When i was at school (I'm 68 now) we used to have photos of the whole school of around 600 children taken using a camera something like this. To prevent the distortion we used to be arranged in an arc around the tripod bearing the camera; this meant that we were all the same distance from the camera. We used to fantasize about running from one end of the photo to the other while the camera was panning, but I'm not sure that anyone ever did it. The cameras used for the photo-finish pictures at horse-racing tracks work by a similar principle, except that the "slot" remains still, photographing the finish line, while the film is wound past the slot as the horses pass the finish line. You get some very odd-shaped horses if you ever see the whole exposure, but it does the job of deciding who passes the post with their nose in front.
And when you think you have seen it all, nick comes up with a new video and shows a totally crazy german panorama rotation camera. 😆 greetings from germany by the way
I have a 35mm Noblex. I love it. It produces 24x66mm negatives, so a wider ratio that the 120. My model has the ability to shift the lens upwards to avoid converging verticals. Also it has a range of slow shutter speeds down to 1 full second. The 1 second exposure takes over 2 minutes. In the manual there is a description of an accessory exposure meter (Panolux 135) which attaches to the camera and varies the speed of rotation of the drum so that each bit of the frame is correctly exposed.
BTW, the 50 mm lens is a Tessar. The earlier ones were even labelled as such. And the equivalent of a 50 mm lens on 6x6 medium format is a 35 mm lens on a 24 x 36 mm frame.
the photos on your backyard are a perfect example of great street photos. even though they are simple subjecst doing normal things, the proper use of the camera and idea makes the photos very interesting.
Many years ago I used to have one of those Noblex cameras too. It also had a one click shift lens. I have shot factory and hotel low light interiors with many rotations (multiple exposure) as well as bright and sharp exterior holiday resort transperancies. Those were the days... Thanks for reminding.
This is what a king photographer looks like. Peak performance. One thing I'd say, there's something funky with the audio where it's panning slightly to the right. Not sure if it's because of a stereo microphone or some processing but I'd probably say mixing down in mono and mirroring settings for comps/fx would be a good idea!
This was masterfully explained. The X-pan's and Widelux cameras seemed pretty straight forward, but I never quite realized a curved focal plane camera like this existed! Well worth the watch, thanks Nick. Fascinating camera!
I worked with a 35mm Widelux for many years. The Noblex is the best of the bunch. It takes quite a bit of practice before you can make successful swing lens panoramics that don’t look like swing lens panoramics. Eventually it becomes instinctive.
I once ha the 35mm version it's the BEST camera for panos i'm thinking of getting another one.What happened to the last one? well that's something i'd rather forget.Once again a GREAT camera beats digital ,it can take panos "IN TRAFFIC" How do I know? I have the images.One important point is that YOU MUST TAKEYOUR TIME AND WORK SLOWLY, it's not ment for speed
Very interesting video. Probably the only and certainly the best information available anywhere on this particular camera. Not only a very clear and detailed description of the camera and how to use it, but also relevant user experience with example photos. I also liked the clear explanation of the difference between the two cameras and their results.
I must say that 6:17 has slowly become my favorite crop - I know cropping a digital photo is not the real thing, but does work for some photos. Maybe one day, I’ll become a film photographer.
I had one of these, great camera to use. The electronic motor control is imho better, even essential for this size of format. There is a ‘slow speed’ module which gives more exposure options. The lens is very good, sharp with good contrast. I never had any scratching issues.
I've been considering purchasing one of these (or to be honest, one of the lower priced alternatives) and found your review interesting to say the least. I am no closer to making a decision, but really enjoyed, thanks! FWIW I have a 6x17 pinhole camera with curved plane and LOVE IT!
I'm surprised it wasn't compared to an iPhone's panorama feature since that's essentially the same "cigarred" look you end up with. Great review of it though. I love the cactus shot.
15:54 😆 Great video as always, Nick! You're always fun to watch and very informative. This is interesting because the effect it does is similar to when manually panning a camera from side to side and taking a photo each movement. And when it is stitched in Photoshop, it has this weird side to side inclusion of the scene. And if the camera is tilted ever so slightly it affects the panning and causes weird distortions even more. And also, we read your video descriptions!
I got one of these in the beginning of 2020 (with the motor grip and panolux meter). It's one of the only cameras I ever sold and the one I sold the fastest. While it was kind of fun to use, the results just weren't for me. I took it out on 2 walks (I only do street photography-ish stuff with all of my cameras) and it was great in use. But I just couldn't get myself to like the distortion of the swing lens. I'll stick to my XPan and keep my eyes out for an affordable 6x17 camera. I tried out the Linhof Technorama 617 once and that was such a fun beast to shoot.
