Hi Graham, I like the X-pan and I know that many did not get used to the different way of seeing. I’m the third owner, it had about a 1000 exposures when I got it and soon after had to go off to have the drive train (?) repaired which is not very ‘Hasselblad’. Do I recall you mentioning that you had the 6x6 Hasselblad system? 6x17 must be a monster to haul around, and enlarging a bit of a challenge. I have a book called New York Vertical shot with that system which I like a lot, the author got up high and precarious with that camera, I wonder if you also use it handheld?
Hi Kev, 6x6 Bronica SQA - Hasselblad were above my budget when I moved from medium format TLR. I do have all the lenses now and several film backs plus Keith (Burgundymog) kindly sent me a Prism Finder. Don't use the outfit enough (but will in the future as will be putting my Fujifilm GF670 onto eBay shortly).
The 6x17 is a Widepan WP617A. For it's size it is quite lightweight (does not have interchangeable lenses). Early days of my ownership, I was standing overlooking a stone wall on the road up to the castle in Salzburg just sizing up a potential shot when a Japanese tourist sidled up to look at the view, looked at the 617 and said "Mmm, heavy"! I hadn't set the tripod up at that stage, so I just handed the camera to him. He was impressed by the lightness, but it still weighed a lot more than the little compact digital he was carrying
At least he wasn't festooned with half a dozen SLRs slung around his shoulders! Just realised that was 12-1/2 years ago! And I don't use the 6x17 nearly as much as I should.
No wonder I couldn't see the bookshop!
