Noblex 135U and alternatives

[darkosaric]

I am not a big fun of wide angle lens, so I was thinking that panorama cameras are not for me.
But Noblex 135U that I borrowed from a friend was a big fun to use ! It is fragile, build quality is bad, multiple exposure button fell of, and it is a expensive camera. What will be a best buy in panorama camera market? Some Russian camera? On ebay it is hard to find panorama cameras that have releasable prices...

Regards,

 

[antmar]

I use a Russian Horizont camera (in the matter of fact I have two cameras for color and B&W), the first all metal model. I am very pleased with the results and the quality of the lens, hand-held use never was a problem in daytime. I've heard that lens of the later plastic-covered models is not so good but I have no experience on this.
Some light-leaks are quite common problem for some users but never happened to me. I always carry this camera when I am traveling, in a pocket of my bag, as it is compact and reasonably lightweight for an all metal construction camera. You can easily find it at a fracture of a Noblex's price.
Regards

 

[darkosaric]

I see that Horizont has much better price than Noblex on ebay (like 5 times cheaper), and full metal always sounds better than plastic . Is it hard to use, has some quirks? Some Russian camera that I had before were destroying film perforations sometimes, you could not change shutter speed before cocking the shutter - or you destroy the camera ...

 

[Daire Quinlan]

I think I prefer the look of a large coverage rectilinear lens to the distortion produced by the swing lens panoramics. Though of course cameras like the XPan are pretty expensive, and their spiritual 120 brethren, the Fuji 6x12 and 6x17s and their ilk, even more so.

 

[nsurit]

Sprocket Rocket if you are looking for fun and relatively cheap.

 

[darkosaric]

XPan is a awesome camera that can be used everyday, but the price is high (with a reason). I like this distortion from swing lenses because it is different from everyday results of 35mm cameras, and I am planing to use panorama on seldom occasions. Horizont seems like the best way to go so far.
But if I ever decide to upgrade from M6 to aperture priority system - I will not buy M7, I will buy XPan .

 

[Jesper]

Have you considered Widelux? The setup I have used most this year is a small bag with a Widelux and an Xpan with 45 and 90mm. I can really recommend it.

 

[darkosaric]

Widelux price range is similar to Noblex, around 1000$/800€ ... little too much for me. Horizont I see on ebay for around 100-150€.

 

[antmar]

I see that Horizont has much better price than Noblex on ebay (like 5 times cheaper), and full metal always sounds better than plastic . Is it hard to use, has some quirks? Some Russian camera that I had before were destroying film perforations sometimes, you could not change shutter speed before cocking the shutter - or you destroy the camera ...

Use is very easy, you can't change the shutter speed before cocking the shutter because it is in a wrong position but if you try it you won't damage the camera either and although the shutter speed range is limited from 30 to 250 is sufficient for most of the shooting conditions. Because of the extreme wide angle you have to take care of you finger's position if you don't want to see them in the picture, otherwise the supplied hand-grip is not necessary and I don't carry it with me most of the time. Film perforations destroy has never happened to me with both of my cameras. The only vulnerable part of the camera is the viewfinder which is easy to fall and break (you will see that most of the cameras in ebay have this part broken) but even after this is still usable. Please have in mind that as with all used and old cameras, condition is the most important thing. So, if you decide to buy this camera, try to find one in good condition from a top rated seller.
Good luck.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Have you considered Widelux? The setup I have used most this year is a small bag with a Widelux and an Xpan with 45 and 90mm. I can really recommend it.

I second the WideLux. I have a WideLux F7.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Beware of Horizons latest versions and the white ones. I tried the latest version and it looks erotic shiny black at the web images but at hand , its so cheap and fragile. Plastic is matte , thin and cheap. Camera is lightweight and the mechanism is not tolerable for a Leica user. Sounds cheap and irregular and saying dont trust me.

Latest one have cheaper lens and they changed the LOMO designed lens with the new one and nobody is happy.

And white ones have even worse quality lens and if you want to take new lomo not Soviet LOMO like images , here you go.

There are 40 years old metal ones , tested by the factory with face to face with widelux and these cameras do not distort the image like widelux.

Finding the good one , CLA will cost you to 1/4 of noblex

 

[fastw]

Love my Horizon Perfekt. It's lasted two years so far with no problems. Got it from Lomo for peanuts. The type of distortion is different then Xpan and I prefer it. If mine breaks, I'll just buy a new one.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

The medium format Noblex is more solid than the 35mm versions, as I understand it, but that raises the price even further.

 

[fastw]

BTW, the lens on my Perfekt is VERY sharp

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

You can build a scanning 135 or 120 format camera with Leica lenses or Hasselblad lenses to unmatched quality to above traps. There are lots of plans available at net. 120 Horizon is extremelly expensive and lot better than Noblex.

I had been contacted with Zenit factory and they sent me a quote in russian , half of the Lomo site and free shipment.

 

[AgX]

Darko, in Hamburg you got Wiese-Fototechnik. They seem knowledgable about Horizont cameras.

 

[darkosaric]

Thanks AgX. I think on the end I will Horizont (old metal one), and if needed I will go to Wiese-Fototechnik.