Hasselblad X-Pan: a good investment?

nicowestlicht · Jun 6, 2013

Hi guys,

I am myself a rangefinder camera enthusiast, and I would like to get acquainted with panorama photography. For that, I was thinking to buy a Hasselblad X-Pan, and here comes the question: do you think it is a good investment?
I mean, it's one of the most expensive 35mm cameras I have ever seen: nowadays, for a kit with body in good conditions + 45 and 90mm lenses one should spend at least 2000 dollars/euros. Is it really worth this money, since the camera has electronics in it (and therefore more difficult to repair) and the models on second-hand market are in the average even more than 10 years old? I do have a Contax G2, but reasonably the value of the body is less than half the value of X-Pan's.

Thanks for sharing your impressions with me,
Nico

NB23 · Jun 6, 2013

What do you mean by "investment"? If you're into camera gear investments I'm not sure you'll be happy.
But yes, a Xpan is totally worth it. Especially if your enlarger can handle the negatives. It's a unique camera and its quality is extremely high. Resale value? I think it's pretty stable...

nicowestlicht · Jun 6, 2013

Thanks for your reply. Actually I am more worried about buying a camera that in some years becomes totally unreliable and maybe not even able to be repaired, since it got discontinued: this is my main concern.

benjiboy · Jun 6, 2013

If you want to invest your money to make a return on it I can't think of a worst thing in this day and age than film photographic equipment, however if you want to invest in your photographic enjoyment, and the range and breadth of your work it's an excellent investment.

TheFlyingCamera · Jun 6, 2013

It's a terrific camera, it makes amazing pictures, and although it does have electronics, they're not terribly sophisticated as these things go (it's no Canon EOS 5D). I wouldn't worry about the electronics that much, or the motor for the film advance. If you want one, buy one, shoot it in good health and enjoy it until it dies, which unless you are shooting multiple rolls with it every day will probably be after you do.

StoneNYC · Jun 6, 2013

My vote is for the Mamiya 7 with the 35mm panoramic adapter kit, you get all the Mamiya 7 lens changing options as well as having the option of shooting 120 film and 35mm panoramics.

That's what I use and it's AWESOME!

~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

vysk · Jun 6, 2013

The Xpan is a unique camera. So if you want to shoot pan format on film, the Xpan is superb.

And it is beautifully portable and compact.

If you want to invest in one as an investment, it is terrible, firstly because you won't want to sell it.

Vick

Vincent Brady · Jun 6, 2013

I have the XPan II with the 45 & 90 mm lenses and I love using it. I found that it changed my whole approach to composition when using it. I only shoot B&W film with it so I can develope and print it myself after having the negative carrier adjusted. It was the most expensive camera that I ever bought and I don't regret a penny I spent on it.

Jim Noel · Jun 6, 2013

The X-Pan is the best 35mm camera I ever owned. Good glass, accurate shutter, spot on meter and quick and easy to handle.

Colin Corneau · Jun 6, 2013

I also have the XPan and the 45 and 90mm lenses.

Without doubt, the sharpest lenses I own. The quality is top notch and, as has been noted, it's reliable and solid.

My only regret is that I used to own 2 of them and I sold one off...wish I'd kept it.

Oren Grad · Jun 6, 2013

This is what Hasselblad says about parts for film cameras:

Spare parts for analogue camera products can be supplied for at least 10 years after production stops. Hasselblad will to the best of its ability supply spare parts for analogue camera products up to 20 years after production stops.

Dead Link Removed

So at least to 2016, and maybe up to 2026. If you're concerned, why not contact Hasselblad and ask specifically about where things stand with the XPan?

Presumably parts can also be swapped from the Fuji TX cameras, though I doubt very much that Fuji itself would touch the Hasselblad-branded version.

summicron1 · Jun 6, 2013

what hassy said -- if you want to invest, go for a highly diversified portfolio of mutual funds of mid- and high-cap stocks and at least AA tax-free bonds, with the ratio of stocks-to-bonds weighted to bonds depending on your age and retirement plans.

Avoid commodities. Gold really sucks right now.

If you want to have fun, buy a camera that you really want and use it. If it can be sold for what you paid for it in 20 years--your heirs will be lucky. Meanwhile, you got 20 years of fun out of it.

Even if it depreciates from $2,000 to zero -- that's still only $100 a year, less than $10 a month.

Best $1,300 i ever spent was for a Bianchi road bicycle 10 years ago. When I'm done with it, it won't be worth doodie, but I'll have gotten 30 or so years of use and better health out of it. I'd call that a darn good investment.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 6, 2013

StoneNYC said:
My vote is for the Mamiya 7 with the 35mm panoramic adapter kit, you get all the Mamiya 7 lens changing options as well as having the option of shooting 120 film and 35mm panoramics.

That's what I use and it's AWESOME!

~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

That'd be my vote too.

lxdude · Jun 6, 2013

desertratt said:
I bought a $5 panoramic 35mm camera a few years ago and it takes much better photographs than I ever imagined. But can I ever get my five bucks back? (I have even used the camera professionally from time to time.)

Hey, I'll give you $6.50 for it, right now!