Interesting camera. Researched swing lens cameras not to long ago after watching a video about Jeff’s photography. Like you they didn’t fit my type of photography so I will stick with my XPan and Shen Hao. The video was informative so thanks for that.
Really good Noblex intro video. I have a 35mm model - the 135 S. I bought it new in 2002, and it's still going strong after ~20 years. Not my main camera of course, but I've made some of my favourite photos with it. (Incidentally, I don't get the scratching you mentioned - maybe the medium format models are more prone to it?) Just a point - you mention that the Noblex is a 6x12 camera. There was another medium format model called the 175 UX, which had a 75mm lens. The longer focal length produced a more "zoomed in" effect, and recorded a 138-degree-wide view across 50 x 170 mm of film.
Great review. I have been tempted to buy one of these in the past, but I think the drawbacks, especially the film scratching, are probably just enough to put me off. You've saved me some money!
The first time I ever heard of what I think was a swing-lens panoramic camera, was when I was a kid and heard people taking about what was once used for taking large group photographs at summer camp. No idea what camera was being described, or even what format, but the typical results were a very wide print. Also, apparently it wasn't uncommon for kids to jump from one side of the frame to the other mid-exposure.
My friend - and fellow photo assistant - had a 'Widelux' 35mm back in the 90's. Crank it up, press the shutter, and... pzzzzzzt! the lens panned from left to right 180 degrees. I think you go 6 frames out of a roll of 36.
I have been using this camera for five years and Nick you are correct it is the most finicky camera ever created. You have been fortunate to lose only a few frames. Several years ago I had the camera serviced when the drum speed started to vary. Apparently the coating on the drum needs to be resurfaced after some many revolutions. Vertical panorama with this camera are really interesting and I just came back from Sequoia National Park where I did vertical panos of those amazing trees.
When you press the shutter release, inside the Noblex, a motor rotates a drive wheel, which in turn rotates the drum that contains the lens. The drive wheel has a kind of rubber rim, which after many years, will harden and crumble away. A common Noblex problem. You can pay to have it fixed... or, if you are brave, and at your own risk, you can open the camera up and try to repair it yourself. I managed it successfully with my 35mm model, and new rubber rings to replace the drive wheel rim only cost me a few pounds.
I am officially jealous. I would love a noblex. I already own a KMZ Horizont (old metal one) and love it, I really dig the kinds of images it allows one to make but the noblex is a whole different league!
I have both the Noblex and the Horizon for 35mm. Besides from the possibility to shift some of the models, both are pretty much similar in function and outcome. Only thing is: The Noblex is operated electronically (with all problems this can cause) and the Horizon is a purely mechanical camera. Negative size is slightly different, 24x66 on the Noblex vs. 24x58 on the Horizon, giving the first a slightly wider image. However: The Noblex has a serious archilles heel and this is the electronic drive of the drum. This has been done via a rubber coated friction wheel, which hardens over time making the times inconsistant. It is also sensitive to long times of not being used. There are (of course) no original parts available anymore, but there are a few workshops which can still service these cameras. It is a fine camera, but in the long run I would rather use a Horizon.
@@snaefellvideo Exactly. I had a Noblex 150 with all the bells and whistles and I still own a Horizon 202. The company that made the Noblex had the parts made by various suppliers and just assembled the cameras. One day, they decided this wasn't profitable anymore, so they assembled the remaining parts into cameras and closed down their camera business without stocking a single spare part. That's when I sold my Noblex on the spot, not wanting to risk ending up with a 4-figure wreck. But I still miss it. If you like the results it produces it as - as the English say - the geratest fun to be had with one's socks on.
Cool camera. It would be interesting to view the prints with the ends bowed towards you, opposite to the way they were taken. Probably useful in some commercial settings but I wouldn't like to frame one at home!
Very well done review. I was wondering if the Noblex is designed to use filters like the Widelux? Perhaps the most interesting swing lens (film) camera is the Globuscope, which is capable of taking 360 degree images, and is a challenge to use. The camera appeared in the movie Ghostbusters, as a handheld ghost detection device. Thanks!
Thanks for the great review and video (as always) Nick! I've been looking at one of these for awhile now to add to my growing obsession with panoramic cameras. Thanks to your thorough review I think I'll just skip it and shoot more with my GX617. I think if I bought the Noblex it wouldn't be long before I was tired of the stretched look in landscape and architecture images, and it would start to feel gimmicky to me. If I want funky 1x2-ish panos I'll just stick with my Holga 120 Pan. Thanks again!
long exposure would be smoother with a faster shutter speed and more exposures. Its doing the equivalent of stacking the images. I'd also like to see what this do to a faster moving subject. potential for some interesting motion blur.
This just feels wrong --- a Carver vid on Monday??? It feels like eating dessert first. Fascinating look at a camera I've never heard of (and would never use!). Thanks.
I've seen one of these in my local camera museum (although it was for sale, not one of the museum pieces). I was mesmerised by the look - seemed more like a Cold War spy weapon to me than a camera, but I had no idea how it actually took pictures, or what those pictures would look like. Now I do - thanks! Interesting panoramic street photography option these days is actually digital (I know, I know...) Fuji GFX 50R in 65:24 mode, which apparently is the same as the old Fuji TX-1/TX-2/Hasselblad X-Pan ratio. Any of those would also work, I guess, but they go for mind-bending prices now and they're limited to 35mm negatives...
Great video as always 🖤 Dont know if I love it or hate it the way you described it. 28mm focal length is the street photography focal length for places like New York. Hit the busy streets with it looking like a maniac with a doomsday device 🤗😃
Nick delivers again! It was a turkey this time but was a fun video all the same, you don't want to get stale doing the same thing over and over and over, eh?
I’m a bit different from other viewers in that I have been familiar with Widelux and Noblex for decades, but didn’t know about the Horizon. Howcome this wasn’t a Behind the Glass with a Glass??
a good explanation of the images using a rotating lens! - we all use rotating lenses making panorama shots with the smartphones and get the same effect :) You did not mention, that you expose the film and loose the shot of the film, when you insert a filter.
I've owned a Noblex 135S for almost 20 years, and I just learned something new in the past few days... You can actually install/remove filters without losing any frames. There's a key step in the German-language user manual, which wasn't included in the English-language manual for some reason... "Stellen Sie die Kamera in Normallage; mit dem Objektiv leicht geneigt nach vorn." "Put the camera in the normal [upright] position, with the lens slightly tilted forward." Listen carefully when you tilt the camera forward - you can hear something falling into place inside the camera - this is a cover for the slit in the drum, so that when you rotate the drum to access the lens, no light penetrates to the film chamber, and you can thereby install/remove filters without wasting any film or ruining any exposures. (If you do this process with the back of the camera open - without film loaded of course! - you can actually see the cover in question, doing its job of blocking the slit.) Amazing that I've had and used this camera for so long, and only learnt about this "trick" now.
My perception of the vignetting issue is that with the Fuji 617 and any flat film camera is the distance from the center of the lens to the film increases out to the edges, corners of the image hence the fall off. The swing lens is a constant distance as it rotates.
@@jaywesselink8709 Quite so. This is one of the main differences between the Fuji (or any other 6x17) and the Noblex. The former is large format photography, basically 5x7 inch with half the height, while the Noblex is medium format, just with a wider image. This has a number of consequences. To get even sharpness and limit vignetting to an acceptable level with 6x17 one needs to stop down to at least f/32, better 45, with the equivalent exposure times. Add a centre-graded filter and your exposure time doubles yet again. That's when you begin to get noticeable motion blur with a river barge driving by in bright daylight. Hand-held shooting is an absolute no-no. The Noblex produces sharp images at f/8. So, handheld and street photography isn't a problem at all.
nick, thanks for giving pretty much an overview of pano cameras and their ways. as a newly owner of a widelux (thanks to his dudeness...) i was wondering about the vertical bands that happened on some frames only. now i know it's how the flare shows itself. this camera could well be the pentax 67's bulky brother. what a pretty bunch. also: on your multiexposure frames, did somehow underexpose each single shot in order not to overexpose the whole thing? cheers from germany.
Oh, you want weird? I used to have a full 360 Globuscope 35mm camera. Looked like a stainless steel wood mallet right up until the whole head started rotating. We used to use it for producing reflection maps on digital models and static swing shots back when I was in the VFX biz. I kept the camera and shot a few 360s with it before giving up on the novelty and sold it to a guy in Rio de Janeiro. very very strange camera to use. Always overhead and with a bubble level on the base. Best results (but never great) were always on a tripod.
So is the way a Noblex shoots a panorama kind of like when you shoot a digital panorama with the camera body attached to a tripod? I say "camera body" because I think to create accurate stitched panorama you have to rotate around the entrance pupil of the lens.
Cool camera, excellent review and way to specialized for me. I get this isn't the point of the camera, but did you try to remove the "distortion" digitally?
"I used it like a street camera." I absolutely love when you do something so that we don't have to! Fascinating video. Def, won't be buying one of these.
Hey Nick, usually I like your vlogs, but as someone who has long owned and (occasionally) uses a Noblex Pro 150, I've been boiling all day over your review. Sorry that this camera looks so different, and that it doesn't do the street photography you forced it into failing at. Did you ever consider trying the camera for situations in which it performs best, instead of trying to make it to do what you want it to do and then marking it down because it didn't perform how you hoped it would when shooting the neighborhood cat. Would you use a Kodak Instamatic to photograph El Capitan? The Noblex 150 is a highly specialized piece of gear, and when used accurately, thoughtfully and with consideration (always mounted on a tripod), the results are sharp beyond belief and utterly unique and stunning. Don't listen to Nick on this one, guys; the Noblex 150 is an absolute gem of a camera for those who are prepared to love it how it wants to be loved.
I agree 100% Nick, I like your vlogs very much, but here you used the camera for pictures that it is not made for. Go out and shoot nature. landscape or forest and you will love it! :)
If the wait is long and you are looking to pick one up quicker, let me know. I got one in the Spring and am just not in love with it, no matter how much I want to like it. Looking to sell it and move on. Its set up for the Mamiya Press lenses and has 2 press viewfinder masks. It's the all black version of the donor body.
@@JarredSpec For some reason the images aren't as crisp as just shooting 35mm panoramas with adapters in my RB67 ProSD 220 back, even with the same ektar film stock on what should be the same quality 50mm Mamiya lens. Also haven't fallen in love with the form factor - the handle just feels smallish to me, and the camera just feels off-balance. I've put about 15 rolls thru it so far. Maybe I need to do a side-by-side with the Mamiya and the same film stock on the same exact subject.
So somewhere around the point where he started talking about the bent horizon lines it got me thinking: what would it look like if I shook this Kamera up and down during an exposure? That could produce some really sick effects could it not? Surely someone out there has done this before... does anyone know what it looks like? I'm curious!
Great review... thank you so much for this!! One question - Is the winding knob just used to advance to the first frame, or do you still use it to wind manually to the next frame every time AFTER you press the shutter release? Thanks!
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When i was at school (I'm 68 now) we used to have photos of the whole school of around 600 children taken using a camera something like this. To prevent the distortion we used to be arranged in an arc around the tripod bearing the camera; this meant that we were all the same distance from the camera. We used to fantasize about running from one end of the photo to the other while the camera was panning, but I'm not sure that anyone ever did it. The cameras used for the photo-finish pictures at horse-racing tracks work by a similar principle, except that the "slot" remains still, photographing the finish line, while the film is wound past the slot as the horses pass the finish line. You get some very odd-shaped horses if you ever see the whole exposure, but it does the job of deciding who passes the post with their nose in front.
And when you think you have seen it all, nick comes up with a new video and shows a totally crazy german panorama rotation camera. 😆 greetings from germany by the way
I get zero scratching with my Noblex, so maybe your friend should get that looked at again. Thanks for the review!
I have a 35mm Noblex. I love it. It produces 24x66mm negatives, so a wider ratio that the 120. My model has the ability to shift the lens upwards to avoid converging verticals. Also it has a range of slow shutter speeds down to 1 full second. The 1 second exposure takes over 2 minutes. In the manual there is a description of an accessory exposure meter (Panolux 135) which attaches to the camera and varies the speed of rotation of the drum so that each bit of the frame is correctly exposed.
BTW, the 50 mm lens is a Tessar. The earlier ones were even labelled as such. And the equivalent of a 50 mm lens on 6x6 medium format is a 35 mm lens on a 24 x 36 mm frame.
~25mm equivalent on 135 full frame.
the photos on your backyard are a perfect example of great street photos. even though they are simple subjecst doing normal things, the proper use of the camera and idea makes the photos very interesting.
Fantastic video as always Nick! I legitimately did not know this camera existed. Excellent review and fascinating results!
Many years ago I used to have one of those Noblex cameras too. It also had a one click shift lens. I have shot factory and hotel low light interiors with many rotations (multiple exposure) as well as bright and sharp exterior holiday resort transperancies.
Those were the days... Thanks for reminding.
love the content. hate the lack of it.
This is what a king photographer looks like. Peak performance.
One thing I'd say, there's something funky with the audio where it's panning slightly to the right. Not sure if it's because of a stereo microphone or some processing but I'd probably say mixing down in mono and mirroring settings for comps/fx would be a good idea!
This was masterfully explained. The X-pan's and Widelux cameras seemed pretty straight forward, but I never quite realized a curved focal plane camera like this existed! Well worth the watch, thanks Nick. Fascinating camera!
Terrific overview of a camera I never knew even existed. Interesting features contrasted and compared. Great job.
I worked with a 35mm Widelux for many years. The Noblex is the best of the bunch. It takes quite a bit of practice before you can make successful swing lens panoramics that don’t look like swing lens panoramics. Eventually it becomes instinctive.
This thing needs a trip to the skatepark. A wide shot on some ramps or halfpipes could be sick! Distortion wouldn't be much of an issue either.
Absolutely fantastic video Nick! I think you just created the definitive guide to the Noblex, a weird and wonderful camera!
Pretty cool design, basically it's an analog equivalent of the panorama mode from your smartphone's camera
Its were smart phones and digital got the idea from 🙂
YT algorithm really screws up. How did I not get notification for Nick Carver video?
I once ha the 35mm version it's the BEST camera for panos i'm thinking of getting another one.What happened to the last one? well that's something i'd rather forget.Once again a GREAT camera beats digital ,it can take panos "IN TRAFFIC" How do I know? I have the images.One important point is that YOU MUST TAKEYOUR TIME AND WORK SLOWLY, it's not ment for speed
Great considered personal view of a unique camera. 👍😀
Thank you Carver so much for bringing this to us.
Fantastic review. Well done, Nick.
Oh, man! I've wanted one of those forever!
Very interesting video. Probably the only and certainly the best information available anywhere on this particular camera. Not only a very clear and detailed description of the camera and how to use it, but also relevant user experience with example photos. I also liked the clear explanation of the difference between the two cameras and their results.
Interesting perspective. It looks like a cylindrical fisheye.
was thinking the same. I get similar effect with an 8mm fisheye on my APS-C Fujifilm cameras.
The palms, on the LH side in the Noblex shot @ 12:36, look like the ones from "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World"!
babe wake up, new nick carver video dropped
I must say that 6:17 has slowly become my favorite crop - I know cropping a digital photo is not the real thing, but does work for some photos. Maybe one day, I’ll become a film photographer.
Enjoyed the video. Thanks! I read the video description each and every time.
I bought a Horizon from Russia a while ago, nice to see a review on this type of camera. Thanks
I had one of these, great camera to use. The electronic motor control is imho better, even essential for this size of format. There is a ‘slow speed’ module which gives more exposure options. The lens is very good, sharp with good contrast. I never had any scratching issues.
I've been considering purchasing one of these (or to be honest, one of the lower priced alternatives) and found your review interesting to say the least. I am no closer to making a decision, but really enjoyed, thanks! FWIW I have a 6x17 pinhole camera with curved plane and LOVE IT!
I remember Cornel all too well dating back to the Sky Park Circle days of the late 80’s
I'm surprised it wasn't compared to an iPhone's panorama feature since that's essentially the same "cigarred" look you end up with. Great review of it though. I love the cactus shot.
15:54 😆
Great video as always, Nick! You're always fun to watch and very informative. This is interesting because the effect it does is similar to when manually panning a camera from side to side and taking a photo each movement. And when it is stitched in Photoshop, it has this weird side to side inclusion of the scene. And if the camera is tilted ever so slightly it affects the panning and causes weird distortions even more.
And also, we read your video descriptions!
Exactly. This camera does the stitching in real time, directly onto the film.
I got one of these in the beginning of 2020 (with the motor grip and panolux meter). It's one of the only cameras I ever sold and the one I sold the fastest. While it was kind of fun to use, the results just weren't for me. I took it out on 2 walks (I only do street photography-ish stuff with all of my cameras) and it was great in use. But I just couldn't get myself to like the distortion of the swing lens. I'll stick to my XPan and keep my eyes out for an affordable 6x17 camera. I tried out the Linhof Technorama 617 once and that was such a fun beast to shoot.
Interesting camera. Researched swing lens cameras not to long ago after watching a video about Jeff’s photography. Like you they didn’t fit my type of photography so I will stick with my XPan and Shen Hao. The video was informative so thanks for that.
Another Nick Video. Merci Beaucoup Maestro ! 😊
Edit: I also read the description.
That's the strangest camera ever! Thanks for sharing, great video.
Really good Noblex intro video. I have a 35mm model - the 135 S. I bought it new in 2002, and it's still going strong after ~20 years. Not my main camera of course, but I've made some of my favourite photos with it. (Incidentally, I don't get the scratching you mentioned - maybe the medium format models are more prone to it?)
Just a point - you mention that the Noblex is a 6x12 camera. There was another medium format model called the 175 UX, which had a 75mm lens. The longer focal length produced a more "zoomed in" effect, and recorded a 138-degree-wide view across 50 x 170 mm of film.
Great review. I have been tempted to buy one of these in the past, but I think the drawbacks, especially the film scratching, are probably just enough to put me off. You've saved me some money!
The first time I ever heard of what I think was a swing-lens panoramic camera, was when I was a kid and heard people taking about what was once used for taking large group photographs at summer camp. No idea what camera was being described, or even what format, but the typical results were a very wide print. Also, apparently it wasn't uncommon for kids to jump from one side of the frame to the other mid-exposure.
Brilliant video! Thank you so much Nick for that masterclass 👊
That's a great review! Thanks Nick!
My friend - and fellow photo assistant - had a 'Widelux' 35mm back in the 90's. Crank it up, press the shutter, and... pzzzzzzt! the lens panned from left to right 180 degrees. I think you go 6 frames out of a roll of 36.
I have been using this camera for five years and Nick you are correct it is the most finicky camera ever created. You have been fortunate to lose only a few frames. Several years ago I had the camera serviced when the drum speed started to vary. Apparently the coating on the drum needs to be resurfaced after some many revolutions. Vertical panorama with this camera are really interesting and I just came back from Sequoia National Park where I did vertical panos of those amazing trees.
When you press the shutter release, inside the Noblex, a motor rotates a drive wheel, which in turn rotates the drum that contains the lens. The drive wheel has a kind of rubber rim, which after many years, will harden and crumble away. A common Noblex problem. You can pay to have it fixed... or, if you are brave, and at your own risk, you can open the camera up and try to repair it yourself. I managed it successfully with my 35mm model, and new rubber rings to replace the drive wheel rim only cost me a few pounds.
Oh great, just purchased one after watching your video 😅 I love the look 👍🏾
Thanks! Interesting for sure. You taught me a lot here.
Super interesting video Nick - lots int here that I didn't know. You did a great job with the images too imo.
I am officially jealous. I would love a noblex. I already own a KMZ Horizont (old metal one) and love it, I really dig the kinds of images it allows one to make but the noblex is a whole different league!
I have both the Noblex and the Horizon for 35mm. Besides from the possibility to shift some of the models, both are pretty much similar in function and outcome. Only thing is: The Noblex is operated electronically (with all problems this can cause) and the Horizon is a purely mechanical camera. Negative size is slightly different, 24x66 on the Noblex vs. 24x58 on the Horizon, giving the first a slightly wider image.
However: The Noblex has a serious archilles heel and this is the electronic drive of the drum. This has been done via a rubber coated friction wheel, which hardens over time making the times inconsistant. It is also sensitive to long times of not being used. There are (of course) no original parts available anymore, but there are a few workshops which can still service these cameras. It is a fine camera, but in the long run I would rather use a Horizon.
@@snaefellvideo Exactly. I had a Noblex 150 with all the bells and whistles and I still own a Horizon 202. The company that made the Noblex had the parts made by various suppliers and just assembled the cameras. One day, they decided this wasn't profitable anymore, so they assembled the remaining parts into cameras and closed down their camera business without stocking a single spare part. That's when I sold my Noblex on the spot, not wanting to risk ending up with a 4-figure wreck.
But I still miss it. If you like the results it produces it as - as the English say - the geratest fun to be had with one's socks on.
Cool camera. It would be interesting to view the prints with the ends bowed towards you, opposite to the way they were taken. Probably useful in some commercial settings but I wouldn't like to frame one at home!
If you hold a Noblex print close to your face and curl the edges around your field of view the distortion is straightened out.
Def. learned something new today... Thx Nick.
Very well done review. I was wondering if the Noblex is designed to use filters like the Widelux? Perhaps the most interesting swing lens (film) camera is the Globuscope, which is capable of taking 360 degree images, and is a challenge to use. The camera appeared in the movie Ghostbusters, as a handheld ghost detection device. Thanks!
Nick the picture similar to what I get out of my 8mm Rokinon fisheye lens
Thanks for the great review and video (as always) Nick! I've been looking at one of these for awhile now to add to my growing obsession with panoramic cameras. Thanks to your thorough review I think I'll just skip it and shoot more with my GX617. I think if I bought the Noblex it wouldn't be long before I was tired of the stretched look in landscape and architecture images, and it would start to feel gimmicky to me. If I want funky 1x2-ish panos I'll just stick with my Holga 120 Pan. Thanks again!
Well that would get you noticed! intersting bit of kit.
long exposure would be smoother with a faster shutter speed and more exposures. Its doing the equivalent of stacking the images.
I'd also like to see what this do to a faster moving subject. potential for some interesting motion blur.
This just feels wrong --- a Carver vid on Monday??? It feels like eating dessert first. Fascinating look at a camera I've never heard of (and would never use!). Thanks.
I've seen one of these in my local camera museum (although it was for sale, not one of the museum pieces). I was mesmerised by the look - seemed more like a Cold War spy weapon to me than a camera, but I had no idea how it actually took pictures, or what those pictures would look like. Now I do - thanks! Interesting panoramic street photography option these days is actually digital (I know, I know...) Fuji GFX 50R in 65:24 mode, which apparently is the same as the old Fuji TX-1/TX-2/Hasselblad X-Pan ratio. Any of those would also work, I guess, but they go for mind-bending prices now and they're limited to 35mm negatives...
Thank you for watching~❤
Gee, thanks Nick.
Now I want one.
Great video as always 🖤 Dont know if I love it or hate it the way you described it. 28mm focal length is the street photography focal length for places like New York. Hit the busy streets with it looking like a maniac with a doomsday device 🤗😃
Now guess what camera doubles in price after this video. Once it's over 2K$ I'm sure my subconscious will decide i want one.
I think for an expensive panoramic street handheld camera, of course the Hasselblad/Fujifilm XPan/TX1.
At least, in my dreams. ;) haha
Great video Nick. I’d always wondered how those cameras performed.
Nick delivers again! It was a turkey this time but was a fun video all the same, you don't want to get stale doing the same thing over and over and over, eh?
omg i always wanted one of these beauties
I read the description!
I’m a bit different from other viewers in that I have been familiar with Widelux and Noblex for decades, but didn’t know about the Horizon. Howcome this wasn’t a Behind the Glass with a Glass??
such weird camera, great video as usual !!!
a good explanation of the images using a rotating lens! - we all use rotating lenses making panorama shots with the smartphones and get the same effect :)
You did not mention, that you expose the film and loose the shot of the film, when you insert a filter.
I've owned a Noblex 135S for almost 20 years, and I just learned something new in the past few days... You can actually install/remove filters without losing any frames. There's a key step in the German-language user manual, which wasn't included in the English-language manual for some reason... "Stellen Sie die Kamera in Normallage; mit dem Objektiv leicht geneigt nach vorn." "Put the camera in the normal [upright] position, with the lens slightly tilted forward."
Listen carefully when you tilt the camera forward - you can hear something falling into place inside the camera - this is a cover for the slit in the drum, so that when you rotate the drum to access the lens, no light penetrates to the film chamber, and you can thereby install/remove filters without wasting any film or ruining any exposures. (If you do this process with the back of the camera open - without film loaded of course! - you can actually see the cover in question, doing its job of blocking the slit.)
Amazing that I've had and used this camera for so long, and only learnt about this "trick" now.
This is essentially how cell phone panoramic images are made.
I do read the descriptions 🙃
Such a good review, the vignetting section was great. I tried out the fuji 617 recently and I ran into that issue.
My perception of the vignetting issue is that with the Fuji 617 and any flat film camera is the distance from the center of the lens to the film increases out to the edges, corners of the image hence the fall off. The swing lens is a constant distance as it rotates.
@@jaywesselink8709 Quite so. This is one of the main differences between the Fuji (or any other 6x17) and the Noblex. The former is large format photography, basically 5x7 inch with half the height, while the Noblex is medium format, just with a wider image.
This has a number of consequences. To get even sharpness and limit vignetting to an acceptable level with 6x17 one needs to stop down to at least f/32, better 45, with the equivalent exposure times. Add a centre-graded filter and your exposure time doubles yet again. That's when you begin to get noticeable motion blur with a river barge driving by in bright daylight. Hand-held shooting is an absolute no-no.
