FauXpan ideas and results.

We're all aware that most of us will never be able to afford an Xpan or justify buying one. Many attempts have been made to get that look. I've tried a few and recently saw an idea kicking around online and tried it for myself. It's still pretty rough and wild but it works. It gives me 24 shots on a roll of 120. I'm not sure what the aspect ratio of the shots are. I like to look and am looking on trying it in other cameras.

This is my first attempt, a Ricohflex VII with some backing paper cut into the back. I marked a roll of backing paper with halfway marks between 6x6 frames. Using the red window on the back of camera I'm able to space the shots accurately. On this camera the backing paper didn't affect the sharpness. Granted this isn't a top tier TLR but it worked.



I'm not all that great at cutting straight lines.





I left these uncropped so you can see the crop lines



This was shot on Plus-X 2402. Dim cloudy day so I didn't really have much of a chance to stop down the lens and see what I could get. Camera only has B, 25, 50 and 100. Work with what you got I say. Revision 2 is a Yashica A. I was going to use a Rolleicord but there's no red window on the back.



My next attempt if this works is to use a Mamiya system and a wider lens. Should give something closer to that Xpan look.

It looks like the mask sits on the film rails? It might affect focus accuracy. You could try sticking the mask inside the lens chamber?

I did something similar with a Bronica SQ-A. Stuck a mask on the removable back (in front of the dark slide), and advanced (approximate) half-frames via the knob on the back.

Interesting. Home made masks, and I bet the Ricohflex works fine because this method keeps most of the image pretty central. You're not worried about corners on good but not the best lenses.

Which mamiya you thinking of? I have a C330s and I'm guessing you can do half a crank, manually cock the lens, take a shot. Half a crank, cock, shoot. Etc. 55mm and 65mm are both plenty sharp for landscape, too. The 55mm feels like a the 28mm on my Nikons, I bet it makes some fun wides.

Please post if you do some with the Mamiyas. I'd be excited to try it myself.

OAPOli said:

It looks like the mask sits on the film rails? It might affect focus accuracy. You could try sticking the mask inside the lens chamber?

I did something similar with a Bronica SQ-A. Stuck a mask on the removable back (in front of the dark slide), and advanced (approximate) half-frames via the knob on the back.

Click to expand...

So far it looks like focus was on with the Ricohflex.

Moose22 said:

Interesting. Home made masks, and I bet the Ricohflex works fine because this method keeps most of the image pretty central. You're not worried about corners on good but not the best lenses.

Which mamiya you thinking of? I have a C330s and I'm guessing you can do half a crank, manually cock the lens, take a shot. Half a crank, cock, shoot. Etc. 55mm and 65mm are both plenty sharp for landscape, too. The 55mm feels like a the 28mm on my Nikons, I bet it makes some fun wides.

Please post if you do some with the Mamiyas. I'd be excited to try it myself.

Click to expand...

I was thinking the C3 because the shutter isn't cocked with the film advance. I have a 65mm so I'll be testing that.