Xit

The Xit, introduced in 1894, was very similar to the earlier Shew Eclipse, a number of different lens/shutter combinations were fitted and there were many minor variations. The camera is usually finished in polished mahogany but some were polished black and others leather covered.

The name Xit derives from a character in a book by the novelist William Harrison Ainsworth.

Models

There was a lot of overlap between models and Shew would have made or altered cameras to meet a customer's requirements. Swing back with rack and pinion adjustment could be fitted to Aluminium and similar models. The models listed were:

Original

1894 - 1901. Square cornered bellows. Wooden view-finder. Lenses: Eclipse; Goerz; Zeiss; Dallmeyer Stigmatic; Cooke in Goerz Sector shutter. Sizes: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼"; 5" x 4"; 6 ½" x 4 ¾".

Junior Xit (early type)

Introduced before 1898. Shutter: Rotary. Lenses: Special landscape; Rapid rectilinear; Eclipse; Dallmeyer Stigmat. Sizes: 3 ½" x 2 ⅛"; 3 ¼" x 2 ¼". Available with or without aluminium parts.

Aluminium Series

1901 - 1905. Metal view-finder. Cross front was added around 1904. Shutters: Unicum; Bausch & Lomb Everset; Shew Rotary; Goerz Sector. Lenses: Shew f8; Shew Anastigmat f7.5; Goerz Double Anastigmat f7.7, f6.8; Zeiss f6.3; Zeiss Series III f8; Cooke f6.5; Dallmeyer Stigmatic f6; Bausch Aplanat f6; Aldis f6; Beck; Ross. Sizes: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼"; 5" x 4"; 6 ½" x 4 ¾".

Xit Goerz

1904 - c. 1909. An Aluminium Series Xit fitted with a Goerz Sector shutter and Goerz lens. Lenses: Goerz Series III f6.8 or Goerz Syntor. Sizes: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼"; 5" x 4"; 6 ½" x 4 ¾"; 5 ½" x 3 ½".

Koixit

1905 - 1909. An Aluminium Series Xit fitted with a Koilos shutter. Optionally leather bound. Lenses: Goerz Series Id or Aldis f6. Sizes: 3 ½" x 2 ½"; 3 ¼" x 4 ¼"; 5" x 4"; 6 ½" x 4 ¾"; 5 ½" x 3 ½".

1909 model

Shutter: Compound until c. 1914 then an N&S Accurate and later an Optimo. Lenses: Ross Homocentric f6.3; Tessar f6.3; Goerz Syntor; Tessar f4.5; Cooke Series III f6.5; Cooke Series IV; Aldis f6. Sizes: 3 ½" x 2 ½"; 3 ¼" x 4 ¼"; 5" x 4"; 6 ½" x 4 ¾"; 5 ½" x 3 ½".

Euxit

1909. Either glass or wire eye-level view-finder. Focusing lenses i.e. by moving front lens cell. Shutter: Compound. Lenses: Cooke 4.4" f6.5; Tessar; Dagor. Size: 3 ½" x 2 ½".

Junior Xit

c. 1907 - 1909. Sizes: 3 ¼" x 2 ¼".

• Model 1. Aluminium bound mahogany or leather covered. Shutter: Bausch & Lomb Everset. Lens: Goerz Series Id f6.8.
• Model 2. Aluminium bound mahogany or leather covered. Shutter: Koilos. Lens: Aldis f6.
• Model 3. Mahogany finish without aluminium binding. Shutter: Koilos. Lens: Shew rapid rectilinear.

Post Card Xit

c. 1902 - c. 1905. Not aluminium bound. Shutter: Unicum. Lenses: Shew f8; Aldis Anastigmat f6, f7.7. Size: 5 ½" x 3 ½".

Guinea Xit

Simpler construction without binding. Shutter: Shew Central. Size: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼".

2 Guinea Xit

Simpler construction without binding. Shutter: Bausch & Lomb T & I. Lens: Rapid rectilinear f8. Size: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼".

3 Guinea Xit

Simpler construction without binding. Shutter: Thornton-Pickard behind the lens. Lens: Rapid rectilinear f8 with iris diaphragm. Size: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼".

4 Guinea Xit

Simpler construction without binding. Shutter: Unicum. Lens with iris diaphragm: Rapid rectilinear f8 or Aldis f6. Size: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼".

5 Guinea Xit

Simpler construction without binding. Shutter: Unicum. Lens: Aldis f6. Sizes: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼" or 4" x 5".

6 Guinea Xit

Aluminium bound version of the 5 Guinea model.

Day Xit

1914. Leather covered. Shutter: Ibso. Lens: Cooke Series III f6.5. Size: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼".

Convertible Xit

c. 1900 - 1908. Rising front, swing back with rack and pinion adjustment. Extra long extension to accommodate combinable lenses. Shutters: Unicum; Bausch & Lomb Everset; Goerz Sector; Focal-plane. Lenses: Zeiss Protar Series VIIa; Dallmeyer Stigmatic f6. Sizes: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼"; 5" x 4".

Tele Xit

1905. Extending front. Shutters: Bausch & Lomb Everset; Goerz Sector; Focal-plane. Lenses: Zeiss Protar Series VIIa; Dallmeyer Stigmatic f6. Sizes: 5" x 4"; 6 ½" x 4 ¾".

Twin-Lens Xit

Shutter: Bausch & Lomb; Thornton-Pickard roller-blind; Shew Rotary. Lenses: Eclipse; Goerz. Sizes: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼"; 6 ½" x 4 ¾".

Stereo Xit

Shutter: Thornton-Pickard roller-blind. Sizes: 6 ½" x 4 ¾"; 6 ¾" x 3 ¼".

Focal Plane Xit

1901. Shutters: Goerz Focal-plane, speeds 1/25 - 1/1200, from 1905 speeds 5s - 1/1000. Lenses: Dallmeyer Stigmatic f6; Goerz f4.8, f6.8; Zeiss Unar; Collinear f5.4; Cooke f6.5; Bausch Anastigmat. Sizes: 3 ¼" x 4 ¼"; 5" x 4"; 6 ½" x 4 ¾".

Accessories

• Extension back with baseboard for long-focus lenses.
• Folding extension back with baseboard. This allows a larger plate size to be used.
• Double dark-slides for plates and cut-film or cut-film only. Edwards' patent slides are sometimes found on early models.
• Film pack adapter.
• Shewgraph changing box for 60 cut-films or 12 plates.
• Automatic changing box.
• Roll-film holder.
• Houghtons Envelope adapter.
• Mackenzie-Wishart slide.
• Focal-plane shutter.