Re: info on swing lense cameras

[James Young <jamiehy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Clayton

THe Multiscope camera company started making al vistas around 1898 
and went out of business around 1910.
  They made a lot of different models.
  Baby al-vista -takes 120 film. It's kind of like a #1 panoram
Al vista 3b takes 3.5 by 9" photos
Al vista 4 original, 4A, 4B takes 4 x 12 photos
Al vista 4G takes 4 x 10 photos
Al vista 5A, 5B takes 5 x 12 Photos
Al vista 5D takes 5 x 16" photos
Al vista 5C takes 5 x 12" photos, plus came fitted with a traditional 4x5 back.
and another lense, so you could shoot 4x5 photos as well.fixed focus though
Al vista 7D takes 7 x 16" photos
Al vista 7E takes 7 x 21" photos
Al vista 5F takes 5 x 12" photos, plus came fitted with a traditional 
4x5 back behind the curved film plane and another whole front with 
lense and bellows, so you could shoot 4x5 photos as well.
Al vista 7F takes 7 x 15" photos, plus came fitted with a traditional 
5x7 back behind the curved film plane and another whole front with 
lense and bellows, so you could shoot 5x7 photos as well.
  don't know if I missed any, but the al vista cameras changed as 
improvements were incorporated over time. An early 4B al vista can 
have different fittings from a later one. The 4B and 5B cameras seem 
to be the most common. The 5D model seems to be fairly common as 
well, though less than the 4B and 5B.
Most cameras used waterhouse stops, though a few at the end had 
diaphragm f stops.These are rare. Exposure was controlled using fans, 
like a fan cirkut camera
They were made in Burlington WI. After Al vista ceased production, 
Conley camera Company made a swing lense camera like it. Much of my 
info came either from collecting them , or from a well researched 
article on the Multiscope camera company,  written by Bill McBride , 
who knows a great deal about al vistas. I also have a 1903 catalog 
from multiscope.

Kodak also made the panorams , with 3 different models.
#1 taking 105 film, but you can make 120 film work. Model versions 1 through 1D
photos were about 2 x 7 inches

#4 taking 103 film. Model versions 4 through 4D :3.5" by 12" image

The lenses were simple meniscus lenses, but there were some cameras 
fitted , I believe , for the overseas market, with goertz dagor lense 
and diaphragm f stops.

#3A taking 122 film : image around 3 inches by 10-12"

Josef Sudek did a lot of photography with a #4 panoram in the 1920's 
that's quite interesting.