Using shift & Polaroid with Horseman 612 Pro or 69 Pro

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Howdy, Just as I had made up my mind to buy the Arca FC Metric, I had the chance to handle the Horeseman 612 camera -- so light, so simple, so handholdable! I shoot architecture exteriors and landscapes, and have used Nikkor shift lenses for 15 years. Now I want a bigger negative. I think 6x9 is ideal for the streetscape diptychs I want to do, but it might be nice to have the 6x12 option. Either way, I definitely need moderate rise. Further movements are not essential for the project I will spend the next 2 or 3 years on.

My first question is this: Has anyone used either the 612 or 69 Pro Shift models, and if so can you explain how their "shift mask" works on the viewfinder? It sounds useless to me, but I have only seen the non-shift model. From other posts I gather that it's hard to see the edges of the ground glass with WA lenses, though I would use only a 65mm or longer, so maybe you can see the edges with those lenses. Obviously with ground glass you'd use a tripod, and I want to be able to handhold sometimes --- is that feasible at all when using shift? I notice in the brochure that the Pro version does not have the ergonomic handholds that the non-shift version has. Are they telling me something?

My second question is, can you use a Polaroid (or NPC) 665 pack film back on either body? Horseman does not list these on their website. I will call NPC on Monday...

Thanks so much.

-- Sandy Sorlien (sand44@mindspring.com), March 17, 2001

Answers

Yes, the Horseman SW612PRO is certainly a very hand-holdable camera, I use one myself for a variety of things including Motorcycle meetings....it works well. The viewfinder masks are strange, they are called "Pre Shifted" they show the image as it will appear with 10mm of shift apllied in either the horizontal or vertical direction.......it is just a guide. The ground Glass works fine with the 55 upwards but yes, with shorter focal lengths you will get a darkening at the edges. I hope this helps Robert

-- Robert White (robert@robertwhite.co.uk), March 20, 2001.

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