The Viscawide-16 is a Japanese panoramic camera for 16mm film, which was manufactured by Taiyō Kōki from 1961 onwards. It is characterized by its unusual shape, the rotating lens and the panoramic shots in the format 10 x 52 mm, which according to the manufacturer it captures on 16mm film.
Lens
The Viscawide-16 is equipped with a permanently installed Lausar 2.5cm f/3.5 lens from Tomioka. The focal length is specified as 25mm (2.5 cm). The aperture can be set manually from f/3.5 to f/16. A special Viscawide-16 UV filter was available as an accessory.
The camera has no automatic focus or zone focus setting. The focus must be set manually using a distance scale. There is no lens mount for interchangeable lenses.
Exposure settings
The Viscawide-16 offers only two shutter speeds: 1/60 second (S) and 1/300 second (H). The selection is made using a lever on the side of the camera. Some models also have an "OFF" position, which serves as a shutter lock.
There is no integrated light meter. The photographer must estimate the exposure based on experience, external light meters or exposure tables. An exposure table is attached to the back of the camera.
Flash system
The Viscawide-16 has no integrated flash system and no flash connectors.
Additional functions
The camera has a simple folding viewfinder, a manual film transport lever with integrated frame counter and a small reset button for the frame counter. There is no self-timer. On the right side there is an eyelet for attaching a carrying strap. The camera has a tripod thread.
Dimensions and weight
The Viscawide-16 has dimensions of 121.8 × 53.8 × 47 mm and weighs about 300 grams (without film cassette). The compact size allowed photographers to easily carry the camera in their pocket.
Film recommendations
The Viscawide-16 uses special film cassettes labeled "VISCAWIDE-16 CO.LTD". The camera can process both perforated and unperforated 16mm film. There is no DX coding.
The film speed (ISO) must be set manually, although the camera does not offer a direct setting for this. The exposure must be adjusted according to the film speed used. Approximately 18 shots in 10×49/52 mm format are possible per film roll.
