This was one of the very few cameras made to produce stereo panoramic pictures, each one 11.7x20mm. Most roll film stereo cameras used 120 or 35mm film, but the Panorascope used Standard-8, originally made as movie film for amateur movie makers.

 

Standard-8 was actually 16mm film on reels of 25 feet. When used in a movie camera, the film was run through the body twice. After development, the film was split down the middle and joined to make 50ft of 8mm film for projection. The Panorascope used the full 16mm width of the film, minus the sprocket holes top and bottom and obviously only ran it through the camera once.

 

The camera was made in France and there were two versions. The first, covered in black leather, had twin fixed focus Roussel Microcolor 25mm f/3.5 lenses. This later version was covered in a more attractive grey leather and featured Angenieux 25mm f/3.5 focusing lenses. To ensure correct spacing between the stereo images, the film wind knob alternately wound through short and long turns. The camera had eye-level and waist-level viewfinders. Less than 2,500 are thought to have been made.

 

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