SUMMARY
Panoramic cameras have a long history, beginning with Friedrich von Martens' 1844 Megaskop-Kamera. Early significant models include the Cirkut Camera (1905-1949), which captured 360° images, and the Panon (1952) and Widelux (1959) swing-lens cameras. Fujifilm's 1998 TX-1, known as the Hasselblad XPan, offered dual-format capability. While digital cameras now often emulate panoramic formats through cropping and stitching, a new, more reliable version of the Widelux, called the WideluxX, has become available for preorder.
TAKEAWAYS
Panoramic cameras date back to 1844 with the German Megaskop-Kamera.
The Cirkut Camera (1905-1949) was the first truly successful model, producing large-format panoramic images.
Swing-lens cameras like the Widelux and the Fujifilm XPan (Hasselblad XPan) offered unique panoramic capabilities.
Modern digital cameras and a new WideluxX film camera continue the legacy of panoramic photography.