A summer with the Horseman SW612 (review)

[@Batou_73]

Nicolas I absolutly adore your channel. Your videos always give inspiration and add to technical knowledge. The photos in this video are exceptional. A lot of the panoramic stuff I see feels somewhat dead or sterile to me. But this feels so alive and in the moment. You can really feel that you handheld some of those shots. I really like the fall off of light in the corners it puts a highlight on your subject and adds character and weight to the center. The shot of the yellow surfboard with the surfer is surreal. I could feel the salty cold water in my faces just wonderful! One of your best shots in my opinion. And the last picture were your son is looking back to you perfectly exposed you see the expression while still shooting into the sun with such a fantastic backdrop. Fantastic!

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Hi! Thank you so much for the kind words!

[@poppamichael2197]

Thank you, Nicholas for your excellent review of my dear old Horseman SW612 Camera. It brought back memories. I actually had one of these beauties, which I purchased in the 1980s, together with three great Rodenstock lenses, three separate viewfinders, and a center filter for each lens. The pictures were wonderful, and when I viewed the (positive) images under a lupe I was astounded by the crispness and sharpness of each frame (assuming I nailed the focus). I traded in the entire kit in 2005 to help fund my purchase of the original Hasselblad H1D. For me the trade-in made sense because the Horseman was never the only camera I carried on a photo trip. I typically would take either my Hasselblad 6x6 or the Contax 645 as well, for the majority of my shooting. That is a lot of heavy gear to carry on a vacation or photographic trip. On the other hand, the H1D became obsolete in about one year, and was continually updated every couple of years, through the H6D. The Horseman never changed significantly. My current camera is a Fujifilm GFX 100S, which is a technological marvel and, most important, one I can carry, even with four lenses. I still love panoramic photos, but today I make them with stitching software. Also, with HDR technology I seldom need a neutral density filter. I can blend multiple exposures and capture even more than the 12-stop exposure range of the camera. So, while I smile with the memory of the old Horseman, I am also delighted with my current, 21st century kit.

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Hi! Glad I could fuel your nostalgia a bit 😃 Like I mentioned in another video, I don’t adhere to the “one camera to do everything” philosophy. I like ultra specific tools that excel at one task. Then I can either use them for that one task, or purposely go against the intended use, to see if the constraints lead to unexpected results. Feels more creative than a super malleable camera that can do it all. But of course I’m also blessed that I don’t feel the pressure to “capture everything” when I’m out and about. I like setting up a project/goal and am happy to ignore all other potential images along the way. The summer that video was shot, I had decided to take this amazing landscape camera and see if I could make social/documentary stuff with it. It was reasonably successful, and I for sure didn’t regret not carrying any other camera on that trip. Full disclosure though, I have since then sold the horseman, and replaced it with a Hasselblad 903swc, which gives me the same angle of view and general operation, but in a smaller form factor.

[@YoterTown]

Great shots, I bet they made you smile when you saw them for the first time.

[@kvkorlaar]

It's good to see you back! Really like it when you brake the pictures down.

[@ChannelRejss]

Great video! Love the photographs you shared as well. That last photo in particular is very beautiful!

[@PASquared]

Glad you are better!

[@res.publica]

Glad to see you back, hope you continue to feel better. We’re lucky to see such fantastic images off the SW612!

[@李舟洵]

Really awesome shots

[@hasselbladexpert]

Thank you for sharing dear friend ❤️❤️ It’s great camera 👍👍

[@vincentvk3538]

Your pictures are amazing - thanks for the great video

[@grandefiammifero1888]

grazie, dopo questo video ho deciso di prenderla. complimenti per le foto

[@sagadotexe]

lived in lofoten for a year, i've also talked to the surf shop guy at unstad, cool ass dude! always love seeing other film shots from there.

[@GizmoMaxx]

Great Video and 8:22 12:38 19:31 Gorgeous Images ! !

[@SauliusJukn]

Sorry to hear about the accident, it feels that you are very self conscious about the aftereffects - you seem a bit sad/"down". keep your chin up and get back to your old cheerful self soon! great video, best of luck to you

[@michaelbennettphoto]

Nico!! These were seriously some of the most amazing photos I’ve seen. You’re an amazing photographer and the panoramic format is stunning! I would love to see more videos from this camera is you can!

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Hi Michael, thank you that’s very kind of you to say. I’ve been itching to shoot with this camera more, so there will probably be a sequel to this video in the future. But for the last few months I’ve been shooting mostly square format and a bit of 4x5, so that’s what the next couple videos should be about.

[@michaelbennettphoto]

@@nicolaslevy2657 Awesome! I'll definitely check them out when!

[@patrickwebb1987]

Thanks for sharing ! 🎉

[@chenmunn]

Absolutely love the pictures! I think it may seem to be 'expensive' when one can afford 6 per 120 roll, but then again, it's about mindful composition on an excellent camera and lens. I was thinking of trying this format out on the Lomo Belair but after watching this video, i might just want to save up for a Horseman - granted that film and processing costs are the same. Output from the Horseman should justify itself in the long run. Right? (self assurance there... Lol). Thanks for the great review nonetheless!

