Widelux Panoramic Photos
I’ve always enjoyed panoramic photos. Often I feel that they portray what the human eye sees more accurately than the normal photographic format.
In the early 1980s, when I lived in Oregon, I noticed an ad in Photo District News, a photo trade publication for a camera called a Widelux.
The Widelux is a rotating lens panoramic camera that, at least for the model I eventually had, used 35mm film.
It produces 24 by 58mm images on 35mm film, giving a 140 degree view. A typical 35mm image is 24 by 36mm in size
Wanting to try one out, and realizing the camera was imported solely by a New York company, I contacted Panon, the company that manufactured the Widelux in Japan and asked if they would be interested in having me market their camera in addition to the company on the east coast. Basically I was hoping to have them send me a free sample camera.
The free camera didn’t work out but they did offer to sell me one at wholesale to test.
After receiving the sample and trying it out, I started importing the cameras. It was an interesting learning experience: money exchange rates and transfers, dealing with customs, etc.
During that time I used the camera on a number of assignments. You needed to be careful with subject choice as distortion could creep in and ruin a composition. Keeping the horizon in the center of the frame was normally the thing to do. Straight lines were often bent to extremes, which could be distracting, or in some instances, add to the surrealistic feel of the photo.
In the early 1980s, when I lived in Oregon, I noticed an ad in Photo District News, a photo trade publication for a camera called a Widelux.
The Widelux is a rotating lens panoramic camera that, at least for the model I eventually had, used 35mm film.
It produces 24 by 58mm images on 35mm film, giving a 140 degree view. A typical 35mm image is 24 by 36mm in size
Wanting to try one out, and realizing the camera was imported solely by a New York company, I contacted Panon, the company that manufactured the Widelux in Japan and asked if they would be interested in having me market their camera in addition to the company on the east coast. Basically I was hoping to have them send me a free sample camera.
The free camera didn’t work out but they did offer to sell me one at wholesale to test.
After receiving the sample and trying it out, I started importing the cameras. It was an interesting learning experience: money exchange rates and transfers, dealing with customs, etc.
During that time I used the camera on a number of assignments. You needed to be careful with subject choice as distortion could creep in and ruin a composition. Keeping the horizon in the center of the frame was normally the thing to do. Straight lines were often bent to extremes, which could be distracting, or in some instances, add to the surrealistic feel of the photo.
Although most think of panoramas as being horizontal images, I did try it occasionally on a vertical subject.
A real master of the vertical panoramic is Horst Hamann. His book, “Paris Vertical,” is a wonderful introduction to this aspect of panoramic photos although it appears he didn’t use a rotating lens camera such as the Widelux but one like the panoramic Linhof.
I’ve recently started scanning some of my Widelux images and as I scan more, I’ll be adding them to this page.
The following are images I’ve scanned so far.
A real master of the vertical panoramic is Horst Hamann. His book, “Paris Vertical,” is a wonderful introduction to this aspect of panoramic photos although it appears he didn’t use a rotating lens camera such as the Widelux but one like the panoramic Linhof.
I’ve recently started scanning some of my Widelux images and as I scan more, I’ll be adding them to this page.
The following are images I’ve scanned so far.
Amish buggies and church Kalona, Iowa
Mono Lake, California
Older sister watches newborn sister's bath, Canones, Northern New Mexico
Rural road, Colorado
Santuario de Chimayo interior photographed with infrared film, Chimayo, New Mexico
Playground, Santa Fe, New Mexico, taken with infrared film
Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California
Near the Great Salt Lake, Utah
Canyonlands
MCRD - Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California
San Diego Padres baseball game
Green River, Canyonlands. When I scanned this photo I realized it had a lot of dust and in trying to rid it of the dust I inadvertently turned it into an impressionistic photo of sorts
Cliff Dwellings, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Napa Valley, California, housing development
Motion experiment, Albuquerque, New Mexico (above and below)
Very Large Array Radio Telescopes, New Mexico
Cadillac Ranch, West Texas
Horses grazing, Canones, Northern New Mexico
Elementary school class, San Diego, California
Descansos (roadside crosses), Pojoaque, New Mexico (Pojoaque is located between Santa Fe and Espanola, New Mexico)
Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD), San Diego, California (above and below)
To contact Bob Eckert for assignments, consultations or workshops, please email bobeckertphotography@yahoo.com
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