Panoramic Film Photography

Panoramic images stretch perception. The wide aspect ratio mimics how our eyes scan across a scene, creating an immersive quality that standard formats can't match.

On film, panoramic photography takes several forms: dedicated panoramic cameras, swing-lens systems, or stitching multiple frames from any camera. Each approach has distinct characteristics.

What Makes a Panorama?

Aspect Ratio

Standard 35mm: 3:2 (36×24mm) Standard 6×6: 1:1 Standard 6×7: 7:6

Panoramic typically starts at 2:1 or wider:

• XPan format: 2.7:1 (65×24mm)
• 6×17: 2.8:1 (170×60mm)
• Swing-lens cameras: 2:1 to 4:1

The wider the ratio, the more extreme the panoramic effect.

Perception

Panoramic images guide the eye across the frame horizontally, mimicking natural visual scanning. They work especially well for:

• Landscapes and horizons
• Cityscapes and architecture
• Environmental portraits
• Subjects with strong horizontal elements

They work less well for vertically oriented subjects (trees, towers) or tightly composed portraits.

Dedicated Panoramic Cameras

Masked Frame Cameras

The simplest approach: a standard camera body with a mask that blocks the top and bottom of the 35mm frame, exposing only the centre strip.

Examples: Various "panoramic" disposables and compacts.

Reality check: These aren't true panoramics—they just crop the frame. You get fewer pixels/grain area and could achieve the same result by cropping a standard frame. Avoid these unless they're free.

True Panoramic: XPan/TX-1

The Hasselblad XPan (and identical Fujifilm TX-1) exposes a true 65×24mm frame on 35mm film—nearly double the standard width.

Characteristics:

• Uses standard 35mm film (processed normally)
• Gets 21 panoramic frames per 36-exposure roll
• Can switch between panoramic and standard frames mid-roll
• Sharp lenses, rangefinder focusing
• Compact and hand-holdable

The XPan is the most practical panoramic film camera ever made. It combines panoramic format with 35mm convenience. Unfortunately, it's expensive on the used market due to cult status.

Medium Format Panoramic: 6×12 and 6×17

Roll film panoramic cameras like the Horseman 612, Linhof 617, or Fuji GX617 expose massive frames on 120/220 film.

6×12: 6cm × 12cm frame 6×17: 6cm × 17cm frame

Characteristics:

• Huge negative area for exceptional detail
• Extremely limited shots per roll (4 frames per 120 roll on 6×17)
• Heavy, expensive, tripod-bound
• Spectacular results for landscapes and architecture

These are specialist tools. The cost and impracticality limit them to serious landscape photographers.

Swing-Lens Cameras

How They Work

Instead of a fixed lens exposing the entire frame at once, swing-lens cameras have a lens that rotates during exposure, painting light across the film through a slit.

The lens pivots through an arc, exposing the film progressively. This creates a true 140-180° field of view.

Examples

Horizon Perfekt/Kompakt: Russian-made, relatively affordable. 120° coverage on 35mm film. Surprisingly sharp, entirely mechanical.

Noblex: German precision engineering. Available in 35mm and medium format. 140-146° coverage. Professional quality.

Widelux: Japanese, discontinued. 140° coverage. Famous for the distinctive swing-lens look.

Characteristics

Advantages:

• True wide field of view (not just crop)
• Distinctive distortion when vertical lines curve at frame edges
• Moving subjects create interesting stretching effects

Challenges:

• Can't use filters easily
• Moving lens means shutter speed is fixed or limited
• Distortion may be unwanted for some subjects
• Expensive (especially Noblex)

Swing-Lens Quirks

Vertical line distortion: Perfectly vertical objects at frame edges bow outward. This is a geometric consequence of the rotating perspective and becomes part of the aesthetic.

Subject speed effects: Objects moving with the lens rotation appear stretched; objects moving against appear compressed. Skilled photographers exploit this; beginners get surprises.

Manual Stitching

The Concept

Shoot overlapping frames with any camera, then combine them in post-processing. This works with any camera and format.

Approach:

1. Mount camera on tripod (or hand-hold carefully)
2. Shoot overlapping frames, rotating between each
3. Scan frames
4. Stitch in software: Hugin (free, open source), PTGui (paid, ~$120), or Photoshop (paid)

Overlap Requirements

Plan for 20-30% overlap between frames. This gives stitching software enough reference points to align frames accurately.

For a 3-frame stitch: Each frame overlaps its neighbour by about 25%. For 5+ frames: Consider less overlap (20%) to reduce the number of exposures.

