Panon
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| Widelux F7 panorama camera for 35mm film image by Rachel Rayns (Image rights) |
Panon Camera Shoko was a small-scale Japanese camera manufacturer, founded by Shozo Nakayama in 1952. The company is bets known as the maker of the Widelux panoramic cameras. The Widelux, as well as its predecessor the Panon, uses a lens which swivels through a horizontal arc, projecting an image onto a cylindrical film gate.[1] The principle is similar to the Noblex and Horizont cameras—or for that matter the Kodak Panoram series, begun in 1899.
Panon was the name of the company's original 1952 panoramic camera for 120 film. In 1958 the company introduced the Widelux FV which used 35mm film (135), and which underwent various model upgrades (last model F8, cease production mid 1990s). The Widelux F-series models were designed for 35mm film, giving horizontal coverage of about 126° and a vertical coverage of 55º (24 x 59mm image size).[2] Based on serial numbering, it seems that only about 20,000 total 35mm cameras were produced.[3] Beginning in 1990 Panon resumed offering a model for 120 film, the Widelux 1500.
Models
120 format
- Panon (1952)
- Widelux 1500 (1980)
- New Widelux 1500 (1987)
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| Widelux 1500 for 120 film image by Jean-Luc Elias (Image rights) |
135 format
- Widelux FI (prototype?)
- Widelux FV (1958)
- Widelux FV I(~1964)
- Widelux F6 (~1970)
- Widelux F6B (~1970s)
- Widelux F7 (1979-1988)
- Widelux F8 (1988–mid 1990s)
Other
- Septonflex accessory reflex finder
Sample Photos
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| Widelux: Swans, Lake Burley Griffin Canberra image by Camehbro (Image rights) |
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| Uneven movement of the lens turret (due to build-up of dust and grime in the gears) results in characteristic banding image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights) |
Notes and References
- ↑ Movies showing the turret of a Widelux F7 turning at various exposure speeds as seen from camera front and camera back
- ↑ A roll that would ordinarily give 36 conventional exposures will yield about 21 panoramic images on the Widelux
- ↑ Widelux serial number data base at Manual Camera
Links
Technical details:
- Widelux FV at www.garloo.com
- Movies showing the turret of a Widelux F7 turning at various exposure speeds as seen from camera front and camera back
Tips:
- Tips on operating the Widelux camera By John Stamets on Jeff Bridges's website (yes, the Jeff Bridges)
General
