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 following cameras listed produce an image of at least 110 degrees wide and some take a picture of 360 degrees, a full circle. Obviously, there were other Panoramic Cameras patented and made by their inventor that are not included in the list. The writer has researched hundreds of United States patents of photographic items, like a folding 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 the 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. There were a number of American and foreign military Panoramic Cameras that were manufactured that are not included in this text. The American military manufacturers were companies as: Fairchild, Hylon, Actron, Solar Aircraft, Perkin Elmer, ITEK, CAI, and others. 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 hand crank driven swing lens Panoramic camera that used Daguerreotype plates 19 to 24 inches long. Camera had an 8-inch focal length lens and covered around 150 degrees arc picture.
1844----Friedrich von Martens, a German living in Paris, France made the swing lens, operated by a handle and gears, the Megaskop Camera. First model used 4.7" X 15" curved Daguerreotype plates that had a 150 degrees 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 360 degree field of view, using the same principle of the Cirkut Camera of 1904.
1857----Ross of New York developed a Scioptric camera that took a 120 degree 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. 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 made of 120 degree arc at f-12 on curved plates using a spherical lens filled with water to achieve the wide-field effect. 1862----Johnson and Harrison Pantascopic Camera which produced a 110 degree view on 7-1/2" X 12" flat Collodion 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. Mangin's Perigraphs Instantane made in Paris by Bardon and made a 360 degree sweep with a special lens that gave a long strip photograph.
1882----Paul Lieselang Rotations-Apparat Camera made in Germany. Similar to 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 France was granted a patent for a rotating lens Panoramic Camera called the Cylindrographe which covered 170 degree field of view and was rotated by hand to expose the film.
1887----J. R Cannon, a Canadian, patented a simple cycloramic camera fitted with a lens of fixed focus. The film traveled between two rollers while the camera was turned by hand on the optical center of the lens and could accomplish a 360 degree picture.
1889----Rudolph Stirn of Berlin made a 360 degree 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 Dames of Paris built the cyclographe Camera which could make 360 degree pictures (8.5 cm. X 80 cm.) On a key-wind clockwork driven mechanism. Later, Dames also made a Panoramic stereoscoppic 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, which was a 360 degree 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" picture was available. The 10" X 30" model cost $250 while the 16" X 43" model cost $300. Was patented by Mathias Flammang in 1894.
1898----The No. 4 Al-Vista Panoramic Camera was made by Multiscope & Film Co. Of Burlington, Wis., and was invented by Peter N. Angsten and Charles H. Gesbeck in 1896. Used 4" film with 160 degree field of view and 12" long exposure.
1899----No. 4 Kodak Panoram Camera made by Eastman Kodak Co. Of Rochester, NY used 103 film and had a 142 degree field of view with a 3-1/2" by 12" photograph.
1900----No. 1 Kodak Panoram introduced by Eastman Kodak and patented by Frank A. Brownwell in 1901. Used 105 film and gave a 112 degree 2-1/4" by 7" picture.
1900----Caleb Panoramique Camera was a hand held swing lens box camera made in France. It made 180 degree 3-1/4" by 10-5/8" picture.
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 360 degree 2-3/4" by 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----George Lawrence of Chicago IL., built swing lens Panoramic cameras in seven sizes varying from 10" x 24" to 26" x 96". In 1906 he made the world famous Panorams of the San Francisco earthquake.
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----Frederick W. Mueller of Baltimore, MD, made and patented a 360 degree Cyclorama camera using the revolving lens principle. Before WW1 one of his cameras was used for the first aerial photos taken using a U.S. Navy plane. The Germans offered Mueller $25,000 for his aerial panoramic camera, but no deal was made due to the outbreak of war.
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 No. 10 and No. 16 Cameras were now manufactured by the Rochester Panoramic Camera Co. Of Rochester, NY. They made up to 360 degree 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 on customers own 5" X 7" camera. Can make 360 degree 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 No. 6 and No. 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 360 degrees.
1907----Ernemann of Germany produced the Rundblick-Kamera patented by August Muller and Johann Klein. It could take 360 degree on 120mm 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 9 cm. X 18 cm. Panoramic pictures on glass plates using a focal plane shutter>
1908----The Bell Panorama invented by Isaac A. Bell of Crinnell, 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 140 degree 3-1/2" X 12" picture on standard 103 roll film. It was marketed by Sears, Roebuck & Co. In their catalogs, and also sold by Northern Photo Supply Co. 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 6 cm. X 13 cm. Panoramic pictures on plates using 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 3 cm. X 8 cm. Exposure.
1915----The clockwork-slit No. 5 Cirkut Camera was presented by the Folmer & Shwing Division of the Eastman Kodak Co. Of Rochester, NY and patented by William F. Folmer in 1918. The camera could make a 360 degree exposure on 5" roll film and was the smallest most compact Charcot manufactured.
1926----The swing-lens 3A Kodak Panoram was announced by the Eastman Kodak Co. Of Rochester, NY. It Made a 120 degree 3-1/4" X 10-3/8" picture on standard 122 roll film, and was patented by William A. Riddell in 1926.
1930----Oscar Barneck, 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 No. 6 Charcot Camera was entered into production by Folmer-Graflex of Rochestre, NY. This camera was capable of making a 360 degree picture on 6" roll film.
