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Widelux F7: Reviewing the Swing-Lens 35mm Panoramic Camera
The Widelux F7 is a vintage 35mm mechanical swing-lens panoramic camera produced by Panon Camera Shoko from 1979 to 1988. We put a roll of Kentmere 400 through this iconic camera to see if it lived up to the reputation.
The History
Panon produced a total of 8 Widelux models (seven 35mm versions and one 120) between 1958 and 2000. A factory fire in 2005 destroyed the blueprints and documents ending hope of another iteration.
In 2024 SilverBridges, a partnership between Jeff and Susan Bridges and Silvergrain, announced their intent to revive the Widelux. With limited information available, they reverse engineered the Widelux F8 to create new model. They called it the WideluxX F10, and it was released in April 2026.
Technical Specs
The Widelux F7 is a 35mm mechanical swing-lens camera with a 26mm f/2.8 lens and a 140 degree field of view. The design is relatively simple with only three shutter speed options- 1/15th, 1/125th, and 1/250th of a second. The lens is fixed focus and aperture determines depth of field with f/11 being the maximum aperture.
For a standard 36 frame 35mm film roll, you can expect to get 20-21 exposures. Each panoramic image is 24mm x 59mm. For reference, the Hasselblad Xpan is 24mm x 65mm and Noblex 135 is 24mm x 66mm.
Results
The Widelux is a very unique camera that's a lot of fun to shoot. The swing-lens is known to have some distortion but it's relatively sharp from edge to edge.
It comes with a couple "warning labels" to keep in mind while shooting. The Widelux requires a careful, unique grip to avoid capturing fingers in the corners of your frame. It feels a little wonky, but it's very doable. The second note is that the film must be advanced to ensure the shutter is cocked PRIOR to adjusting the shutter speed. Advance the frame, then adjust the shutter speed.
The Verdict
Iconic for a reason, the Widelux is fun to shoot. The lens is sharp and the swing lens design produces even exposures edge to edge. They're known for a very specific swing-lens look. This a quirky camera that inspires the shooter to think outside the box. The demand is high, and we get it. They are fun!
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