[Leica] panorama

["Rod Fleming" <rodfleming@sol.co.uk>]

Hi

Henning wrote

>The Horizon 202 can be a very decent camera, and the lens is not bad
>generally

Henning, my experience was with the original Horizon- is the lens on the
Horizon 202 a new design (or did I just have one of those Friday afternoon
Russian cameras)?

I'd welcome any feedback from yourself or anyone else who has knowledge of
these cameras. I was very interested by the possibilities it presented, but
as I said, the lens on the one I tried was not up to the mark- significant
edge fall off (seen at the top and bottom of the image, as a result of the
swivel lens) which could clearly be seen on a 10" wide print even when the
negative was made with the lens stopped down to f11. (When I say clearly, I
mean that my non-photographer wife said "That's not sharp," the instant she
saw the print. And if she says that, it ain't sharp. Just in case you think
I'm excessively picky. Well I am, but that's not the point.)

I believe there is also a 120 version of the Horizon- comments?

I loved the effect though, and I reiterate- a panoramic taken with a swivel
lens is just not the same as a letter-box crop from a normal wideangle; I've
done my share of those too, usually using a 75mm Rodenstock Grandagon on
5x4, and the "stretching " of the image at the sides is clear. (And I doubt
that anyone, even on this group, is going to criticise the quality of this
lens.)

To get back on topic, though, last week's UK Amateur Photographer has an
article on panoramics - I had not read it till last night. It mentions a
proprietary software called Spin Panorama which is distributed with Epson
printers, so some people may already have it, or a trial version can be had
from

www.pictureworks.com


According to the article, this should make stitching your Leica panoramas
together a piece of cake.


Best


Rod