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The Al Vista 7F is a swing lense camera that shoots a 6 1/2" x 15-16" photo on 7" wide film. It was sold with a second front that would allow it to shoot 5x7 plates as well.
Mine was incomplete , but with everything needed to work again. I don't have the bellows front for it, and the groundglass back was missing. I replaced the bellows, which was torn in a few places, cleaned the mechanism, reattached the clockspring to the post, and a few other things. It's working pretty well now. I have been using 7x17 sheet film and some cut down roll stock.
Front of the 7F, with the motor at the base.
Clockwork mechanism of the camera
My 7F next to a baby Al Vista, both with new bellows.
In order to use it I needed to measure the various parts of the camera and lense so I could get the right exposures, as none of this information was available.
Al Vista 7F
6” lense 7/16" slit
15-16 inch by approx 6.5” usable image on 7” wide film
lense opening .425” = F14.1
waterhouse stop opening .24” = F 25
serial # 5103
no fan 1/16 sec
#1 three second fan 1/8
#2 six second fan 1/4
#3 eight second fan 1/3
#4 ten second fan 5/12
#5 twelve second fan 1/2
Turns needed to advance film on modified cirkut spools
As spools are not easy to find I modified cirkut spools by cutting them down to 7" and turning doen the diameter of the spool ends to fit the camera.
11.5-12 turns from 1 to 2, then 11 (2-3) ,then 10 (3-4)
Superior Falls Springg 2006
POP print, 6.5" by 15"
Taken with the 7F , fan #4, F25, Verichrome pan film