Panoramic Cameras Time Line: 1843-1994
By Bill McBride
Post-1994 Information Provided
By Christian Fleury
Panoramic cameras have been produced for at least 150 years as of
1994 in various types and sizes in different countries around the
world. Most of the cameras listed make an image of at least 110º wide
and some can take a picture of 360º, a full circle. Obviously,
there were other Panoramic Cameras patented and made by their inventor
that are not included in the list. I have researched hundreds of
United States patents of photographic items, like folding a panoramic
camera, panoramic attachments, etc., that were "just" a
patent that the inventor was not able to sell to a manufacturer.
Many inventors patented their device then hoped to get "rich" from
it. They would use their "invention" and that would be
the end of it, as it was not commercially produced. An 1843 Austria
patent was discovered several years ago by Steven Morton of Australia
which starts off the Panoramic Camera list made for the period from
1843 through 1994.
1843 - Joseph Puchberger of Retz, Austria, patented a handcrank
driven swing lens panoramic camera that used curved Daguerreotype
plates 19 to 24 inches long. The camera had an 8-inch focal length
lens and made around a 150º image.
1844 - Friedrich Von Martens, a German living in Paris, France made
the swing lens, Megaskop Camera which was operated by a handle and
gears. First model used 4.7" x 15 " curved Daguerreotype
plates that had a 150º arc. A later model used wet plate curved-glass
emulsions.
1857 - M. Garella of England made and patented a rotating photographic
instrument, with up to 360º field if view, using the same principle
of the Cirkut Camera of 1904.
1857 - Ross of New York developed a Scioptric camera that took a
120º panorama on three curved glass plates, and was similar
to the Megaskop.
1858 - Charles Chevallier of Paris, France built a camera with a
curved plate which revolved, while the camera itself revolved in
the opposite direction on an axis under the plate. The camera had
radial shutters, limiting the surface of the plate exposed at any
one time.
1858 - Thomas Sutton Panoramic Camera made by Ross Optical Co. of
London, England. Pictures were of 120º at f12 on curved plates
using a spherical lens filled with water to achieve the wide-field
effect.
1862 - Johnson and Harris Pantascopic Camera which produced a 110º view
on 7 1/2" x 12" flat Collodian plates using clockwork controlled
by a vane governor which was made in England. A photographer named
Braun took 400 Alpine panoramas using this camera and was praised
for the "fine technical qualities, cloud and aerial effect".
1865 - Prout's Panoramic Camera from England.
1865 - The Rowland Panoramic Camera from England.
1867 - Silvy of England produced a circular-backed panoramic camera
within which he gradually unwound the sensitive sheet from a spool
through the camera.
1875 - Col. Mangine's Perigraphe Instantane made in Paris by Bardon
which made a 360º sweep with a special lens that gave a long
strip photograph.
1882 - Paul Lieselang Rotations-Apparat Camera made in Germany.
Similar in principle to the 1862 J&H Pantascopic except that
a handle and gearing apparatus was used to turn the camera instead
of clockwork.
1884 - P. Moessard of England was granted a patent for a rotating
lens panoramic camera called the Cylindrographe which covered 170º field
of view and was rotated by hand to expose the film.
1889 - Rudolph Stirn of Berlin made a 360º panoramic camera
called the "Wonder Panoramic Camera". It was designed by
an American, J. R. Connon and patented in America by Carl Stirn of
New York, The box shaped camera was made of wood and it used 3 1/4" film.
1890 - Jules Damoized of Paris built the Cyclographe Camera which
could make 360º pictures (8.5 cm x 80 cm) on a key-wind clockwork
driven mechanism. Later, Damoizeau also made a Panoramic stereoscopic
model that had paired lenses and two spools of film to pass two slits.
1891 - The Star Panoramic Camera made in New York was very similar
to the Moessart instrument, having a crescent shaped back carrying
a curved film, a bellows body and a lens moving on a pivot over the
optical center.
1894 - Marcellus Cycloramic Panoramic Camera made by Percy S. Marcellus
of Philadelphia, PA, was a 360º slit roll film camera. It was
available in eight camera sizes from 4" wide film to 18" wide
film.
1895 - Col. R. W. Stewart patented in England the "Patent Stewart
Panoramic Camera" which used Eastman roll film 3 1/4 " wide,
and utilized clockwork and a slit to take a picture.
