I have lusted after a Hasselblad XPan for a while, but the prices have gone through the roof to the point where I simply can’t justify one. What I do have though is a Mamiya 7, which one night led me to eBay and the purchase of a panoramic kit which allows me to use 35mm film in the Mamiya 7 with my 65mm f/4 lens.

Installing the kit wasn’t that hard, but still unsure whether this would work or not I opted for a cheap roll of Kodak ColorPlus 200 to test it out.

Once the panoramic kit has been installed correctly you get some additional frame lines in the rangefinder to help you compose. This takes a little getting used to! I spent a couple of hours blasting through the roll locally then headed home to develop and scan. The weather and light was really variable across the day from sunlight at the seaside in Morecambe to overcast nearer to home in Lancaster.

I love the cinematic feeling this aspect ratio gives. It also suits the streets and back alleys of the north of England. I can see myself using this for sedate street photography and urban landscapes, the only drawback being I can’t use the Mamiya 7 with medium format film while the kit is in.

With a wider lens, the effect would be even more dramatic I think. Although the XPan used to come with a 45mm lens, which is in theory not as wide as the lens I used on the Mamiya – a 65mm lens on 6×7 is equivalent to a 32mm lens on 35mm film – for the £80 this cost me, it’s added a unique variable to my photographic armoury.

~ Martin

Submit your 5 Frames… today

Get your own 5 Frames featured by submitting your article using this form or by sending an email via the contact link at the top of the page.

Share your knowledge, story or project

The transfer of knowledge across the film photography community is the heart of EMULSIVE. You can add your support by contributing your thoughts, work, experiences and ideas to inspire the hundreds of thousands of people who read these pages each month. Check out the submission guide here.

If you like what you’re reading you can also help this passion project by heading over to the EMULSIVE Patreon page and contributing as little as a dollar a month. There’s also print and apparel over at Society 6, currently showcasing over two dozen t-shirt designs and over a dozen unique photographs available for purchase.

Similar stuff on EMULSIVE

5 responses to “5 Frames… With Kodak ColorPlus 200 (El 100 / 35mm format / Mamiya 7 + Panoramic Kit)”

  1. Hi thanks for the kinds words 🙂

  2. Cheers appreciate it. Yeah colour plus is a real bonus value great film.

  3. analogphotobug Avatar
    analogphotobug

    I also have a Mamiya 7 panorama kit. I wasn’t sure how much I would use it since I have a Horizon Perfeckt. But I am encouraged to give it another try!

  4. alan withington Avatar
    alan withington

    Love the aspect ratio of the shots and the bridge shot is great. Colourplus defies its price point yet again!

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from EMULSIVE

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Discover more from EMULSIVE

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading