HASSELBLAD XPAN
HASSELBLAD XPAN
in 1998, Hasselblad's partnership with Fuji revolutionized the camera industry with the release of the new XPAN.
The 65 mm width of full panorama images is similar to medium format, which actually makes the XPAN a medium format camera for 35 mm film. Weighing only 950 grams, the camera had a silent shutter, a silent and fast internal motor drive, an electronic exposure meter and was powered by two CRV2 3V batteries.
The XPan was an extremely unique camera that offered the advantages of the 35 mm format, but also provided the ability to quickly switch to the full panorama format without the need to change the film. XPan used the dual format, which produces both the full panorama 24x65mm format. In addition to the traditional 24x36mm format on exactly the same film. This was the first dual-format 35 mm camera on the market that extended the format rather than masking it, allowing each exposure to use the entire area of the film.
DUAL FORMAT
XPAN LENSES
The XPAN had three interchangeable compact lenses with focal lengths of 30 mm, 45 mm and 90 mm. The full panorama format was made possible thanks to the large image circles of specially designed replaceable lenses. These lightweight and extremely compact "medium format" lenses stood out for their image quality and excellent coverage. The multiple coating of the glass elements allowed the highest quality results to be achieved by exhibiting excellent contrast and full tonal scale.
With this camera concept, Hasselblad has brought a new dimension to the world of 35mm film and perfectly complements the already extensive Hasselblad camera system. In total, about 16,800 XPan cameras were produced between 1998 and 2002.Dec.
MOVIE VIEWING
When shooting with XPan, the film was wrapped on tape frame by frame while being exposed, so that the exposed part was protected in case the camera was accidentally turned on. This useful feature, combined with the XPAN's extremely quiet exposure and film transfer, also reduced the risk of unwanted noise, as the camera wraps the film when the photographer decides to load the film, and not at the unexpected end of the roll.
