Review by Chris Groenhout. © 2006 (including photos).

I'll admit it - I was seduced!!! I first saw the Hasselblad XPan in the window of a local camera store late last year and stood, mouth ajar, exclaiming 'I must have it'. Once my pulse settled a little (and my companion pealed me from the window), I found out a little more about this innovative camera, and here's a summary...

 

A Brief Glimpse...

The Hasselblad XPan is a compact panoramic camera that uses 35mm film and a rangefinder method of focussing. For those unfamiliar with this, it's a historically popular method of focussing whereby an image via a simple viewfinder (similar to that in a compact camera) is 'matched' with another from a second window by turning the focus ring. This system negates the need for a reflex mirror within the camera and the associated vibration and noise.

The XPan was developed in association with Fuji, Japan who apparently make the camera and even badge it as their own in Asia. A third party (allegedly Contax) manufacture the two lenses for the XPan - the 45mm f4 and the 90mm f4, both solid in design and fine pieces of glass. I have been informed that a 30mm lens will be released some time this year to compliment the other two, thereby making the XPan a very useful all-round camera to carry.

Unlike the majority of Hasselblad designs, the XPan is highly electronic - somewhere between a modern "Point & Shoot" camera and a Leica M6. Upon insertion of the film, the camera winds it to it's end and then works backward. This is great if you open the back of the camera prematurely as the exposed part of the film will be safely locked away in the canister. What it really allows the XPan to do is switch between standard 35mm (24x36mm) and Panoramic format (24x65mm) without wasting film. When you turn the format knob, the film actually rewinds or forwards a little to optimise film usage.

 

From then on, the XPan is quite similar to use as any manual focus 35mm camera. The shutter speed dial reminds me of the Nikon FE with speeds varying from 1/1000 to 8 seconds. In addition, there is a 'B' setting, but unlike most other cameras, there is a 32 second limit!

"The B time on XPan is limited to 32 seconds due to early concerns for the holding magnets in the shutter. They drain current from the battery during the exposure and may be overheated and cause malfunction." states Erland Pettersson of Hasselblad.

While this may not be a major problem for most photographers, it severely limits the camera's potential for low-light landscape photography. I have instead made the most of this limitation as an additional 32 second shutter speed!

Accompanying the shutter-speed dial is a small LCD display with the number of remaining frames (appropriate to which format is currently in use) a 36 exposure roll working out to 21 panoramic frames. There is also an exposure compensation dial (-2 to +2 in half stop intervals), a centrally placed hotshoe and a large matt-chrome shutter button.

 

 

The X-Pan in use...

From here on in, it's all subjective and I'll tell you all from the outset that I'm slightly biased. I've owned and used a number of panoramic cameras (Widelux, Art Panorama 617, Horseman 612 SW, Round-Shot 360' to name a few) and of all of them the XPan is the easiest and most enjoyable to use. It's no lightweight (around 1kg with either lens), but it is this weight and the broad proportions of the camera body which permit successful use down to very low shutter speeds.

And while aperture-priority exposure might not be everyone's preference, the ease with which one can use the camera manually reminds us all of how far down the digital path many cameras have taken us. It seems to bridge the old with the new with very few failings. Here are a few of my observations:-

• The shutter speed information is only available via the back LCD display (not via the viewfinder). While on a tripod you can view this easily, during hand-held use it's a little tricky and seems a striking omission for such a well designed machine.
• The tripod thread is not centered in the base, rather off to one side. This is a bit weird at first but seems ok considering the size and weight of the camera.
• The 45mm lens suffers from visible falloff, especially at wider apertures. This can be a blessing in disguise as many of my images have been improved with a little darkening at the corners. For the more particular, Hasselblad are releasing a 1-stop centre weighted filter to correct this 'problem'.

On a more positive note, both lenses are incredibly sharp and seem to flare very little. The in-built centre weighted exposure meter works as well as any I've used and the camera seems reliable in low temperatures (I've used it down to -8 'C), but don't expect its two lithium batteries to last too long! The camera also offers auto-bracketing (1/2 and 1 stop intervals - 3 frames at a time), a feature I've always dreamed about, but in practice rarely use.

