Taiyokoki Viscawide-16 ST-D

The Viscawide is an unusual, brick-shaped 16mm panoramic camera from the early 1960's with a 120 degree angle of view. The camera is just under 5" wide, just over 2" deep and just under 2 " tall -- one on the largest subminis. And it's pretty heavy, too! There were at least two, nearly identical, models made. The first model had speeds of H (High), S (Slow), and OFF, while the second model had speeds of H, and S only. H on both models is 1/300, while S is 1/60. McKeown reports that the image size is 10x46mm. Spy Camera lists the image size as 10x52mm. The image size on the model I examined is definitely 10x49mm. Where these other authors got there measurements from is unknown. Perhaps they took somebody's word for it, or perhaps the model II had a different format size, and perhaps there is a model III, as well. Two special cassettes are required, but the camera can use 16mm film with any type of perforations. The camera unfortunately does not have a tripod socket or cable release which would make enlargements from panoramic negatives more feasible. But the bottom of the camera is flat so that the camera can be easily used on any flat surface for stability. All models have a 25mm (f3.5 - 16.0) rotating, but non-focusing lens. Persumably, the lens on all models is set to allow infinity focusing, even when opened up all the way to f3.5. Filters were available and are of the slip-on type. They are about 15mm in diameter. Ten exposure were produced on each roll of film. The camera had a pop-up, wire-frame sports-finder on the top for composition. For information about reloading these cassettes, proceed to the DARKROOM section of the SUBCLUB.

Here's a shot taken with a Viscawide: