The WideluxX is coming! New camera from Jeff Bridges

[Archiver]

Jeff Bridges’ WideluxX panoramic film camera prototype revealed - Photo Rumors

Here are the latest updates on Jeff Bridges’ WideluxX camera and pictures of the first prototype camera (check the original Widelux camera on eBay): Introduction to the WideluxX™ Prototype: The WideluxX™ is a revived panoramic film camera developed by SilverBridges, a new company co-founded by...

photorumors.com

This retro compact camera hasn’t been made for more than 25 years. The unboxing is epic

SilverBridges shae shared the unboxing of the first Wideluxx panoramic film camera off the production line

www.digitalcameraworld.com

It's going to be expensive, but for the right people, it should be the right camera.

 

[valdas]

I have the original F8, so I will not be buying this one, but it’s interesting to see what kind of “many small improvements” they did compared to the F8.

 

[trix4ever]

I have an F7 which I love using but it's started winding 2 frames to cock the shutter once. Not all the time but 3 or 4 times a roll. Very wasteful of film. All the Aussie repairers are baulking at working on it, bugger. I may have a go myself.
Glad to see them back in production.

 

[Rob-F]

The thing I don't like about the Widelux is it bends the picture in the middle. A straight street looks like it turns a 90 degree bend across the middle of the frame. So I wouldn't be able to show what I saw when I took the photo. The way an extreme wide angle lens, out to 17mm or 15mm or so stretches the image towards the edges isn't ideal, but seems more acceptable, especially when you know how to use it.

 

[osullic]

I've been eyeing this project since it was first announced a few years ago - nice to see things moving along - especially prototypes in use. I'm intending to make a purchase as soon as (pre)orders are available.

I'm planning a trip to India around about this time next year - hoping it will be released before then - but I know there's a lot more to do to bring a proper product to market after simply getting a prototype up and running.

In particular I hope there's a filter system available. I also think it's a pity they didn't implement some more sensible shutter speeds. I've no idea why the usable 1/30 and 1/60 have always been skipped.

 

[das]

It's such a cool project. Hopefully, they won't cost 4k or something. 🙂.

 

[Coldkennels]

In particular I hope there's a filter system available. I also think it's a pity they didn't implement some more sensible shutter speeds. I've no idea why the usable 1/30 and 1/60 have always been skipped.

I imagine it must be something to do with the swing-lens system.

The Horizons did something similar - the most basic ones had just a "slow swing" setting of 1/2 and a "fast swing" setting of 1/60. The more high-end versions expanded this out to a block of slow speeds (usually 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8) and a block of high speeds (1/60, 1/125, and 1/250). There are some models out with an extra speed in each block that bridge the gap, but apparently something in the mechanism made those two speeds more trouble than they were worth.

 

[joe bosak]

There seem to have been a few Horizon models (or variations thereof) that went out to 1s or 1/500th (but not both on the same camera). For example an extra top speed of 1/500 on the fast dial but without a corresponding marked value for the slow speed. The Horizon Perfekt I have has the 1/500 marking, and will obviously fire from this position if I select slow speed range, so presumably whatever it's doing is more or less 1/15th even though it's not marked as such.

Other examples have additional lower speeds of 1s and 1/30th on the slow and fast dials respectively. And sometimes just blanks in those positions - which might be at either end of the scales.

The slow speed rotation on mine sounds a bit off when it's about 2/3 of way across for what that's worth.

 

[Freakscene]

I have an F7 which I love using but it's started winding 2 frames to cock the shutter once. Not all the time but 3 or 4 times a roll. Very wasteful of film. All the Aussie repairers are baulking at working on it, bugger. I may have a go myself.

You are a very, very brave man. Good luck. I suspect that the film transport might be easier to work on than the lens mechanism, for which I am sure you need a watchmaker not a camera repairer, but I still think it could be quite challenging. Again, good luck.

Did Laurie Rogers leave or retire from camera repair? Did Camera Clinic/Imaging by Design stop servicing the Widelux? Maybe I’ll have to send mine to Japan when the time comes…

 

[joe bosak]

It may have been mentioned but in case not - there's this place in France that services Widelux (I have not used them myself): Widelux troubleshooting - Philippe Raybaudi Widelux troubleshooting

 

[osullic]

Let's say you are shooting ISO 400 film, then the following are the Widelux(x) exposure options according to EV value...