 

To Purchase or Not to Purchase???

Compared to the average Hasselblad medium format outfit, the XPan is a bargain. At around $2000 US you get a 'boutique' camera capable of some unique functions and a pleasure to use as well! I actually swapped a Horseman 612 SW for the XPan, as I found it too wide (110' with the 45mm lens on 6x12cm format) for many purposes. I currently use the XPan in conjunction with a Widelux f8 for times when a little super-wide distortion is called for.

 I think the XPan will appeal most to the professional travel photographer, photojournalist and serious amateur (don't you love that title). It is no toy, yet it is great fun to use and produces very professional results. Its 24x65mm format is easier to print than 6x17cm and massively better quality than panoramas produced with the APS format.

If the current world-wide shortage of the XPan is anything to go on, Hasselblad will have no problems selling the concept. It'll be fascinating to see XPan MKII.......

 

 

Specs

Camera type Coupled rangefinder with interchangeable lenses.
Construction Aluminum and titanium camera body.
Viewfinder Bright frame viewfinder (ambient light), automatic parallax compensation, automatic standard/panorama switch over via format selector, automatic bright frame switch-over according to lens fitted, integral LED exposure metering indications. Field of view 85% or more.
Focusing Lens helicoid interlocked to coupled range finder.
Film transport Pre-wind type (the film is completely withdrawn from the cassette first and then rewound frame by frame after every exposure), automatic positioning according to format, automatic wind-on, automatic rewind, Single-frame and continuous.
Film type 35 mm
Format 24 x 36 mm and 24 x 65 mm.
Frames per film 36, 24 and 12 frames in normal format or 21, 13 and 6 frames in panorama format from 36 exp., 24 exp. and 12 exp. cassettes respectively.
Exposure counter LCD. Automatic, shows remaining frames for both formats, Illuminated. Panorama format indication.
Shutter Focal plane shutter, 'B' (refer to text), 8 s - 1/1000 s, flash sync from B - 1/125 s. Activated by button or cable release socket. 1 EV step control on manual, 1/12 EV step control on automatic, self-timer with 10s delay.
Flash contact PC outlet or hot shoe.
Exposure counter TTL measured at shutter plane, center weighted averaging system, aperture priority automatic/manual switch over, ISO 25 - 3200 sensitivity, + 1/3 EV accuracy, EV4 (f4) - EV19 (f22) (ISO 100).
Exposure compensation +2EV at 1/2EV step intervals.
Auto bracketing 0.5EV or 1.0EV step intervals. Order: standard, under, over.
Film speed Auto DX setting and manual setting.
Film advance 3 frames/s in continuous mode with 24x36 format and 2 frames/s with 24x65 format. Single, continuous or self-timer.
Batteries CR2 x 2 (6v total).
External dimensions Camera body: 43.5 mm L x 166 mm W x 82 mm H. 45 mm lens: 47 mm L, ø60 mm, 90 mm lens: 73 mm L, ø60mm.
Weight Body: 720 g (without batteries). 45mm Lens: 235 g. 90mm Lens: 365 g.
Lenses Hasselblad 4/45 mm: bayonet fitting, F4-F22, 6 components, 8 elements, multicoated, focusing range 0.7-infinity, filter ø 49 mm, Angle approx. 25 mm lens in 35 mm camera terms when camera set at panorama format. Minimum Aperture: f/22
Hasselblad 4/90 mm: bayonet fitting, F4-F22, 7 components, 9 elements, multicoated, focusing range 1.0-infinity, filter ø 49 mm. Angle approx. 50 mm lens in 35 mm camera terms when camera set at panorama format. Minimum Aperture: f/22

 

 

www.xpan.com

www.hasselblad.se/products/cameras/xpan.html

hawk.foto.no/pinhole/nikon/xpan_rev.html (another X-Pan review)