Spinshot questions & Roundshot 65/5"

[Willem-Jan Markerink <w.j.markerink@xxxxx>]

Dear gang,

Right now I am taking my first steps with a Spinshot 35....it came 
without manual, but everything seems lovely straightforward, even 
more foolproof than a Horizon 202....and it has even less resemblance 
with a camera:-))
However, rewinding film seems to be tricky....do I really need to 
unhook the rubber belt to wind the film back in the 
cartridge?....otherwise the tension is too large, and the rewind knob 
slips....

Also, has anyone pondered about increasing the slit width, to get a
longer effective exposure time? The slit itself can be removed with
two allen-bolts....seems easy to either order a few extra for
modification, or even make a complete new slit from scratch (I'll
leave the original one intact). The only problem I can see is the
fact that the film itself is held at a curve at the point of
exposure, pressed by a roller on the back....I assume there is a
limit to the width of the slit before it runs into focus problems on
the film plane....anyone ever modified this slit?

Btw, for those interested in the Seitz Roundshot 65/5", there is a
nice report in the German magazine ProMobil ("Extra" issue, covering
dream campers) about an older Austrian couple, Walter & Waltraud
Vonbank, touring through Europe with this camera. They even modified
their mid-size camper for this purpose, a separate cargo compartment
in the rear for photo gear, and a long pneumatic telescoping pole on the 
outside for bird-perspectives. The shower features a lighttight 
construction for darkroom loading....:-))

Keywords camera: US$18,000, 15kg, only 6 of those claimed to exist
in Europe. 

Keywords film: 5" perforated, Kodachrome 100, price for
film+development US$500-600 each....including bracketing, rarely
covery more than 2 different subjects. 
US$300 pro shot....yikes!
Think I'll better skip this upgrade from *my* dream list....8-))

The print reproduction in the magazine is probably not perfect, since I can't 
really see a quality increase over the rest of the shots in the 
magazine.
For those interested in a series of nord-Norwegian images taken with this 
camera, they have a book for sale, ISBN 3-950067900, Forker Verlag, 
DM 97,- 
A previous book, about their home region, Vor-Arlberg in Austrlia, 
has been sold out.


--                 
Bye,

Willem-Jan Markerink


      The desire to understand 
is sometimes far less intelligent than
     the inability to understand


<w.j.markerink@xxxxx>
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]