The Wider View – learning to create panoramic images

Over the last few years my photography has definitely moved away from landscape to urban subjects.  Of course, restrictions due to the pandemic were the catalyst for this shift in focus (pun intended) but even with the opening up of society I found myself still favouring the urban landscape.   A big contributory factor in this was the acquisition of a 35mm swing-lens panoramic camera in October 2020 that changed the way I see the world.  Literally.

The Horizon Kompakt, is a swing lens camera for shooting 120 degree panoramas on 35mm film and this impulse buy was the first of several similar cameras I would own and use.  The Horizon S3 Pro and an Horizon 202 also found their way into my kit bag over the next six months.  One thing I quickly realised was that whilst simple to use (although loading can be problematic initially) these cameras require the user to look at the world differently to get the best results.  For a start, the viewfinder is basic and not necessarily representative of the final image you will capture on the film.

This post is a summary of the key things I have learnt whilst working with these incredible but very idiosyncratic tools. They are partly in answer to questions I’ve been asked in the past and are in the order they tumbled out of my head! They relate specifically to the Horizon S3 Pro which is the camera I settled on after using all three simultaneously for some time.

Firstly, the most common complaint I’ve read about these cameras is shredded film.   Indeed, I shredded my second roll but looking carefully at the camera before pulling the film out I noticed that user error was the cause.  I’d failed to insert the film under the second roller and thus my fate was sealed. So long as you load the camera properly and wind on smoothly there should be no problems with torn film.  I made the following note to remind myself. To the right of the film gate in the S3 there is a silver bar with sprockets – the film goes under this BUT make sure you also thread the film UNDER the black bar to the immediate left of the silver bar. This is important to ensure film lies flat and reduces the tearing risk considerably. With all of the models the basic advice is that if it can go under then it should!

Unlike my Kompakt and 202 the S3 is relatively very smooth on this regards but with all of these cameras I wind on slowly and gently; the less strain you put on the film transport the better.

Incidentally, depending on how you load the film you can expect 20-21 frames on a 36 exp film and around 14 on a 24 exp film. Don’t be tempted to try and squeeze an extra frame – therein lies film snapping potential.

When I first started using these cameras I always carried my Weston Master with me and checked exposure for virtually every frame. This quickly took away one of the real joys of the camera – spontaneity. I even took my spot meter out just the once but decided that this just slowed me down further and removed even more of the fun of using the S3. Now I take a basic reading when I leave the house using my phone, set that and then tweak as I need to based on my assessment of the scene. If the light changes dramatically I take a new reading.   To my mind these are at heart point-and-shoot cameras and that’s how I use them.

Some users report banding at one end of the frame. This can be linked in some instances to the lens not travelling smoothly during the exposure and would typically be a regular occurrence. The cure is a service in this case.  I’ve been lucky and not seen it regularly however and when it does appear it is mainly when the sun is around in my experience – so not that often up here! There’s some debate as to whether it’s light leaking in through the shutter hood as it travels or indeed as the camera sits exposed to the light between exposures. Like many other Horizon users I know I tend to keep the camera in my shoulder bag until ready to make the exposure. Anecdotally this does appear to work. Whilst the negative is wide enough that you can crop it without an issue if you get banding across the whole frame this isn’t a viable solution.  Interestingly, the more basic Kompakt seems to suffer less from this phenomenon in my experience compared to the S3 Pro and 202.

One of the features of the S3 Pro is the handle. If your Horizon has the handle then I’d strongly urge you to use it as it really helps keep stray fingers out of the shot. I also hold the right hand side of the camera from the back between finger tips to keep stray fingers out of harms way when pressing the shutter. It feels (and looks) a little odd to start with but is worth persevering with.

Now, I’ve never thought of these panoramic cameras as being for specific subjects or situations. My approach has always been to proactively look for compositions that work well in the format. Over time my hit rate has improved and one thing I’ve learnt is that a straight, long, thin, linear subject only works occasionally. In general it is better to look for compositions where the viewer has a choice of where to let his eye be led. Urban images at intersections of two, three or more streets are usually more effective than a straight-on view of a row of houses for example. There’s exceptions to every “rule” however.

In truth, the principles that apply to other formats also work with the panoramic form. Incidentally, don’t be afraid to turn the camera on its side to create long, thin and tall vertoramas.  I’ve found that leading lines work very strongly in this vertical format, really dragging the viewers eye up through the frame.

More recently the S3 Pro has taken more of a back seat as I’ve mainly been using the brick-like KMZ FT-2 as my daily carry.  I might share some thoughts on that in the future but in the meantime if you’ve any experience with the Horizon cameras I’d love to hear your tips and thoughts in the comments below.

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