The Noblex produces sharp images at f/8. So, handheld and street photography isn't a problem at all.
nick, thanks for giving pretty much an overview of pano cameras and their ways. as a newly owner of a widelux (thanks to his dudeness...) i was wondering about the vertical bands that happened on some frames only. now i know it's how the flare shows itself.
this camera could well be the pentax 67's bulky brother. what a pretty bunch.
also: on your multiexposure frames, did somehow underexpose each single shot in order not to overexpose the whole thing?
cheers from germany.
Niche of a niche
Ahhh a fellow OrangeCountian!!!
sweet review!
newest models go back by 90° most probably to speed up-no more full pre-rotation.
Oh, you want weird? I used to have a full 360 Globuscope 35mm camera. Looked like a stainless steel wood mallet right up until the whole head started rotating. We used to use it for producing reflection maps on digital models and static swing shots back when I was in the VFX biz. I kept the camera and shot a few 360s with it before giving up on the novelty and sold it to a guy in Rio de Janeiro. very very strange camera to use. Always overhead and with a bubble level on the base. Best results (but never great) were always on a tripod.
Lomography makes a camera like that now.
I read your video descriptions.
Hey Nick awesome video! Which black and white film did you use?
Masterpiece at 25:42
ah, the original rolling shutter ;)
So is the way a Noblex shoots a panorama kind of like when you shoot a digital panorama with the camera body attached to a tripod? I say "camera body" because I think to create accurate stitched panorama you have to rotate around the entrance pupil of the lens.
Cool camera, excellent review and way to specialized for me. I get this isn't the point of the camera, but did you try to remove the "distortion" digitally?
That Noblex gave me nosebleed
"I used it like a street camera." I absolutely love when you do something so that we don't have to! Fascinating video. Def, won't be buying one of these.
Hey Nick, usually I like your vlogs, but as someone who has long owned and (occasionally) uses a Noblex Pro 150, I've been boiling all day over your review. Sorry that this camera looks so different, and that it doesn't do the street photography you forced it into failing at. Did you ever consider trying the camera for situations in which it performs best, instead of trying to make it to do what you want it to do and then marking it down because it didn't perform how you hoped it would when shooting the neighborhood cat. Would you use a Kodak Instamatic to photograph El Capitan? The Noblex 150 is a highly specialized piece of gear, and when used accurately, thoughtfully and with consideration (always mounted on a tripod), the results are sharp beyond belief and utterly unique and stunning. Don't listen to Nick on this one, guys; the Noblex 150 is an absolute gem of a camera for those who are prepared to love it how it wants to be loved.
I agree 100%
Nick, I like your vlogs very much, but here you used the camera for pictures that it is not made for. Go out and shoot nature. landscape or forest and you will love it! :)
Well said!
The Xpan is the one to get, end of story
Interesting! Ordered a PressPan from Freeman/Watchmemake this week myself. Can’t wait to get my hands on it!
If the wait is long and you are looking to pick one up quicker, let me know. I got one in the Spring and am just not in love with it, no matter how much I want to like it. Looking to sell it and move on. Its set up for the Mamiya Press lenses and has 2 press viewfinder masks. It's the all black version of the donor body.
@@jeremymudd8507 Ahh true! What is it you’re not liking about it?
@@JarredSpec For some reason the images aren't as crisp as just shooting 35mm panoramas with adapters in my RB67 ProSD 220 back, even with the same ektar film stock on what should be the same quality 50mm Mamiya lens. Also haven't fallen in love with the form factor - the handle just feels smallish to me, and the camera just feels off-balance. I've put about 15 rolls thru it so far. Maybe I need to do a side-by-side with the Mamiya and the same film stock on the same exact subject.
Dude I laughed so hard with the mad -dog analogy! That nailed it! LOL
Getting jiggly just reading the title!
Do a Cirkut camera next! 😄
This could be cool for skate photography
excellent review！！！
So somewhere around the point where he started talking about the bent horizon lines it got me thinking: what would it look like if I shook this Kamera up and down during an exposure? That could produce some really sick effects could it not? Surely someone out there has done this before... does anyone know what it looks like? I'm curious!
Can you cram an 8x10 wide angle on the Shen Hao? And thereby reduce the softness, vignetting etc?
Great review... thank you so much for this!! One question - Is the winding knob just used to advance to the first frame, or do you still use it to wind manually to the next frame every time AFTER you press the shutter release? Thanks!
You need to wind the film on after each exposure, of course. There is no auto-winding mechanism in these cameras.
JACKPOT!
I DO read the video descriptions!