I have an opportunity to buy one of the last Art Panorama 6x24 cameras made. I prefer this format over 6x17.. but am unsure of the cameras worthiness, specially with such a wide format. As usual, I will have to buy it sight unseen... Does anyone have anythng good or bad to say about this camera or any of the Art Panorama cameras? Thank you for your input....

-- Bill Glickman (bglick@pclv.com), January 05, 2000

Answers

I've had this camera for a short time. I liked the simple and rigid design. Because it uses a lens of 120 mm focal length it will give an horizontal angle of about 90 degrees, that means you have to use a centerfilter to avoid a hot spot in the centre. I found the 120 mm lens cropping too much vertically, so I purchased a 6x17 Art Panorama cassette, to which I added a 90 mm lens. The horizontal coverage is the same, but gives more in depth.

The camera has a rangefinder, but for most compositions the optional ground glass should be used. The relatively long length of the lens will make compositions very critical. It depends on your own preferences if you like the 1:4 relationship, otherwise I have nothing but good to say about it.

-- Jan Eerala (jan.eerala@itameri.net), January 06, 2000.