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 Widelux model F7 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Maker | Panon Camera Shoko |
| Type | Swing-lensPanoramic camera |
| Intro price | About US$750 in 1988[1] |
| Lens | |
| Lens | 26mm pivoting lens |
| F-numbers | 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8 and 11 |
| Sensor/medium | |
| Film format | 35mm |
| Film size | 24mm x 56mm |
| Focusing | |
| Focus | Set at 5-6 feet |
| Exposure/metering | |
| Exposure | 1/15, 1/125, 1/250 |
| Exposuremetering | No |
| Flash | |
| Flash | No |
| Shutter | |
| Shutter speeds | 1/15, 1/125, and 1/250 |
| Viewfinder | |
| Viewfinder | Yes |
| General | |
| Made in | Japan |
TheWidelux is a fully mechanicalswing-lenspanoramiccamera developed inJapan in 1958[2] byPanon Camera Shoko. There are both35mm andmedium-format models. Instead of a shutter, the camera has a slit that exposes the film as the lens pivots on a horizontal arc. This pivot causes some distortions which do not occur with traditional cameras. The last Widelux model, F8, ended production in 2000.[2]
The medium format Widelux model 1500 makes 50x122 mm frames on 120 film, and covers a 150-degree horizontal angle across the long side. It was introduced in 1988 and cost "about US$4,500".[1]
The core difference between the F models is improvements in the gearing. The only other notable difference is, up to the F6 model, the camera's three shutter speeds were 1/5, 1/200 and 1/50, whilst from the F6B model onwards, the cameras used the more modern speeds of 1/15, 1/125 and 1/250.[3]
There are important differences between the F and 1500 series cameras. The 35mm cameras have a set focus (5 ft to infinity), whereas the 1500 Widelux can focus from a bit less than 1m to infinity with seven markers. The 1500 Widelux also used different shutter speeds of 1/8, 1/60 and 1/250 of a second. The F series covers a 140 degree view, whereas the 1500 series covers a slightly wider area (150 degree view-diagonally-140 degr.horizontally). The 1500 Widelux, like most manual film cameras, has a shutter that must be cocked before the camera will fire. When setting focus below 5m on Widelux 1500, the resolution will be reduced due to optical limitations.
Jeff Bridges, actor and photographer, began using the Widelux in 1984 to document life on movie sets. His distinctive behind-the-scenes panoramic images gained recognition for their candid, immersive quality. In 2003, he published a collection of these photographs in his bookPictures, which includes commentary and set photos from films likeThe Big Lebowski andSeabiscuit.[4] Bridges was recognized for his Widelux photography by theInternational Center of Photography'sInfinity Award in 2013.[4]
Stanley Kubrick, the filmmaker, also experimented with the Widelux. A few of his panoramic photographs appear inStanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, the companion book to a 2001 film documentary, and compiled by his wifeChristiane Kubrick.[5]
NASA used the Widelux in the 1960s to capture wide-angle panoramic images with minimal distortion. It was notably employed during theGemini 5 mission, where its 140° field of view allowed astronauts to document interior spacecraft views and experimental setups in a single frame.[6]
During a podcast interview with photography magazineSilvergrain Classics in 2020, actorJeff Bridges first brought up the idea of reviving Widelux production. Bridges ended up forming a company, SilverGrain, to bring back the camera.[7] The new model is branded "WideluxX".[7]
Little is known about the new model. Though Silvergrain originally intended to duplicate the old model, most of the new design had to be built from the ground up as the camera's first manufacturer lost all the original designs in 2005 due to a fire at its headquarters.[8] Silvergrain has just stated that is will be based on the F8 model, but with small "upgrades". They also plan to use no plastic components and only manufacture in German facilities that use green electricity sources.[8] For this reason, the pricing will probably be similar to theLeica brand (whose factory is also located in Germany), at around $2000 - $6000 USD.
Cameras with similar functions include theNoblex andHorizon.
Stanley took this photograph in the Dorchester Hotel ... in early 1965 ... he shot it with one of his favorite cameras: the 35mm Widelux.