Wish there was a new panoramic film camera? The Dude obliges, as Jeff Bridges is reviving the Widelux
(Image credit: ABC • Jimmy Kimmel Live)
No, it's not a joke. It's funny, but it's definitely not a joke: The Dude himself is making a new panoramic film camera.
Jeff Bridges – star of cult classics The Big Lebowski and Tron, Robert Downey Jr's nemesis in the original Iron Man, and part of the movie disaster that nearly broke Hollywood, Heaven's Gate – is a devotee of the Widelux. And now he is helping to produce a brand new panoramic film camera to resurrect the format.
• We need more movie stars to resurrect more of the best film cameras
The actor and his wife – Susan, a celebrated photographer in her own right – are joining forces with SilvergrainClassics, a magazine dedicated to analog film photography, to produce the new camera.
"Susan and Jeff Bridges had the idea for a long time of recreating the Widelux, but it wasn’t until they teamed up with Marwan El Mozayen and Charys Schuler from SilvergrainClassics that it became more realistic," wrote 35mmc.
"With the SilvergrainClassics team’s industry connections and proximity to manufacturing centers in Germany alongside the team’s collaborative efforts, the project has already produced a prototype."
If you don't know, a Widelux is a very (very) niche analog film camera from Japan that was produced from 1958-2000. Where traditional cameras have a shutter, this panoramic body has a "swing lens" that swivels from left to right, creating a 140° field-of-view exposure as it goes.
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This ultra-wide angle frame is incredibly cinematic, but also enables creative portaiture – including a double exposure-style effect, if the subject starts on the left of frame and jumps to the right as the swing lens pans across.
Jeff Bridges is the most famous devotee of the format, frequently taking behind-the-scenes shots and candid portraits of co-stars on set. He often brings it with him on talk shows and wheels it out in front of the audience, such as this appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live (video above).
If you love film cameras, check out the best 35mm and 120 film stocks. If you just love the look of film cameras, take a look at the best retro cameras that look vintage but boast modern mirrorless innards. And if you want to shoot film without the fuss, think about one of the best instant cameras!
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The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
