Revue Panorama

The Revue Panorama is an inexpensive camera for the 35 mm format. It has a plastic housing and comes from China. Similar models were available under different names and brands. This model was sold by the German photo dealer Foto Quelle.

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

Features of the camera

The list of features of the 35mm camera is brief, as there is little to highlight. It has a fixed focal length, probably 28 mm. Both the aperture and the shutter speed are fixed.

There is no light meter. There is also no autofocus. The focus range is fixed between 1 metre and infinity. For relatively sharp pictures, the distance to the subject should be at least 1 metre.

Batteries are not required, as all functions are manual. There are no features such as a flash, tripod connection or self-timer. However, a holder for a wrist strap is available.

The panorama feature

In the marketing of the camera, the panorama feature was particularly emphasised. However, it is not a true panorama camera.

A conventional 35 mm camera exposes a size of 24 mm x 36 mm. The Revue Panorama, on the other hand, only exposes 13 mm x 36 mm. This format creates the appearance of a panorama, especially when printing photos in this ratio.

The special format results from an aperture in the camera that hides part of the image. This plastic diaphragm can in principle be removed, so that 24 mm x 36 mm is exposed again. However, the simple viewfinder still shows the panorama format.

This panorama feature was common in many compact cameras of the time. In many models, you could switch between standard and panorama photos.

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

Films for the Revue Panorama

Of course, the camera can still be used. 35 mm films are used in the Revue Panorama. Nowadays, 35mm films are still produced and can be processed without any problems at many developing services.

Suitable films for the Revue Panorama are the Kodak Gold 200* for colour shots and the Ilford HP5* for black and white shots. There are, of course, many more films suitable for this camera. Both films deliver reliable results and contain 36 exposures. Additional film options include Fujifilm, Adox, Rollei, Foma and Lomography.