references on the 'web that he's a bit coy about his cameras as he doesn't see gear as all that important (probably why he's a pro and many of us just keep thinking that having the right gear will get the job done!)

Oh to have the time and skill to produce something remotely as good..... :o
"An ounce of perception. A pound of obscure".

Francois

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #30 on: February 12, 2017, 08:31:30 PM »
If you want a camera with a similar format at a cheaper price you can do like I did and opt for the Lomo Sprocket Rocket...
Or you can go for a Fuji TX-1 or TX-2. Same thing as the Xpan but under a different brand.
Francois

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gothamtomato

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #31 on: February 14, 2017, 01:29:05 PM »
I didn't get the Xpan. I wanted it but someone else outbid me  :'(

Ah well. I suppose it was not to be right now and when the time is right another one will cross my path.

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #32 on: February 14, 2017, 01:38:51 PM »
I didn't get the Xpan. I wanted it but someone else outbid me  :'(

Ah well. I suppose it was not to be right now and when the time is right another one will cross my path.

That's a shame but there are quite a few out there - you just need to keep an eye out for them.

Incidentally, don't worry too much about apparent condition.  A friend of mine had one that looked like it had been run over by a tank.  The paintwork was in pretty rough condition..  However, from what I can ascertain, the paint they used on these wasn't quite right and had a tendency to mark up easily.  Getting one with low usage and that's mechanically sound is the important bit.  One that looks a bit rough will get the price down and, so long as you're prepared to live with less than perfect cosmetics, you could get a bargain.

If you can get the Fuji branded version, you're getting the identical item (different colour - a brighter silver rather than dull grey) but usually a bit cheaper as it hasn't got the Hasselblad name on it.

"An ounce of perception. A pound of obscure".

Francois

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #33 on: February 14, 2017, 01:52:09 PM »
Also, the version 1 had a few ergonomics issues. It is said that the front mounted shutter speed dial was easy to move accidentally. And the LCD screen was located on the top in a way that forces you to take your eyes away from the finder.
On version 2, the shutter speed dial is on the back along with the LCD screen.

Personally I wouldn't think much of the change but for some people it's an important thing.
Francois

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #34 on: February 14, 2017, 05:13:08 PM »
An now for something completely different. The Horizon 202 is 1/10th of the Xpan  ;)
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Jeff Warden

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Re: Hasselblad Xpan: Should I????
« Reply #35 on: February 14, 2017, 06:54:20 PM »
I didn't get the Xpan. I wanted it but someone else outbid me  :'(

Ah well. I suppose it was not to be right now and when the time is right another one will cross my path.

Rats!  Next time maybe.