science

Widelux

Widelux is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Widelux rather than just read about it. In short: The Widelux is a fully mechanical swing-lens panoramic camera developed in Japan in 1958 by Panon Camera Shoko. There are both 35mm and medium-format models.

Key takeaways

Widelux belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Widelux to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Widelux from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Widelux is a fully mechanical swing-lens panoramic camera developed in Japan in 1958 by Panon Camera Shoko. There are both 35mm and medium-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.

Models

Widelux F series 35mm Widelux FI (1959) with Vistar f/2.8 26mm Widelux FV (1959) with Panon f/2.8 26mm Widelux FVI (~1964) Widelux F6 (~1970) Widelux F6B (~1970s) Widelux F7 (1979–1988) Widelux F8 (1988–2000)

Medium format model 1500 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".

Differences 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. 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.

Notable users 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 book Pictures, which includes commentary and set photos from films like The Big Lebowski and Seabiscuit. Bridges was recognized for his Widelux photography by the International Center of Photography's Infinity Award in 2013. Stanley Kubrick, the filmmaker, also experimented with the Widelux. A few of his panoramic photographs appear in Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, the companion book to a 2001 film documentary, and compiled by his wife Christiane Kubrick. NASA used the Widelux in the 1960s to capture wide-angle panoramic images with minimal distortion. It was notably employed during the Gemini 5 mission, where its 140° field of view allowed astronauts to document interior spacecraft views and experimental setups in a single frame.

WideluxX revival During a podcast interview with photography magazine Silvergrain Classics in 2020, actor Jeff Bridges first brought up the idea of reviving Widelux production. Bridges ended up forming a company, SilverBridges, to bring back the camera. The new model is branded "WideluxX". 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. 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. For this reason, the pricing will probably be similar to the Leica brand (whose factory is also located in Germany), at $4400 USD.

Similar cameras Cameras with similar functions include the Noblex and Horizon.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Widelux

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Widelux claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Widelux before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Widelux ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Widelux

In research: Widelux appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Widelux in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Widelux is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Japanese inventions, Panoramic cameras, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Widelux outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Widelux in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Widelux means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Widelux out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Widelux in simple terms?

The Widelux is a fully mechanical swing-lens panoramic camera developed in Japan in 1958 by Panon Camera Shoko. There are both 35mm and medium-format models.

Why does Widelux matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Widelux?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Widelux.