Anyone use this 6x12 Chinese film back? Is it any good?

[Vick Ko]

Anyone use this 6x12 Chinese film back? Is it any good?

It is ebay item 221138416722

Looks like a knock-off of a Linhof back at half the price.

regards
Vick

[vinny]

No but it looks nice. I'd hold out for a gently used 6x12 back before I bought a new one from an unknown source.

[Kodachrome25]

That is kind of spendy for an unknown, I agree with Vinny, wait for a nice used Horseman or other back at that price range. That being said, I have two DaYi backs that I got for less than the price of that one and love them...

[Dan Fromm]

Ask Google what it can find about Widepan cameras and roll holders. They're not exactly unknown.

Also search here and on apug.org for 6x12.

K25, much nicer than DaYi backs.

[Kodachrome25]

K25, much nicer than DaYi backs.

How, nicer pictures? Because that is really all that matters, how good the photos are and my backs work great and were relatively cheap.

[Dan Fromm]

Nicer to use. Lever wind, auto stop, not knob wind/red window.

But the DaYi is much less expensive. I've been wavering about going 6x12 for a couple or four years, if I do am more likely to go DaYi than Widepan or Horseman.

[Sevo]

How, nicer pictures?

Well, nicer to handle. They obviously took the design from a Singer/Graflex back - the original is notorious for rather poor planarity, and probably won't have improved by being made even wider. The Dayi builds on the (1920's) Rada design, and is very rudimentary in handling, and, if any, slightly worse in planarity. For typical 2:1 panoramic applications their planarity (or rather, lack of the same) won't matter - most people won't ever shoot very long lenses wide open (where that planarity error will show) with such a format. But better solutions do exist - and these days, used Sinar zoom or vario roll film holders (with a maximum 6x12 size) sometimes are on offer for quite similar prices (e.g. ebay #380414617670 and #221132266557).

[polyglot]

For $575 you can buy a proper Horseman 6x12 back.

If you want to cheap out, there is the DaYi. Highly variable reports on those.

[Vick Ko]

Thanks all for your input.

[Kuzano]

Vick...

1) Not exactly unknown... search Widepan... lot of photo gear and some good comments on their 6X17
2) Seller has 27 Thousand Feedback on eBay
3) Seller has 99.4% Per Cent positive feedback
4) Seller has 100% guarantee with some very reasonable proviso's on the buyback
5) Comments I have seen on other sites on Widelux seem favorable
6) Widelux search brings up a lot of hits
7) Another seller on eBay wants $100 more.
8) That seller has slightly over 1000 feedback
9) His feedback is 99.5% positive.

So, not unknown, new and from reputable sellers and return policies. Now, If your comment that it's half price is true, then that would be within my "buy" parameters,,,, BUT:

There are in fact other 6X12 lever actions film holders on eBay at this time in the same price range. Three are Horseman (1 NIB for $595), and one is Arca Swiss. The used ones are listed in excellent condition and actually a bit more than the new Horsement. I did a simple 6X12 Roll Film Holder search on eBay. Looking at "completed listings", in the last 60 days there have been 11 Horsemans sold ranging from $375 to $650 (average about $500)... many labeled excellent or new.
Yes there was one Linhof back sold for $1329. So only in that respect is the Widepan such a good deal. Furthermore the Linhof, while a respected name in quality camera gear, normally brings higher prices... I place that on about half for the privilege of saying "Hey, I own a Linhof" and half real value in the product quality.

Personally I'd opt for one of the NIB Horseman's. If you don't use it much and resell, the name recognition will get more of your money back, as completed sales prove out a solid and stable value for the Horseman.

Ten minutes on the internet.

[Cesar Barreto]

I bought two used 6x12 Horseman backs and they're really a joy to use, but incidentally both are scratching my films and I can't find anything wrong when looking inside them. These are fine parallel marks which happen mostly at the end of the films, but also sometimes during the whole lenght at more or less regular intervals, making me think that it could be somehow related to the pressure of the advance lever mechanism.
Despite this problem, which I might fix anyway, I wouldn't consider other brand by now.
By the way, at Badger's site there used to appear a 6x17 version, but I never saw one at the bay. Has anyone tried one?

[Beltane]

First post here! :D

I know this is a zombie thread, but I've been using the Widepan 6x12 back for some time without any problems to report. They seem to appear for sale periodically, even unused. It's a well-made back and my findings might be useful to someone.

I wrote this about it on my blog a while ago. (http://lordofthecrinkles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/widepan-6x12-roll-film-back.html)

[Henrim]

First post here! :D

I know this is a zombie thread, but I've been using the Widepan 6x12 back for some time without any problems to report. They seem to appear for sale periodically, even unused. It's a well-made back and my findings might be useful to someone.

I wrote this about it on my blog a while ago. (http://lordofthecrinkles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/widepan-6x12-roll-film-back.html)

I bought one a while ago. Actually read your blog post before I did :)

I have only put a few rolls through it but it really feels like a solid piece of kit. Comparable in every aspect to the Horseman back I have.

[Beltane]

Glad you found my blog post useful, Henrim! :)