EV 5	1/15 @ f/2.8
EV 6	1/15 @ f/4
EV 7	1/15 @ f/5.6
EV 8	1/15 @ f/8	1/125 @ f/2.8
EV 9	1/15 @ f/11	1/125 @ f/4	1/250 @ f/2.8
EV 10		1/125 @ f/5.6	1/250 @ f/4
EV 11		1/125 @ f/8	1/250 @ f/5.6
EV 12		1/125 @ f/11	1/250 @ f/8
EV 13			1/250 @ f/11

So for conditions brighter than EV 9 or so, exposure options are quite usable, but for anything darker than EV 9, it seems that exposure options are quite limiting. I guess at f/2.8 the lens is not going to be very sharp, or certainly closer subjects won't be covered by the depth of field. But also I don't know how hand-holdable 1/15 really is. I would never shoot a "normal" camera handheld at 1/15.

I guess shooting a higher ISO film is an option, but then you just limit yourself when it comes to brighter conditions - unless a ND filter is available.

I used to have a Noblex - before it was stolen - and it had very usable exposure options - 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 and apertures from f/4.5 up to f/16 - not to mention multi exposures which essentially allowed exposure durations of any arbitrary length.

I'm keen to buy one of these new WideluxX cameras, to replace my stolen Noblex, and I'll try to embrace the new camera - but it does seem limiting in a lot of ways.

 

[Freakscene]

It may have been mentioned but in case not - there's this place in France that services Widelux (I have not used them myself): Widelux troubleshooting - Philippe Raybaudi Widelux troubleshooting

They do a great job with the Widelux cameras, but sending a camera to the EU for repair and return is not as easy as it should be, and until at least relatively recently, we had a great local option, but maybe mot anymore.

 

[osullic]

They do a great job with the Widelux cameras, but sending a camera to the EU for repair and return is not as easy as it should be, and until at least relatively recently, we had a great local option, but maybe mot anymore.

Sending for repair within the EU is very straightforward...for people in the EU 🙂
You mention a "local option", but it's not clear to me what's local for you.

 

[Freakscene]

Sending for repair within the EU is very straightforward...for people in the EU 🙂
You mention a "local option", but it's not clear to me what's local for you.

I live in Australia. The ‘to’ the EU was indicative that I am outside it. Of course it’s much simpler within the EEZ.

 

[osullic]

The thing I don't like about the Widelux is it bends the picture in the middle. A straight street looks like it turns a 90 degree bend across the middle of the frame. So I wouldn't be able to show what I saw when I took the photo. The way an extreme wide angle lens, out to 17mm or 15mm or so stretches the image towards the edges isn't ideal, but seems more acceptable, especially when you know how to use it.

It goes without saying really that the curvature of the scene is a natural effect of the swing lens, but I will mention one more difference between the Widelux and the Noblex... They each record c. 130 degrees horizontally, but the Widelux compresses this into a negative width of 59mm (if I'm not mistaken). The Noblex negative is 66mm wide. I personally prefer the wider projection of the Noblex - spreading the composition roughly 10-12% wider. I feel the images look just a little more natural, if I can put it like that.

 

[valdas]

It may have been mentioned but in case not - there's this place in France that services Widelux (I have not used them myself): Widelux troubleshooting - Philippe Raybaudi Widelux troubleshooting

Good to know!

 

[Coldkennels]

the Widelux compresses this into a negative width of 59mm (if I'm not mistaken). The Noblex negative is 66mm wide.

I think the Horizon also used a ~59mm wide negative. The one big benefit of this slightly smaller negative compared to the Noblex is that you can print them on a 6x6 enlarger, however. It makes creating prints that little bit easier and more accessible.

 

[Ororaro]

The petfect camera already exists: XPAN.

A true workhorse

 

[osullic]

The petfect camera already exists: XPAN.

A true workhorse

I tried the XPan in 2002 when I was considering what panoramic camera to buy, and I didn't like it. I went for the Noblex instead and never looked back.
The XPan is not the holy grail that some people make it out to be.

It's also not really comparable to a swing-lens / rotating-lens camera. Sure, they both produce long skinny negatives, but that's where the crossover ends.

 

[Ororaro]

I tried the XPan in 2002 when I was considering what panoramic camera to buy, and I didn't like it. I went for the Noblex instead and never looked back.
The XPan is not the holy grail that some people make it out to be.

It's also not really comparable to a swing-lens / rotating-lens camera. Sure, they both produce long skinny negatives, but that's where the crossover ends.