TheFlyingCamera · Jun 6, 2013

StoneNYC said:
My vote is for the Mamiya 7 with the 35mm panoramic adapter kit, you get all the Mamiya 7 lens changing options as well as having the option of shooting 120 film and 35mm panoramics.

That's what I use and it's AWESOME!

~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

That's a good option, but it doesn't really replace the Xpan - the Mamiya 7 is a much bigger camera than an Xpan, and the widest it goes is 43mm, which for all intents and purposes is just as wide as the 45mm "normal" lens for the Xpan. The Xpan does have as an option (albeit a very expensive option) a 30mm wide-angle. AND the Xpan can switch back and forth mid-roll from 24x65mm to 24x35mm frames. It is truly a unique camera.

whlogan · Jun 6, 2013

I have the Fuji version and I also love it. There is another route however. Get a Bronice ETRSi with a 40mm lens and the 135w back. This will allow you to shoot stunning panoramic shots with a 2 1/4 lens and a 2 1/4 camera. I wandered all over Maine with one and had superior results which can be seen on my web site at loganphotographics.com at the Maine trip tab. Either one makes 24x 56mm negs that are fun to shoot and fun to print. I think the Bronica version will be less $$$$ than the xPan or the Fuji version.... check it out.... oh, there's yet still another route.... get a Bronica SQ A or B with a 40mm lens and the 135w back for that camera. Bronica SQ A's and B's are about the same except the A is electronic and the B is nearly all manual... I have both.... I like the B best.... don't know why.... just do.
Logan

nicowestlicht · Jun 6, 2013

Oren Grad said:
This is what Hasselblad says about parts for film cameras:

Spare parts for analogue camera products can be supplied for at least 10 years after production stops. Hasselblad will to the best of its ability supply spare parts for analogue camera products up to 20 years after production stops.

Dead Link Removed

So at least to 2016, and maybe up to 2026. If you're concerned, why not contact Hasselblad and ask specifically about where things stand with the XPan?

Presumably parts can also be swapped from the Fuji TX cameras, though I doubt very much that Fuji itself would touch the Hasselblad-branded version.

Thanks Oren, you went right to the point: when I talk about "investment", it is not really because I am thinking of re-selling the camera one day, but because if I spend 2000 Euros for a camera, I want it to last a long time. I really consider your suggestion: I will try to contact Hasselblad in Germany (where I live now) and ask till when they plan to provide camera repair. I haven't thought of buying Fuji TX actually because of this reason: it's more likely that Fuji already does not provide camera repair... but maybe I'm wrong. I'll check on that, too.

TheFlyingCamera · Jun 6, 2013

Remember that XPans were Fuji TX-1/TX-2's with a different paint job, in all other aspects they are identical. So Hasselblad is/was getting their parts from Fuji.

nicowestlicht · Jun 6, 2013

StoneNYC said:
My vote is for the Mamiya 7 with the 35mm panoramic adapter kit, you get all the Mamiya 7 lens changing options as well as having the option of shooting 120 film and 35mm panoramics.

That's what I use and it's AWESOME!

~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

I have also heard about this option, but I have read not really good opinions about the adapter:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=13565.0;wap2
Maybe you can add your experience to this?

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 6, 2013

nicowestlicht said:
I have also heard about this option, but I have read not really good opinions about the adapter:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=13565.0;wap2
Maybe you can add your experience to this?

That seems a pretty unique issue because of the Kirk bracket he keeps on his Mamiya. After all you must have a way to rewind the 35mm back in. To me that's a minor inconvenience to get such an awesome 6x7 camera with terrific lenses selection AND a 35mm panoramic option to boot.

nicowestlicht · Jun 6, 2013

Interesting, I will keep that in mind.. thank you for sharing

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

thegman · Jun 6, 2013

See what Hasselblad/Fuji say about repairs. If they say it cannot be repaired in the event of failure, then you just have to consider whether you want to have a camera that expensive that cannot be repaired.

In the event it fails, you can either sell the lenses or buy another body.

It's possible that it fails, and *is* repairable, if not by Hasselblad.

There is always insurance that you could consider.

NB23 · Jun 6, 2013

Guys, guys, guys! The Xpan ROCKS! It's the best camera on earth, IMO. The viewfinder fits my eyesight and vision so well I could think it was made expressly for me. Fortunately, I am not the only one to think like that. It's a camera made by Geniuses. And it handles so nice: it's totally seamless. I prefer it to my Leica MPs. Here are a few 16x20 prints I made on my Focomat IIc.

Sirius Glass · Jun 6, 2013

I suggest you pick up a Widelux for less money to see if you will really use a panorama camera. Then you can sell the Widelux and decide whether or not to buy the X-Pan.

lxdude · Jun 6, 2013

NB23 said:
Guys, guys, guys! The Xpan ROCKS! It's the best camera on earth, IMO. The viewfinder fits my eyesight and vision so well I could think it was made expressly for me. Fortunately, I am not the only one to think like that. It's a camera made by Geniuses. And it handles so nice: it's totally seamless. I prefer it to my Leica MPs. Here are a few 16x20 prints I made on my Focomat IIc.

View attachment 69798

I suppose you mean 16X20 equivalent magnification, as in the short side is 16?

Hasselblad X-Pan: a good investment?

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