1895 - Scovill Panoramic Camera made by Scovill & Adams Co.
of New York City was equipped with a swinging lens. Up to 18" x
48" pictures were available. The 10" x 30" model cost
$250 while the 16" x 43" model cost $300. It was patented
by Mathias Flammang in 1894.
1898 - The #4 Al-Vista Panoramic Camera was made by Multiscope & Film
Co. of Burlington, Wisconsin, and was invented by Peter N. Angsten
and Charles H. Gesbeck in 1896. It used 4" film with a 160º field
of view with a 12" long negative.
1899 - #4 Kodak Panoram Camera made by Eastman Kodak Co. of Rochester,
NY used 103 film and had a 142º field of view with a 3 1/2" x
12" photograph.
1900 - #1 Kodak Panoram introduced by Eastman Kodak and patented
by Frank A. Brownwell in 1901. Used 105 film and gave a 112º,
2 1/4 " x 7" picture.
1900 - Caleb Panoramique Camera was a hand held swing lens box camera
made in France. It made 180º 3 1/4" x 10 5/8" pictures.
1901 - Midg Panoramic Camera made by W. Butcher & Sons of London
was a falling-plate magazine box type camera using an achromatic
lens and a simple shutter that made 61mm x 165mm pictures.
1901 - The Lumiere Brothers Periophote gave 360º 2 3/4" x
15 " pictures where the film was held stationary on a drum while
the lens rotated around the outside of the drum. Lumiere also made
a special projector for the Periophote pictures.
1902 - Aptus Panoramic Camera made by Sharp & Hitchmough of
England was a falling-plate magazine box type version that produced
61mm x 165mm photographs with a simple shutter.
1902 - Hinton & Co. Dual Panoramic Camera had a curved back
that gave a 4" x 12" picture utilizing a swivelling lens,
and could also make flat 4" x 6" photographs.
1904 - The Turret Panoramic Camera from Brooklyn, NY was introduced,
which was a swing lens box camera that gave 4" x 10" pictures.
1904 - Cirkut #10 and #16 Cameras were now manufactured by the Rochester
Panoramic Camera Co. of Rochester, NY. They made up to 360º views
on a fan governed clockwork. The 10" wide roll film Cirkut Camera
was the most widely used panoramic camera used by the professional
photographer.
1906 - Century Camera Co. of Rochester, NY introduced the Cirkut
Panoramic attachment to fit customers own 5" x 7" camera.
It allowed them to make 360º pictures on 6 1/2 " film.
1906 - The French Krauss Deubresse Panoramic Camera was cylindrical
in shape. Film was curved on the cylinder while the lens and prism
unit was rotated by clockwork to produce a panoramic image.
1907 - The #6 and #8 Cirkut Outfit Cameras were introduced by Century
Camera Co. of Rochester, NY. The outfit could be used as a standard
view camera or be used with the Cirkut back to take panoramic photographs
up to 360º.
1907 - Ernemann of Germany produced the Rundblick-Kamera patented
by August Miller and John Klein. It could take 360º images on
120 film with clockwork that rotated the camera and wound the film
at the same time.
1907 - Minimum Palmos Stereo made by Carl Zeiss Jena, Jena, Germany.
Camera front can be shifted to take 9cm x 18cm panoramic pictures
on glass plates using a focal plane shutter.
1908 - The Bell Panorama invented by Isaac A. Bell of Grinnell,
Iowa was a stationary wide angle type panoramic camera. It made a
standard size picture of 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" as well as a panoramic
picture 3 1/2" x 11 1/2 " on standard 122 roll film.
1911 - Conley Camera Co. of Rochester, MN introduced their Model
A Conley Panoramic Camera. It made a 140º 3 1/2" x 12 1/2" picture
on standard 103 roll film. It was marketed by Sears, Roebuck & Co.
in their catalogs, and also sold by Northern Photo Supply of Minneapolis,
MN as the Queen City Panoramic Camera.
1911 - ICA Polyscop Stereo Camera made by ICA A.G. of Dresden, Germany,
where the front can be shifted to take 6cm x 13cm panoramic pictures
on plates using a compound shutter.
1912 - Doppel-Sport Panoramic Camera invented by Dr. Julius Neubronner
of Kronberg, Germany that was carried by a pigeon. A delayed action
shutter on the swing lens camera was set before the pigeon was released
and gave a 3cm x 8cm exposure.
