My Panon 120 camera with case.
It's interesting how cameras can just stop working, especially when they haven't been used for a while. I wanted to do an update on the Panon 120 camera post I wrote a few years ago. It's a camera I really enjoy shooting with due to the panoramic format and its ability to use 120 film as opposed to 35mm.
I'm updating my blog post for two main reasons. First, when I initially planned to go to Japan for camera shopping, I wanted to take the Panon 120 with me. But when I picked it up after about a year of not using it, the camera wouldn't fire.
I sent the camera off to Precision Camera Works in Austin, TX—they did a wonderful job overhauling my Widelux F7, so I wanted them to do the same for the Panon 120. To my surprise, the lead technician at Precision hurt his hand and the repair took longer than anticipated, but they were kind enough to get my camera back to me right before my trip. The camera is now in outstanding condition, so one of the reasons for this blog update was to take some fresh photos to update the website.
The second reason for the update happened while I was browsing an online auction. In one of the photos, I spotted what appeared to be a Panon lens assembly resting on its side, along with a box of parts in a separate image. There were a few large-format lenses in the lot as well, so I took a gamble, put in a bid I thought was fair, and to my surprise, I won the auction.
When the package arrived, the "parts" Panon 120 seemed surprisingly complete. The lens assembly was in what appeared to be good condition. The body, back, and film loading cartridge were all intact with no damage, and the gearing system looked solid. I sent another note to Precision to ask for a quote on getting what appeared to be a 90 to 95% complete camera up and running.
After a few weeks, I received a note from Precision stating that the camera was going to require much more than their standard overhaul service. While I was still interested in getting it put together into a working model, they explained that they would need to charge by the hour, bringing the total cost higher than I was willing to spend.
With that said, I'm planning on listing the parts camera on my eBay store soon. I'm hoping to find someone willing to take their time, put the pieces together, and end up with a wonderful Panon 120 to use or sell.
A Quirky Strap Dilemma
Another oddity of the Panon 120 is that the strap lugs are larger than those on a Mamiya, Hasselblad, or Rollei, making it very difficult to find a strap that fits. I've tried about seven or eight different standard straps that clip onto camera lugs, but they were all too small. Because of this, I've resorted to using a guitar strap.
The issue with the guitar strap—and this is just my own insecurity—is the lingering thought that the camera might slip out of the strap and fall to the ground. I know this is completely irrational and very unlikely to happen, especially since guitars are often more expensive than many cameras, and I shouldn't worry about it. But hey, that's just how my brain works!
My Camera
The Panon 120 camera is a beast in size and weight. The camera measures 4.75” tall by 6” wide at the widest part the rear) by 4.25” deep, and weighs a whopping 4 pounds 2 ounces without film or the fitted leather case. The camera produces a whopping 6x14 negative due to the curved film plane and rotating lens.
Unlike the Widelux camera which rotate the lens and cock the shutter when you advance the film, the Panon 120 you need to manually pull the lens from one side to the other to cock the shutter. That’s what the pull area on the side of the lens is for.
The lens on the Panon 120 is a 50mm f/2.8 Konishiroku Hexon lens with aperture setting from F/2.8 to 11. The aperture settings are dome manually by sliding a lever inside the lens chamber to the desired aperture setting.
Focusing is done manually too on the Panon 120 camera. On the top of the lens chamber is a wheel with “focus” written on it. Turn the wheel and look at the lens to find the distance to your subject.
Loading the film is done by removing the bottom of the camera by unlocking two wheels on the bottom, then sliding out the film holder which is curved to match the rotating lens.
The hardest part of loading the film is making sure the film is behind the curved wall, then placing the film insert back into the camera the right way. If the insert is backwards, the winding wheel sticks up and the film door cannot be placed back onto the camera. Just reverse the insert, and the film will fit properly.
There are onle 3 shutter speeds on the Panon 120, 1/200, 1/50 and 1/2. The shutter speeds are set by turning a wheel on the top of the camera. Also on the top of the camera are two bubble levels, one for vertical, and one for horizontal. The flip up viewfinder is alo on the top of the camera.
Top view of the Panon 120 camera
My Results
Now that I've had the camera serviced, I loaded up a fresh roll of 120 film and walked through the neighborhood to take some photos for the blog.
Here are some of the recent photos taken with the Panon 120.
Conclusion
I have a real internal conflict with this camera. On one hand, I love that it's essentially a medium-format version of the Widelux (which is my go-to camera that I shoot with around 90% of the time). On the other hand, the sheer size and weight of the Panon always give me second thoughts about taking it out.
There are things I just need to resolve in my head so I can start using the Panon 120 more often. Beyond the size and weight, the main operational differences are having to manually focus the Panon 120 (whereas the Widelux is fixed-focus), dealing with different shutter speeds, and having to manually set the lens before firing the shutter, unlike the Widelux, which cocks the shutter automatically when you advance the film.
Thank you for taking the time to read this updated review of the Panon 120 camera!
Are you interested in other vintage gear? Be sure to check out some of my other Camera Reviews.
Check out my Cuny's Camera Collection YouTube channel, where I'm putting together video overviews of the cameras I write about. Be sure to subscribe and like the channel, too!
Cuny's Cameras and Photos is my online eBay store, where you'll find some of the cameras I've reviewed, along with a wide range of other cameras, lenses, and gear from my personal collection that I am thinning out.
Until next week, please be safe!