A banquet camera is a type of large format camera used in the early 20th century for photographing large groups of people in formal occasions.

Specifications

The film format

Film format

A film format is a technical definition of a set of standard characteristics regarding image capture on photographic film, for either stills or movies. It can also apply to projected film, either slides or movies. The primary characteristic of a film format is its size and shape.In the case of...

 of banquet cameras were of narrow aspect ratio

Aspect ratio

The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...

, with formats of 7x17 in. and 12x20 in. being common. Their use died out as enlarging smaller formats became more popularhttp://www.clydesoles.com/PhotoGallery/Galleries/Banquet.html wide angle lens use increased, and the snapshot aesthetic

Snapshot aesthetic

The term snapshot aesthetic refers to a trend within fine art photography in the USA from around 1963 . The style typically features apparently banal everyday subject matter and off-centered framing. Subject matter is often presented without apparent link from image-to-image and relying instead on...

became acceptable to record even highly formal events. See
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/fashion/weddings/banquet-photos-put-everyone-in-the-picture-field-notes.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=banquet%20camera&st=cse