Monthly Archives: August 2022

bellows, bellows, everywhere

Posted on August 21, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. A bellows is synonymous with film photography. For decades, a bellows was one means used to adjust the focal distance between lens and sensitive media so the camera could accommodate any subject distance from say a metre or two … Continue reading →

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watching you

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. The premiere binoculars pre WW2 were brands like Leitz or Zeiss or Ross. When the war broke out export of the binoculars ceased and they became military assets. This left the US struggling with its locally made products. Fortunately, … Continue reading →

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a screwy standard

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Standards mean repairs can be made outside the factory. They also mean third parties can make accessories that will fit products from many makers. This applies to photography too. You can usually mount a camera to any tripod. Accessories … Continue reading →

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bravely optimistic

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. The summer of 1943 found America at war on two fronts: in Europe against the onslaught of Hitler and in the Pacific against Hirohito and the Japanese. At this time, native American industries swung over to war production with … Continue reading →

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a TLR box camera

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In July, 1940, Kodak placed an ad in Popular Mechanics announcing its new “TLR” Brownie. The camera was short lived (1940-41) but did last a decade longer as a synchronized version taking flash bulbs. Aside from the bight full-size … Continue reading →

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going full circle …

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. … often meant starting over as perhaps the designer of this odd panorama camera did. The article in the December, 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics describes a clock-work camera that records a full 360 degree image in fifteen seconds … Continue reading →

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Duex Redux

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. The ad in the August, 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics brought to mind the camera Mark Singer presented at our Show and Tell meeting a couple of years back. The little inexpensive camera was only marketed in 1940-1942. Kodak, no … Continue reading →

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projecting a colourful 3D display

Posted on August 14, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. This article appeared in the September, 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics just a few years after Kodachrome arrived for 35mm transparencies created by an ordinary 35mm camera. Now these slides could be taken ready for 3D and projected so … Continue reading →

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see you in Montreal October 16th

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Montrealer and friend Sol Hadef sent me a note with this poster. Pre COVID, Sol was a regular table holder at our fairs and a member of the PHSC. Montreal is a beautiful city in the fall. I went … Continue reading →

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faking a fading light

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Earlier this year we discussed movie fades in relation to a polarizing filter set that could be affixed to many movie lenses for 8mm or 16mm cameras (a May 1940 article). A few month earlier, in October, 1939 another … Continue reading →

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