{"id":42150,"date":"2019-05-30T11:01:31","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T15:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keh.com\/expert-advice\/?p=42150"},"modified":"2020-05-01T14:19:45","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01T18:19:45","slug":"cinematic-street-photography-with-the-hasselblad-xpan-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/camera-gear\/product-reviews\/cinematic-street-photography-with-the-hasselblad-xpan-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Cinematic Street Photography with the Hasselblad Xpan II"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>So many films\u2014from classics like <em>Ben Hur<\/em> and <em>2001: A Space Odyssey, <\/em>all the way to modern flicks like Quentin Tarantino&#8217;s <em>The Hateful Eight<\/em> and Christopher Nolan&#8217;s <em>Dunkirk<\/em>\u2014have used 70mm film to capture a wider scope and immerse the viewer into the picture. It&#8217;s an effective format to use when capturing epic landscapes, complex set pieces and stunning vistas, as you can see in the supercut below.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XmPZnP_3eUU\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>It only makes sense for photographers to try and capture that same feeling and scope by shooting on wider formats.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s only been a few cameras that have dared to go wider than the standard square, 2&#215;3, 4&#215;3 or 8&#215;10 formats, and they&#8217;ve mainly been focused on landscape photography. Cameras like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/shop\/search\/?q=noblex&amp;productFilter=keh_gala_class%3Afixed-lens%20cameras\">Noblex<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/shop\/search\/?q=panon&amp;productFilter=keh_gala_class%3Afixed-lens%20cameras\">Panon Widelux<\/a> use rotating lenses to achieve an approximate 24&#215;58 aspect ratio, but require to be stationary on a tripod for good results and often come with obvious limitations. If you want to capture panoramic shots of non-static subjects or on the move, however, your choices are severely limited.<\/p>\n<p>If you do any research on this topic, you&#8217;ll likely come upon a particular panoramic rangefinder that is highly coveted in photography circles\u2014the Hasselblad Xpan.<\/p>\n<h5><a href=\"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/shop\/search\/?q=hasselblad+xpan\">SHOP ALL HASSELBLAD XPAN PRODUCTS<\/a><\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42324 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/DSF8873.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"615\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The original Hasselblad Xpan was released in 1998, and was actually manufactured by Fujifilm, who also released their own branded version as the Fujifilm TX-1.<\/p>\n<p>The Hasselblad Xpan II (a.k.a. Fujifilm TX-2) followed in 2003. Three lenses are available for the system, a 45mm f\/4, a 90mm f\/4, and a 30mm f\/5.6 which requires an external viewfinder. Fujifilm manufactured all the lenses, and if you&#8217;re familiar with their glass, you know that it&#8217;s top-notch.<\/p>\n<p>While the camera had limited appeal at the time of release, it has only grown in popularity over the years\u2014anyone who&#8217;s been tracking the used market prices can certainly attest to that.<\/p>\n<p>So, what&#8217;s it like to shoot one of these beauties? Well, I got to live the dream and took out an Xpan II a while back with the 45mm and the 90mm lens to find out.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-43024 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF8971-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Handling the Hasselblad Xpan II<\/h4>\n<p>The Xpan looks similar to other high-end interchangeable-lens rangefinders from the Leica M-series or the Voigtlander Bessa R-series, although it&#8217;s quite a bit wider. The camera feels solid\u2014the build quality is exceptional\u2014although it&#8217;s a bit on the heavy side. Having said that, it&#8217;s well balanced with the available lenses, and considering how big of a negative it produces, it&#8217;s pretty compact.<\/p>\n<p>The grip is comfortable, although most of the painted titanium body isn&#8217;t grippy enough to feel entirely secure in the hand. A neck strap is highly recommended for maximum peace of mind.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-43015 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF9012-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Shooting the Hasselblad Xpan II<\/h4>\n<p>The experience of shooting an Xpan isn&#8217;t much different from other rangefinders, and that&#8217;s probably why this camera is so sought after\u2014it&#8217;s familiar, but it offers something extra. You can opt to shoot in the regular 2&#215;3 aspect ratio, but what&#8217;s the fun in that? I shot in panoramic mode, which results in 24x65mm negatives. Obviously, this cuts a 36-exposure roll of 35mm film down to about 21 exposures, but it&#8217;s a small price to pay.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43022\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF9057-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The act of framing shots is a bit of a challenge, however. Never have I had this much frame to fill, and I have to say it was really hard to get used to. But that&#8217;s all part of the fun of trying to master this odd format.<\/p>\n<p>The camera offers quite a few advanced features. It advances the film automatically, and can be set to auto detect DX-coded film, which you can choose to override for pushing\/pulling. It shoots in aperture priority or fully manual exposure modes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43016\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF9033.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the viewfinder, there&#8217;s bright lines that automatically change depending on which lens is mounted, there&#8217;s a vivid rectangular focusing patch, and light meter indicators to aid exposure. The meter is center-weighted TTL averaging type. You can adjust for backlit subjects via the exposure compensation dial. Shutter speeds go up to 1\/1000s and it has a flash sync speed of 1\/125s.<\/p>\n<p>The 45mm and 90mm lenses are not terribly fast at f\/4, but they make up for it in size and performance. They&#8217;re sharp and render beautiful images. To compensate for the slow lenses, I shot mostly with 400-speed film, although I faired well with Ektachrome 100 too.<\/p>\n<h4>Final Thoughts on the Hasselblad Xpan II<\/h4>\n<p>Overall, I really enjoyed shooting the Hasselblad Xpan II. It lived up to my expectations and then some. It&#8217;s versatile enough to use as an everyday camera, and if you enjoy the wide format, there&#8217;s pretty much nothing better. It gives images that cinematic look that&#8217;s great for storytelling and just dares you to try and fill that frame with as many elements as possible. I may have to save up for a few years to get one, but it would certainly be worth it.<\/p>\n<h4>A Few More Shots with the Hasselblad Xpan II<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43018\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF9043-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43023\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF8976-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-43021 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF9051-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43033\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF8973-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43020\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF9063-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-43034 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF8983-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43019\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF9053-positive.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"922\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43017\" src=\"https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSF9034.jpg\" alt=\"Hasselblad Xpan II Review by Luca Eandi\" width=\"369\" height=\"1000\" \/><\/p>\n<h5><a href=\"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/shop\/search\/?q=hasselblad+xpan\">SHOP ALL HASSELBLAD XPAN PRODUCTS<\/a><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So many films\u2014from classics like Ben Hur and 2001: A Space Odyssey, all the way to modern flicks like Quentin Tarantino&#8217;s The Hateful Eight and Christopher Nolan&#8217;s Dunkirk\u2014have used 70mm film to capture a wider scope and immerse the viewer into the picture. It&#8217;s an effective format to use when capturing epic landscapes, complex set [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":43042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1150],"tags":[430,429,511,510,509],"class_list":["post-42150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-product-reviews","tag-fujifilm-tx-2","tag-hasselblad-xpan-ii","tag-noblex","tag-panon","tag-widelux"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42150"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43112,"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42150\/revisions\/43112"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}