The Horizon 202 is a completely mechanical panorama camera from Russia. It dates back to the 90s. The Horizon 202 was built by KMZ (Krasnogorsky Mechanichesky Zavod), who are responsible for the Zenit and Zorki cameras, among others.
The design of the panorama camera is black and is comparable to the Horizon Kompakt. The housing of the Horizon 202 is made of plastic, but it still weighs almost a kilo.
The special feature of the Horizon 202 is that it can take 24 x 58 mm panoramas. It does this by swinging the lens from one side to the other, thus capturing a 120-degree angle of view on film.
The camera is completely mechanical and does not need batteries. However, there is no light meter, so you have to estimate the exposure or use an external light meter (there are also apps for popular smartphones that can measure exposure reasonably well).
The Horizon 202 offers six different exposure times (1/2 s, 1/4 s, 1/8 s, 1/60 s, 1/125 s, 1/250 s) to choose from. These are set on the front of the top panel. Each “field” has a long and a short exposure time, and a switch on the rewinder lets you switch between the short and long ones.
The widest aperture of the MC 2.8 28 lens is f/2.8 and the smallest is f/16. The fixed 28 mm lens is fixed focus. How much exactly is in focus can thus only be influenced by the choice of aperture. The smaller the aperture (the larger the number), the larger the area that is in focus. The aperture and exposure time can only be set when the camera is cocked.
The viewfinder of the Horizon 202 is not connected to the lens, but still gives a first impression of the later image. The model can be aligned with a spirit level. If you want to be more precise, you can screw the panorama camera onto a tripod.
The Horizon 202 does not have a connection for a flash. Instead, an additional handle can be connected to the bottom, which should provide a bit more grip. In addition, special filters can be attached in front of the camera’s lens.
f2.8 = 5.5 m to infinity
f4 = 3.9 m to infinity
f5.6 = 2.9 m to infinity
f8 = 2 m to infinity
f11 = 1.5 m to infinity
f16 = 1 m to infinity
Films for the Horizon 202
The Horizon 202 is loaded with 35mm film. 35mm films are still produced by various manufacturers. Two great films for the 35mm camera are the Agfaphoto Vista 200* and the AgfaPhoto APX 400*. Both can be used to take beautiful color and black and white pictures, respectively.
The color film is processed using the C-41 process. This development process is performed by all photo labs that offer development of 35mm film. On a normal 36 frames film fit about 22 panoramas with the Horizon 202. At the lab you should specify that it is a panoramic camera, otherwise it may be that the images are cut.
Technical datasheet
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type of Camera | Panorama camera |
| Film format | 35mm |
| Film transport | Manual |
| Picture format | 24 x 58 mm |
| Lens name | 28mm f/2.8 MC Arsat |
| Focal length | 28 mm |
| Biggest aperture | f/2.8 |
| Minimum focus distance | 100 cm / 3.28 ft |
| Focus | Fixed |
| Exposure times | 1/2 second to 1/250 second |
| Date imprinting | No |
| Built-in flash | No |
| Tripod mount | Yes |
| Cable release thread | Yes |
| Power supply | Not necessary |
| Country of production | Soviet Union (USSR) |
| Estimated value / Used price | 352,69 Euro 579,95516,72345,252740,33302,4858873,624116,97378,37 Estimate based on used prices of 6 offers (possibly with different scope of delivery and/or condition). As of 29.4.2024 |
| Average used price in the year 2023 | 296,65 Euro (320.39 US-Dollar) |