1915 - The clockwork-slit #5 Cirkut Camera was presented by the
Folmer and Schwing Division of the Eastman Kodak Co. of Rochester,
NY, and was patented by William F. Folmer in 1918. The camera could
make a 360º exposure on 5" roll film and was the smallest
most compact Cirkut manufactured.
1926 - The swing-lens 3A Kodak Panoram was announced by the Eastman
Kodak Co. of Rochester, Ny. It made a 120º 3 1/4" x 10
3/8" picture on standard 122 roll film, and was patented by
William A. Riddell in 1926.
1930 - Oscar Barnack, the famed German Leica Designer, made a swing-lens
prototype 35mm panoramic camera. It was a crude example and, of course,
did not enter production.
1931 - The clockwork-slit #6 Cirkut Camera was entered into production
by Folmer-Graflex of Rochester, NY. This camera was capable of making
a 360º picture on 6" roll film.
1932 - W.B. Osborne designed his Osborne Photo Recording Transit,
a swing lens panoramic camera made by Lupold-Volpel of Portland,
OR. It was used by the USDA Forest Service and turned out 120º 4" x
6" photographs.
1952 - The swing lens revolving slit Panon Wide Angle Camera made
a 140º 2" x 4 1/2" picture on standard 120 roll film
which was manufactured by the Panon Camera Co. Ltd. of Japan.
1953 - Milbo Photographic Ltd. of Milbough, England, made a modern
version of the Cirkut Camera. It was all metal construction and powered
by batteries.
1956 - Burke & James, Inc., of Chicago came out with their wide
angle stationary Panoram 120 camera. It made 90º 2 1/4" x
7 " pictures on standard 120 roll film, it had detachable ground
glass back and film magazines.
1958 - The swing-lens revolving slit Russian FT-2 35mm panoramic
camera made a 120º 24mm x 110mm picture and was manufactured
by the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Factory in Krasnogorsk, USSR.
1958 - Panorax Z1-A made by Nippon Tokushu Koki Co. of Kawaski,
Japan, which used 35mm film and a traveling-slit shutter could make
360º pictures.
1959 - The swing lens revolving slit Widelux 35mm Model FV was introduced
by the Panon Camera Co., Ltd., of Japan. It made 140º 25mm x
60mm negatives.
1960 - Veriwide 100 angle stationary camera made by Plaubel & Co.
of Frankfurt, Germany produced 100º 6cm x 9cm pictures on 120
roll film.
1961 - Viscawide 16, a small rotating lens camera manufactured by
Taiyokoki Co. Ltd. in Japan. It used 16mm film and created 120º 10mm
x 46mm negatives.
1963 - Panophic with a traveling-slit shutter produced 140º 5cm
x 12 cm on 120 roll film. It was built by the Panon Camera Co. of
Japan.
1968 - Horizont, a 35mm pivoting lens camera made by Krasnogorski
Mechanical Factory, Kransogorski, USSR, and produced 120º photographs.
1969 - Sea Gull RL-360 Panoramic camera manufactured by the Shanhei
Camera Factory #4, China, which used 8" black and white roll
film. The electrically driven camera can make 360º pictures.
The Chinese produced this camera for their photographers to replace
the aging #8 Cirkut outfits they have.
1973 - Cyclo-Pan 70 360º Panorama Slit Camera made by Third
Media Enterprises in California. It is battery powered and uses 70mm
film.
1976 - Linhof Technorama 612 PC, a fixed camera from Germany takes
a 6cm x 12cm pictures on 120 roll film.
1976 - I-Pan, a stationary camera, made an 81º picture on 35mm
film.
1977 - Art Panorama 240 with a Seiko shutter, manufactured by Tomiyama
Seisakusho Co. of Japan on 120 film made a 60mm by 240mm image.
1978 - Brooks-Veriwide, a fixed camera, made by Burleigh Brooks,
Inc. of Englewood, N.J. makes a 6cm x 12cm picture on 120 roll film.
1979 - Hulcherama Model 120 can make 360º photographs on 120
or 220 roll film. The slit camera is battery powered and made by
the Charles A. Hulcher Co. of Hampton, VA.
1981 - Globuscope 360º 35mm slit camera with a fluid drive
spring motor mechanism made by Globuscope Inc., New York City.
1982 - Fuji G617, a wide angle stationary camera manufactured by
Fuji Photo Film Co. of Japan, takes a 6cm x 17cm picture on 120 or
220 roll film.
1983 - Alpa Roto 70, a 360º slit camera battery powered by
an electronically governed motor, produced by Alpa-Pignons S.A. of
Switzerland, it uses 70mm or 220 roll film.
