After getting a Horizon 202 swing lens panoramic camera, and after coming to terms with difficulties of film loading and transport, I produced my first batch of images, got the film developed but not cut, and put the result on the backlight scanner.
Sure, one could follow the manual and align camera and horizon. But then, one could just do something else. Here is the Polybahn in Zuerich, and see how it warps into the building that hosts the “Talstation”!
Where to get a Horizon 202 camera
I ordered my Horizon 202 over the webshop of the lomography.com website. Apparently, the margin of error for the quality of manufacturing of these cameras leaves room for significant defects (such as light leaks) in 5-15% of the cameras, so you would want to take advantage of warranty services; some people have to swap their Horizon several times until they get one that has no defects. This is the reason why I decided not to look for a cheaper model available through an online auction. I look at this as a possibly annoying post production selection problem, not as a problem of the usefulness of panoramic photography per se. My camera was apparenty ‘made in Russia’, but due to components being assembled from all over the planet, it seems hard to say these days, ‘where a product comes from’.
How to take photos with cameras, that have neither batteries nor lighting meters
So far, I used the sunny 16 rule. That worked pretty well.
How to load and transport film with a Horizon 202
The film must be mounted very carefully, and you can not expect to use the first, maybe, 12 cm of the film. Depending on how the film loads, you may have to use scissors to make the end fit snug into the slit of the rewinder. You have to be very careful in order to pass the film through the metal rods that make it follow the curvature of the backside of the swing lens mechanism. In order to get something like 20 pictures, you will have to use a “36 picture” film.
Operating the camera
After winding the film, the lins slit is visible looking to the left, and all control sliders (shutter, aperture) can be seen looking from above down onto the camera. – After a picture has been taken and the film has not yet been rewound, the lins slit is visible looking to the right. Control sliders now can not always be seen from the top, so before they can be adjusted, the film has to be rewound. – Before you pack up the camera, do not rewind the film. Easily, the shutter is released as there is no other locking mechanism.
How to scan film using a backlight flatbed scanner
It seems to be important to get the film as flat as possible. I used a plastic box to weigh down the frame, under which I wedged the film – but I maybe there is a better way to do this, like, using a transparent plastic block.
Photography
Photographers to research when doing panoramic photography include Alexander Rodchenko.
Results
The first image shooting was done around the University of Zuerich at the Irchel campus.
Helpful and interesting Horizon 202 sites:
