{"id":488009,"date":"2026-03-21T17:56:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T17:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/488009\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T17:56:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T17:56:25","slug":"photographer-uses-a-legendary-retro-panoramic-film-camera-with-a-swinging-lens-to-capture-band-at-abbey-road-studios","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/488009\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographer uses a legendary retro panoramic film camera with a “swinging” lens to capture band at Abbey Road Studios"},"content":{"rendered":"

Panoramic cameras are typically used for wide landscapes, but one photographer repurposed a legendary panoramic camera with a moving lens to record a hip disco-rock band on film. At the Photography & Video Show 2026, I met a photographer who used a legendary panoramic film camera to photograph a band at the equally legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, England.<\/p>\n

Chris Lombardi<\/a>, a London-based photographer and self-proclaimed \u201cfilm nerd\u201d, used the Widelux panoramic swing-lens camera to snap The Great Leslie <\/a>during a recording session at Abbey Road.<\/p>\n

I met Lombardi at the Vintage Camera Hut<\/a> stand at the show earlier this week, and he gave me the lowdown on how the Widelux works and shared his photos from the band shoot, which I now have the privilege of sharing here.<\/p>\n

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Lombardi shot The Great Leslie, a disco-rock band at Abbey Road Studios (Image credit: Chris Lombardi (photographer) \/ The Great Leslie (Band))<\/p>\n

The Widelux is a swing-lens panoramic film camera that was introduced in the 1950s by Japanese firm Panon Camera Shoko. It became known for its unique design featuring a rotating f\/8 lens that achieves a 126-degree field of view for cinematic-style shots<\/p>\n

This unconventional camera was initially produced for 120 medium format film, but in 1958 its creators rolled out the Widelux F1 for 35mm. On 35mm film, the Widelux creates a 24x59mm image exposing the film through a slit which enables creatively distorting frames \u2013 which Chris took full advantage of at Abbey Road.<\/p>\n

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A legendary Widelux panoramic film camera at the Photography & Video Show (Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n

As if using this retro panoramic shooter at Abbey Road Studios, of all places, wasn’t cool enough, the actor Jeff Bridges is now bringing the camera back<\/a> decades after it went out of production.<\/p>\n

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The Wideluxx (Bridges’ rebranding), recreated by Bridge\u2019s company SilverBridges, went into production last year<\/a> and it combines the iconic f\/8 rotating lens with modern tech and durability, featuring a full-metal construction.<\/p>\n

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We don\u2019t know when the Wideluxx will go on sale, but Bridges already has working prototypes<\/a>, so my hope is that at some point this year we\u2019ll see this panoramic film camera make its legendary comeback.<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Chris Lombardi (photographer) \/ The Great Leslie (Band))You might also like\u2026<\/p>\n

Read our expert take on the best film cameras<\/a> and Music photographer Kevin Nixon\u2019s top 10 tips for concert photography<\/a>.<\/p>\n