1986 - Electropan provided by Photo Connection of Laguna Hills, CA.
which is a 145º rotating battery powered 120 roll film swing
lens camera that takes a 2" x 4 3/4" photograph.
1987 - Widelux 1500 made by Panon Camera Shoko Co. of Japan is a
150º, 120 roll film swing lens camera that takes a 50mm x 122mm
image.
1988 - Roundshot made by the Seitz Phototechnic AG, Switzerland,
is available in four film sizes; 110, 35mm, 70mm-220 and 5 inch.
The 360º slit camera is battery powered.
1990 - Cyclops Wide-eye, a 110º, 120 roll film, mechanical
swing lens camera manufactured by Double W, Inc. of Gulliver, MI.
1990 - Corrales 360º slit scan 35mm camera produced by Corrales
Camera, Whittier, CA. It is powered by a mechanical spring, handle
for rotation. Also sold as Spinshot 35mm Panoramic Camera.
1991 - Pinoramic 120 uses 120 film and makes 2 1/4" x 5" 120º images.
The camera is lensless using a pinhole for film exposure and is made
by Mottweiler Photographic of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
1992 - V-Pan Panoramic Camera which is a 6cm x 17cm view camera
using 120 film. Built by V-Pan Panoramic Cameras, St. Louis, MO.
1992 - Horizon 202 Panoramic uses 35mm film and takes a 120º 24mm
x 58mm image. This Russian made swing lens camera is handled by Bogen
Photo, Ramsey, NJ.
1992 - Noblex Pro make a 146º 50mm x 120mm image on 120 roll
film. The rotating slit drum is battery powered and the camera is
manufactured by Kamera Werke, Noblex, Dresden. Germany.
1992 - Roundshot Super Camera made by Seitz of Switzerland and designed
for use with Hasselblad bayonet lenses. Makes 360º images with
battery power on changeable 70mm and 220 film magazines.
1993 - Cyclops Mark III One Forty made by Double W, Gulliver, MI.
A 140º swing lens battery powered camera that uses 120 or 220
roll film.
1993 - Fuji GX617 from Japan, a fixed 6cm x 17cm format camera with
three interchangeable lenses (90mm, 105mm, and 180mm) using 120 or
220 roll film
1994 - Noblex Pro 06/150 HS is a high speed 146º rotating lens
Panorama camera made by Kamera Werke, Noble, Dresden, Germany that
is battery powered and uses 120 roll film.
Begin to mid 90’s – Lihnof comes out with the 617 S III
a newer version of the fixed lens Technorama 617, with interchangeable
Schneider XL lenses like 72 mm, 90 mm, 180 mm and the 250 mm ( www.linhof.de )
??? - Tomiyama Art, a japaneese manufacturer produces the Art Panorama
6x17
??? – Dr. Gilde Camrea, a german manufacturer Panorama camera
for 120 film with a selection of five formats: 6x6 cm, 6x9 cm, 6x12
cm, 6x14 cm and 6x17cm. Formats can be selected in the middle of
a film without the need for changing the magazin. (www.gilde-kamera.de)
Begin 2000 – a Chinese Manufacturer comes on the market named
Fotoman cameras and has 617, 612, 624 Cameras also they have a system
where you can use a big variety of lenses of all kinds of manufacturers.
At the photokina 2006 Fotoman comes like Linhof out with a Shiftadapter
also they redesigned the voigtlander Auxulary Rangefinder. (www.fotomancamera.com)
Begin 2000 – another new manufactuer names gaoersi camera
comes on the market with a 617 camera (www.gaoersi-camera.com)
2003 - Hasselblad and fuji comes out with the new xpan II or fuji
tx-2
??? – Widepan Camera a 617 Camera with a fixed Schneider 90
mm Xl lens ( not in production anymore )
2004 – Horseman introduces their new camera model a 617 camera
with interchangeable Rollfilm holders and Shiftoption (www.horsemanusa.com)
2005 - Hasselblad stops making the xpan ( because Fuji who made
the cameras for them like their own xpan model which was named tx-1,
later tx-2 stopt making film cameras also fuji stops to produce their
617 model
2006 – Linhof gives the Technorama 617 SIII a darkslide and
optional Shiftadapter also introduces the Schneider 110 mm Xl lens.to
the System. (www.linhof.de )
2007 – Ebony comes out with a 617 view Camera (www.ebonycamera.com)
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