Nodal Point Considerations

Parallax error occurs when the camera rotates around the wrong point, causing near and far objects to shift relative to each other between frames. The nodal point is the optical centre where this shift doesn't occur.

For close subjects or wide-angle stitches, the camera should rotate around the lens's nodal point (also called the no-parallax point) rather than the tripod socket. This prevents parallax errors where foreground and background don't align between frames.

Practical solution: Panoramic tripod heads allow precise nodal point rotation. For distant subjects (landscapes), this matters less; the tripod socket is often sufficient.

Exposure Consistency

Each frame in a stitch sequence must have identical exposure. Lock exposure manually before starting.

If light changes mid-sequence (clouds), the stitch will have visible exposure bands. Shoot quickly or wait for consistent light.

Film Choice for Stitching

Fine grain: Large stitched images reveal grain. Ektar 100, Velvia 50, or FP4 Plus yield cleaner results than pushed Tri-X.

Colour consistency: Some films have subtle colour variations frame-to-frame. Professional films (Portra, Provia) are more consistent.

Low distortion lenses: Wide-angle distortion complicates stitching. 50mm or longer lenses on 35mm produce easier-to-stitch frames.

Exposure for Panoramic Scenes

Wide Tonal Range

Panoramic compositions often span bright sky to dark foreground—a wider range than spot metering considers.

Strategies:

• Meter for mid-tones and trust negative film's latitude
• Use graduated ND filters to balance sky and foreground
• Plan to recover highlights/shadows in scanning

Graduated ND Filters

Soft-edge graduated neutral density filters darken bright skies while leaving foregrounds unaffected. Essential for colour-accurate panoramic landscapes.

Common strengths: 2-stop (0.6), 3-stop (0.9) Edge type: Soft grad for natural transitions, hard grad for clean horizons

Metering Approach

1. Spot meter the brightest area you want to retain detail in (sky)
2. Spot meter the shadows you want to retain detail in
3. If the range exceeds 5 stops (slide) or 7 stops (negative), use grad ND or accept loss at one end
4. Expose to protect the element you can't recover (usually shadows for negative, highlights for slide)

Composition for Panoramic

Leading Lines

Horizontal lines that draw the eye across the frame work powerfully in panoramic format. Rivers, roads, coastlines, and horizon lines become compositional anchors.

Balance

With so much horizontal space, empty areas become obvious. Ensure each section of the frame has visual interest or intentional negative space.

Avoiding Dead Centres

A horizon line cutting exactly through the centre emphasises the panoramic format but can feel static. Experiment with high or low horizons.

Vertical Elements

Vertical subjects (trees, buildings) can anchor panoramic compositions. They create contrast with the horizontal format.

Scanning Panoramic Frames

XPan/Dedicated Cameras

XPan frames are longer than standard 35mm frames. Many film carriers don't accommodate them.

Solutions:

• Scan in two halves and stitch
• Use medium format holders (may need tape)
• Cut film into individual frames for flatbed scanning

Medium Format Panoramic

6×17 frames are very long. Drum scanning handles this best. Flatbed scanning requires specialised holders or creative mounting.

Stitched Panoramas

Scan individual frames at high resolution. Software stitches them in digital form.

Printing Panoramic

Aspect Ratio Challenges

Standard print sizes (8×10, 11×14) don't match panoramic ratios. Options:

Custom sizes: Many labs offer custom sizing. Calculate your ratio and order accordingly.

Standard with borders: Print with white borders to fit standard frames.

Split prints: Very wide panoramas can span multiple panels.

Viewing Distance

Extremely wide prints should be sized for appropriate viewing distance. A 6ft-wide print viewed from 3ft away overwhelms the eye; from 10ft, it reads as a single image.

Summary

• Panoramic starts at roughly 2:1 aspect ratio
• Dedicated cameras (XPan, 6×17) offer true panoramic frames
• Swing-lens cameras (Horizon, Noblex) create ultra-wide coverage with distinctive distortion
• Manual stitching works with any camera—overlap 20-30%, lock exposure
• Plan for wide tonal range—use grad ND filters or trust negative latitude
• Horizontal leading lines and balanced compositions work best
• Scanning and printing require accommodation for non-standard frame sizes

Panoramic photography on film offers something that cropping or digital panoramas don't quite replicate—the discipline of composing for a specific format, and the physical reality of a stretched negative that records the scene in a single, continuous exposure.