The Horizon S3 Pro is a panorama camera. The 35 mm camera was developed by KMZ / Zenit and introduced at the beginning of the 2000s. The Russian company presented it as the successor of Horizon 202 and the production was later took by a Chinese company called Roxsen. The current production status is not quite clear at the moment. The new price at the presentation was around 300 euros.
The biggest difference to the Horizon 202 is the changed design of the camera housing. The Horizon S3 Pro, originally also called Horizon 203, is rounded and made of ABS plastic. In addition, two more shutter speeds, 1/30 s and 1 s, were added and the lens’ imaging performance was revised. The Horizon S3 Pro is very similar in functionality to Horizon Perfekt from Lomography.
The lens of the panorama camera cannot be changed. 28 mm is the focal length of the lens, which oscillates from one side to the other during shooting. This process works a bit similar to a scanner. The maximum aperture is f/2.8. There is no autofocus. The lens is fixed and cannot be changed. The angle of view is 120° horizontally and 45° vertically.
The Horizon S3 Pro does not have a meter for correct exposure. The desired exposure time can be determined manually. The aperture is also freely selectable.
Films for the Horizon S3 Pro
The Horizon S3 Pro exposes 35mm film. 35mm films are still produced by different manufacturers. A great film choice for color photos is the Fujifilm Superia 200* and for black and white pictures the Ilford HP5*.
The exposure area has a size of 24 x 58 mm. At this size, approximately 22 images fit on a 35mm roll of film. The film must be wound manually by the photographer.
The panorama camera can be mounted on a tripod, so that camera shake-free pictures can be taken with a longer exposure time. The Horizon S3 Pro measures 11.75 x 14.6 x 7.3 cm. It weighs 750 grams. The 35 mm camera does not need batteries to take pictures and can’t be connected to a flash.
Technical datasheet
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type of Camera | Panorama camera |
| Film format | 35mm |
| Film transport | Manual |
| Picture format | 24 mm x 58 mm |
| Lens name | 28mm f/2.8 MC |
| Focal length | 28 mm |
| Biggest aperture | f/2.8 |
| Minimum focus distance | 100 cm / 3.28 ft |
| Focus | Fixed |
| Exposure times | 1/250 second to 1 second |
| Date imprinting | No |
| Built-in flash | No |
| Tripod mount | Yes |
| Cable release thread | Yes |
| Self-timer | No |
| Power supply | Not necessary |
| Size | 11,75 x 14,6 x 7,3 cm |
| Dimensions in inches | 4.63 x 5.75 x 2.87 inches |
| Weight | 750 Grams |