[@toulcaz31]

Sorry to hear about the accident. I hope all is good. So good to see you back with great pictures to share moreover. Don’t you miss forward tilt as a movement to give you that extra DOF?

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Hi Nico. I’ve found that with a 65mm and as long as I don’t put the foreground too close to the camera, depth of field around f/11 is sufficient. Of course using such a camera you have to accept that you won’t always have everything in the frame in focus. If that’s the goal then a view camera with movements is better suited. The last picture in the review is shot into the sun, with rather limited dof, and on a grainy 3200iso film. It’s kind of a “break all the rules” shot, but it’s also the most memorable picture in the video. I guess the lesson is to not let matters of dof or even exposure intimidate you from trying risky shots. As long as the main subject is exposed right and in focus, the picture will work.

[@mike747436]

Hi Nico, thanks for your comprehensive review. I have been shooting 6x12 on a 4x5 and love the results, but after watching your video I have bought an SW612 with 55mm lens (couldn’t find the 65mm unfortunately). It’s a great camera and a joy to use. Only complaint so far is the viewfinder covers a significantly smaller area than the film captures.

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Hi. Are you sure you have the right mask? Maybe if you can locate one, you could try a 45mm mask and see if that’s closer to the actual frame on film? I don’t really pay a lot of attention to precise framing with that camera, so I’ve never had big surprises when discovering what’s on the film.

[@mike747436]

@@nicolaslevy2657 Yes it's the correct mask for the lens, assuming it's been correctly marked by the manufacturer. I'm used to viewfinders not being accurate (Hasselblad SWC for example), but this one is well out. I'm learning to compensate.

[@stephen_mcateer]

Nice video thanks.

[@inikphoto]

Hey Nico, I’m looking into getting a 6x12 I’m considering a 65 or 75mm, which would you recommend and why? Great video! Cheers Dominik

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Hi. Not familiar with the 75mm, but as long as the aperture is the same I don’t think there would be a huge difference. The 75mm would be a bit narrower (same difference as between a 21mm and a 24mm) and would vignette a bit less. If I was looking for a camera today I would get either, as I enjoy both 21mm and 24mm.

[@inikphoto]

@@nicolaslevy2657 Much appreciated Nico, thanks for the reply!

[@inikphoto]

Hi Nico, I’m interested in purchasing this camera, I would use it for landscapes, which lens combo would suit better! 35mm, 45mm or 65mm? Cheers Dominik

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Ho Dominik. This is a very subjective question… 65mm works for me. As you can see in the video, I’m after a “natural” look for my images. I don’t want the field of view to be so wide that it draws attention to itself, or the foreground/background relationships to be so exaggerated that they give a surreal vibe to the picture… But a lot of photographers seem to enjoy using ultra wide angle lenses. If you are one of them then you’d probably like the 35 or 45 better. On a practical note, the 65 barely works without a center filter (there are examples of the vignetting in the video) . The 45 and 35 in my opinion would need the center filter on for every shot on 6x12. (Does the 35mm even cover 612 btw?)

[@inikphoto]

@@nicolaslevy2657 Hi Nico, thank you so much for the reply! I completely agree with what you said! I’m currently shooting on a Hasselblad 500 and SWC, and I find SWC to be wide without looking like a wide, so your comment re: 65mm makes so much sense. Thanks again for the note, and keep up the Channel, really enjoy the content! Cheers Dominik

[@AlexSmith-ln1tv]

Hi Nicolas, another excellent video with brilliant photos. Can you please tell me what center filter you use? Is it the Rodenstock 58/77? Many thanks and good to see you back again.

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Yes. On the filter it says RODENSTOCK E 58/77 ND 0.45

[@AlexSmith-ln1tv]

@@nicolaslevy2657 thanks for your reply Nicolas

[@dialac1]

Please what is the model number of your Hasselblad bellows hood?

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Proshade 6093 ✌🏻

[@stephen_mcateer]

Which camera did you prefer Nicolas - the Horseman or the Linhof? Thanks.

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Hi, sorry if I’m not clear enough in the video. The Horseman is more compact to pack/carry and has a faster lens. The Linhof has the (fixed) 6mm rise which is a feature I sometimes miss. All in all I prefer the Horseman but it’s close. ✌🏻

[@stephen_mcateer]

@@nicolaslevy2657 Thanks Nicolas.

[@stephen_mcateer]

@@nicolaslevy2657 I watched it again & it's pretty clear thanks. Nice video.

[@mikewinter8186]

Hi Nico, i was recently looking at this camera as a replacement to my Mamiya 7 that just died, strange coincidence you just posted a video about it! Would it be ok to ask you some questions about it via email? Thanks!

[@nicolaslevy2657]

Hi Mike, dm me on Instagram @lenicolas

[@gu4xinim]

I also want to casually have a bird land on me while working.

[@tarteauxframboises]

An exciting camera and a milquetoast review. Thanks, anyway.