Widelux
Buying Guide

The Widelux 35mm models are FI, FV, F6, F7, and F8. The FV was first made in the 1950's, and both the FV and F6 are the typical black-on-chrome of the earlier period. The more recent F7 and F8 are both black.

I've seen the F7 sell significantly more expensive than its older chrome siblings - even in worse condition. This is puzzling, because the design is virtually identical and the parts are the same. The natural tendency is to buy newer goods, but in the case of Widelux, this isn't really necessary.

Here's a listing of the differences between the models. Keep in mind that the actual shutter speeds may not be what's listed on the selector knob!

The newer helical gearing in the F8 was supposed to fix the vertical banding problems that some users have reported. But the current pricing on F8's seems to be 40% ~ 70% higher than F7's, while the only difference is the re-designed turret gear.

All:

• All-metal construction
• Coated 26mm 4 elem / 3 grp f2.8 lens
• 3 speeds
• Fixed-focus (apx 8 meters)

FI:

• 1950's
• Black on chrome
• Flash shoe (why?)
• 1/5, 1/50, 1/200
• f2.8 ~ f22
• Straight-toothed gearing

FV:

• Late 1950's
• Changed to f2.8 ~ f11

F6:

• 1960's
• Changed flash shoe to bubble level
• Changed to 1/10, 1/100, 1/250

F7:

• 1970's / 80's
• Changed to all-black body
• Changed to 1/15, 1/125, 1/250

F8:

• 1980's
• Changed to helical-toothed gearing

Because I've repaired a few of these Widelux cameras, I can attest to the mechanical integrity of the design. Normally, the Widelux is a very reliable machine - no batteries, all precise gears and bearings, all metal parts, just the right blend of simplicity and sophistication.

But, due to the unavailability of parts now, you really don't want a Widelux that has anything broken. I wouldn't buy on Ebay without an inspection period. Just as with classic Leica or Rolleiflex, a "mint" exterior could just mean the camera was never cared for, or perhaps wasn't used due to some problem.

Because the Widelux mechanisms are almost exactly the same (until the F8), the real condition is more important than age. It would be better to buy a perfect, yet older, FV than it would be to buy a used, yet newer, F7.

When inspecting a Widelux, check for the following conditions:

• Foam light seals around film back - Do they need replacing? Shine a bright light into the cracks around the turret - Does light leak through into the film chamber? If so, the turret must be removed and the buffer padding changed out.

• Film winding - The feel should be very smooth, and the knob should stop firmly at the end of a frame. Wind the camera a number of times and make sure the turret goes with each frame.

• Shutter speed regulation - The escapement gears will make a clean "hiss" as they spin. Listen carefully for any sign of non-uniform speed that would cause vertical exposure banding. (The condition can usually be fixed by a good repair technician - See the repair pages.)

There is a six-filter kit that was made for theWidelux F7 & F8. The filters clip on in front of the lens, inside the turret window. The kit has a UV, W2 & C4 (warming & cooling), YA2 (orange), Y2 (yellow), and ND2 (nuetral density). Of these, the 2-stop ND filter is probably the most useful, because the Widelux stops at f-11: With the ND2, you can load 400 ASA film, shoot an indoor market at 1/15, then walk outside into the sun at 1/250 with the ND2 installed. The 400 ASA film would be useful in all lighting.

A used Widelux often comes with leather case and strap, but these days they are rather out-dated so it's best to keep them on the shelf for the next owner. I find the best strap for Widelux to be the Leica M6 strap, with its minimalist design and small, secure clips.

There are slide mounts for Widelux, but of course you'd need a medium format projector to use them. Widelux is really a camera for negative films, not slides, due to the difficulties in exposing for such expansive images. You get sky, ground, shadows, subjects - Nothing beats the wide lattitude of C41 negs laid down on a nice panoramic film scanner.

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