Odette Pix Panorama

The Odette Pix Panorama is an inexpensive camera for the 35 mm format from the company New Taiwan Photographic Corp. Its housing is made of plastic and it was produced in China. Similarly designed models were offered under various names and brands.

Haking from Hong Kong seems to be the producer. However, another company with production facilities in the People’s Republic of China could have been responsible for the production. One possible manufacturer could be the New Taiwan Photographic Corp (Ouyama), which had a production facility in Shenzhen and also produced cameras.

Camera features

The description of the features of the 35mm camera is brief, as there are not many details. It has a fixed focal length, probably 28 mm. Both the aperture and the shutter speed are fixed.

A light meter is missing, as is an autofocus. The focus is constantly adjusted from 1 meter to infinity. To get sharp photos, the distance to the object should be at least 1 meter.

Batteries are not required, as all functions are mechanical. A flash, tripod connection or self-timer function are missing, but there is an attachment for a wrist strap.

The panorama feature

The camera’s marketing focused on the panorama feature. Nevertheless, this is not a true panorama camera.

A usual 35 mm camera exposes an area of 24 mm x 36 mm. The Odette Pix Panorama, however, exposes 13 mm x 36 mm. This format creates the impression of a panorama, especially when the prints are printed in this format.

This ratio is created by a mask in the camera that covers part of the image. Although the plastic mask can theoretically be removed and the camera will then expose 24 mm x 36 mm again, the simple viewfinder will still show the panoramic format.

Such a panorama feature is found on many compact cameras of that era. In many models, however, you could switch between standard and panoramic photos.

For panoramic shots, you could also crop the photo using software.

Films for the Odette Pix Panorama

The camera can still be used. 35mm film is used in the Odette Pix Panorama. Nowadays, there are still 35mm films that can be developed by most photo services.

Suitable films for the Odette Pix Panorama include the Kodak Gold 200* for colour shots and the Ilford HP5* for black and white shots. There are of course many other compatible films for this camera. Both types of film offer reliable results and include 36 exposures. Other films are available from Fujifilm, Adox, Rollei, Foma or Lomography, among others.