1932----W. B. Osborne designed his Osborne Photo Recording Transit, a swing-lens panoramic camera made by Lupoid-Volpel of Portland, Or. It was used by the USDA Forest Service and turned out 120 degree 6" X 14" photographs.
1943----U. S. Navy aircraft torpedo camera made by Solar Aircraft Co., Russell Vought Div., San Diego, CA, that used 120 film and made 2-1/4" X 7-1/4" photographs. It was a stationary wide angle camera that had a torpedo/plane alignment that showed the torpedo launch and impact results.
1944----Fairchild Camera Corp., USA, made a U. S. Air Force Panoramic Aerial "Strike Camera" that made 180 degree 2-1/4" X 10" picture on 70mm film with a Carl Zeiss 3" lens and a rotating prism. It was supplied with a 250' film magazine and used the aircraft power supply.
1948----The swing lens revolving slit Panon Wide Angle Camera made a 140 degree 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 Charcot 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 90 degree 2-1/4" X 7" pictures on standard 120 roll film, where it had detachable ground glass back and film magazines.
1958----The swing-lens revolving slit Russian FT-2 35mm Panoramic Camera made a 120 degree 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 with a travelling-slit shutter could make 360 degree pictures.
1958----The swing-lens revolving slit Widelux 35mm Model FV was introduced by the Panon Camera Co., Ltd. of Japan. It made 140 degree 25mm X 60mm negatives.
1960----Veriwide 100 wide angle stationary camera made by Ploubel & Co. Of Frankfurt, Germany produced 100 degree 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 120 degree 10mm X 46mm negatives.
1963----Panophic with a travelling-slit shutter produced 140 degree 5cm X 12cm 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 120 degree photographs.
1969----Sea Gull RL-360 Panoramic Camera manufactured by the Shanhel Camera Factory No. 4, China, which used 8" black and white roll film. The electrically driven camera can make 360 degree pictures. The Chinese produced this camera for their photographers to replace the aging No. 8 Charcot Outfits they have.
1970----Zeiss-Ikon Contarex Hologon Ultrawide 110 degree angle of view camera, with 35mm full frame picture, fixed focus, focal plane 1-1/500 sec. shutter, and Carl Zeiss Hologon 15mm f 8 fixed aperture lens.
1973----Cyclo-Pan 70 360 degree 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 6cm X 12cm pictures on 120 roll film.
1976----I-Pan, a stationary camera, made a 81 degree picture on 35mm film.
1977----Art Panorama 240 with a Seiko shutter, manufactured by Tomimaya Seisakusho Co. Of Japan on 120 film made a 60mm X 240mm image.
1978----Brooks-Veriwide, a fixed camera, made by Burleigh Brooks, Inc. Of Englewood, NJ makes a 6cm X 12 cm picture on 120 roll film.
1979----Hulcherama, Model 120 can make 360 degree photograph on 120 or 220 roll film. The slit camera is battery powered and made by Charles A. Hulcher Co. Of Hampton, VA.
1981----Globuscope 360 degree 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 360 degree slit camera battery powered by a electronically governed motor, produced by Alpa-Pignons S.A. of Switzerland, where it uses 70mm film or 220 roll film.
1985----Panoscope Model 35/35 and Model 65/70 Panoramic Cameras made by Seitz Phototechnic AG,Switzerland, which were 360 degree battery powered slit cameras.
1986----Electropan provided by Photo Connection of Laguna Hills, CA. which is a 145 degree rotating battery powered 120 roll film swing lens camera that takes a 2" x 4-3/4" photograh.
1987----Widelux 1500 made by Panon Camera Shoko Co., of Japan. It is a 150 degree, 120 roll film swing lens camera that takes a 50mm by 122mm image.
1988----Roundshot made by Seitz Phototechnic AG, Switzerland where it was available in four sizes of film (110, 35mm, 70mm-220, and 5"). The 360 degree slit camera is battery powered.
1990----Cyclops Wide-eye, a 110 degree, 120 roll film, a mechanical swing lens camera manufactured by Double W. Inc. Of Gulliver, MI.
1990----Corrales 360 degree slit-scan 35mm camera produced by Corrales Camera, Whittier, CA. where 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 a 2-1/4" by 5" 120 degree image. Camera is lensless using a pinhole for film exposure and is made by Mottweiler Photographic of Santa Fe, N.M.
1992----V-Pan Panoramic Camera which is a 6cm by 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 120 degree 24mm by 58mm image. This Russian made swing lens camera is handled by Bogen Photo, Ramsey, NJ.
1992----Noblex Pro makes a 146 degree 50mm by 120mm image on 120 roll film. The rotating slit drum is battery powered and the camera is manufactured by Kamera Werke, Noble, Dresden, Germany.
1992----Roundshot Super Camera made by Seitz of Switzerland and designed for interchangeability with Hasselblad Bayonet lenses. Makes 360 degree images with battery power on changeable 70mm and 220 film magazines.
1993----Cyclops Mark III One Forty made by Double W. Gulliver, MI. A 140 degree swing lens battery powered camera that uses 120 or 220 roll film.
1993----Fuji GX617 from Japan, a fixed 6cm by 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 146 degree rotating lens Panorama camera made by Kamera Werke, Noble, Dresden, Germany that is battery powered and uses 120 roll film.