The Widelux camera, introduced in Japan by Panon Camera Shoko in 1958, is a fully mechanical swing-lens panorama camera that comes in 35mm and medium format models. The lens pivots on a horizontal arc, and a slit exposes the film; the camera has no shutter. The pivoting motion causes some distortions.
The medium format Widelux model 1500 makes 50×122 mm frames on 120 film, and covers a 150-degree horizontal angle across the long side (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widelux). Introduced in 1988, it was quite expensive at the time at $4500.
Differences between several F models are minor, the most important being different shutter speeds which were 1/5, 1/200, and 1/50 up to the F6B model and 1/15, 1/125, and 1/250 for subsequent models. However the differences between the F and 1500 series were significant. “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 degree horizontally).” Unlike the F models, the 1500 Widelux has a shutter which must be cocked in order for the camera to fire.
Jeff Bridges, a photographer as well as a noted actor, used the Widelux 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 book Pictures, which includes commentary and set photos from films like The Big Lebowski and Seabiscuit.” His Widelux photography earned him the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in 2013. In 2020, Bridges formed SilverBridges, in collaboration with Silvergrain Classics, to revive the camera; its new model is the WideluxX (https://silvergrainclassics.com; see also https://tinyurl.com/mrys2ks6). The design had to be reconstructed since records were destroyed in a fire in 2005.
The prototype was revealed recently, in late 2025. While little is known about the new model, it is expected to be based on the F8 model and to be manufactured in German factories that rely on green energy. “Staying true to its analog roots, the WideluxX will be purely mechanical, preserving everything that made the original great while incorporating sustainable manufacturing practices.” The new model, however, is designed to be “less temperamental” than the F8.
Stanley Kubrick also used the Widelux, and several of his panoramic photographs appear in the book Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, compiled by his wife Christine. The Widelux was also used by NASA, especially for “the Gemini 5 mission, where its 140° field of view allowed astronauts to document interior spacecraft views and experimental setups in a single frame.”
Two of the Show and Tell presentations at the December 7, 2006 PHSNE meeting featured panoramic cameras. They can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/272bt4ez. The last Widelux model F8 was manufactured in 2000.
What the heck…
Are Those Even Cameras?!
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