Camera Types

There are many kinds of cameras.

We will learn about some of them.

Any of them could be a digital camera.

Copyright Notice• Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA

• This presentation is for educational purposes only. No money is being made and is provided with similar allowances for other educators

to use for non-profit, educational purposes.• Images are from various sources, including many of my own. If you would like

to high res images I have shot, please visit www.DrewLoker.com for various work online.

• If you are the original author of any of the samples, pictures, text, etc. please let me know if you object to the usage and I will

remove your material promptly.

Photo by Drew Loker

Camera Types

• One guys collections with some 50+ film cameras

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/metalkpirate1day/2125008121/

Why So Many Different Types??

Mainly, for many types of uses.

But also because of technological improvements over time resulting in

similar models, but new features.

Image Size

One of the biggest reasons is

the size of the negative (or in

the case of digital, the

sensor).Left to right: 4”x5”, 120mm and 35mm

Main Camera Types (there are others)

• Single Lens Reflex • Twin Lens Reflex

• Viewfinder • View Camera

• Pinhole

• Any of the above can be a Digital camera. A digital camera is simply the medium that an image is recorded on.

Lens Based Camera Obscura, 1568

Pinhole Camera

“The Brownie” Camera

Pinhole Diagram

S

S

N

S

N

A

S

N

A

A

N

N

Sort of

N

Sort of

A

N

Sort of

ATo you, but not

to camera

S

S

Not Really

S

Not Really

N

S

Not Really

N

M

N

N

M

N

M

N

SNAAN

ASort

of

SNot Really

N

MN

MN

Sort of

Usages of Pinhole Cameras

• Learn how light works• Learn how cameras work• Artsy photos

Advantages of Pinhole Camera

• Very inexpensive• Easy to make one…materials can be found

from existing household items: oatmeal container (or similar item), aluminum foil and tape.

• Artistic impression• Maximum depth of field (area in focus)

Disadvantages of Pinhole Camera

• No controls• Long exposures• Can NOT view what the camera sees

Be sure you can:

• Determine which of the 15 features apply to each camera

• List the usages of your camera• List the advantages of your camera• List the disadvantages of your camera

Pinhole Camera

• this is like the Camera Obscura…just a light tight box with a hole and cover as a shutter. Matchbox Pinhole Camera

• a.       Advantages: Easy to use, inexpensive…can make from home materials, Artsy view of subjects (impressionistic)

• b.      Disadvantages: No controls, low pictures quality

Types of Cameras, Part 2

–Now it’s your turn

Types of Cameras

–5 Main Types (there are others)•Pinhole (me)•View (group 1, p. 68) – next to comp 1

•Single Lens Reflex (group 2, p. 55)•Twin Lens Reflex (group 3, p. 63)•Viewfinder (group 4, p. 49) – next to comp 21

*All of the above can be a digital camera

Types of Cameras

–5 Main Types (there are others)•Pinhole•View•Single Lens Reflex•Twin Lens Reflex•Viewfinder

*All of the above can be a digital camera

Viewfinder Digital Cameras

Viewfinder

Viewfinder

• Viewfinder - Uses a separate window for viewing as the lens for taking the picture. IOW, you are not really looking at a real live image. This applies to most P&S Digital Cameras.

a.       Advantages: Easy to use, “point and shoot” cameras, focus free, small compact cameras

b.      Disadvantages: Few controls…no creative picture control, low picture quality with the cheaper cameras (especially disposable with plastic parts)

SLR – Single Lens Reflex

• The Pentax K1000 and ZX-M are two SLRs we use. • Viewing & exposure is done through the same lens (TTL).

• Project 1 – K1000 - Every body shoots with (left)• Project 2 – ZX-M – a few available (right)

SLR – Single Lens Reflex

SLR – Single Lens Reflex

a.       Advantages: TTL is best way to acquire images spontaneously, with no parallax error, TTL light metering, usually have a wide variety of interchangeable lenses, a variety of controlled adjustments with a wide range of shutter speeds, exposure assisted by a CPU

b.      Disadvantages: Frequently have complicated controls, larger camera size, bulky when carrying extra lenses, shutter and mirror reflex system tends to be noisy

Nikons last Film SLR – F6

DSLR – Digital Single Lens

Reflex

• Pentax K100d DSLR we use in class.

Several Options with each Brand

SLR System

TLR – Twin Lens Reflex

• Uses two lenses synchronized for viewing and exposure.

Size of Imager (film or sensor)

It’s all about the size! The bigger the better, in film and digital. More megapixels is NOT necessarily better if they

have just crammed it into a small sensor.

TLR – Twin Lens Reflex

TLR – Twin Lens Reflex

a.       Advantages: Larger film size for high quality enlargements, TTL focusing due to the viewing and taking lenses being tied together, critical focus magnifier to give extra image detail, image always visible in viewfinder, even when the shutter is activated, convenience of both waist-level and eye level “shooting”.

b.      Disadvantages: Lots of controls, large sized camera, many models do not have interchangeable lenses, image laterally reversed from left-to-right in the waist level viewfinder, some parallax error.

View Digital Backs can be purchased for just about any camera. For a Medium Format camera expect to spend:

$30,000 or more!

View• Large format

camera that allows for control of the focal plane, especially for use for landscape and architecture.

View

View

View• This photo of a

mountain scene captured using a 4x5 View Camera and a 90mm wide-angle lens (roughly the equivalent of a 28mm lens in 35mm format). The foreground-to-background sharpness is a result of tilting the front standard, placing the focus plane diagonal to the film plane.

View

a.       Advantages: Allows for perspective and distortion control of landscapes and architecture, large film size allows for very large prints (poster sized), variety of special-use attachments, directly viewing of the image TTL, wide selection of lenses

b.      Disadvantages: Lots of controls, VERY large sized and heavy camera, most models require the use of a tripod, image difficult to see on viewing glass, takes considerable time to set up and use, image lost on viewing glass after film holder is inserted, photographer needs to know when and how to use the four standard movements.

ViewGraflex Pacemaker

Speed Graphic 4x5

Very much still available today

As featured in a recent movie…

Shooter in Brazos Bend State Park, South Houston, 10/31/09

ViewDigital Back Alternative - This shows how Keith Cooper

(http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/canon-view-camera.html) adapted his Canon 1Ds as a digital back for a MPP monorail view camera.