box camera in a lot from a recent auction
Toronto. And here we are once again at an official boxing day! To commemorate this event, at left is an old film box camera from a recent auction lot.
Box cameras are the basic camera design: a fixed focus lens with a stop fast (small) enough to give fixed focus from a few feet to infinity (or using a couple of waterhouse stops to vary the aperture size) ; a sensitive media; a rigid means to correctly separate the media and lens; and a way to point/frame the shot.
A slow shutter speed(s) and daylight make sure the exposure is enough to give a decent negative. Steady hands and/or tripods were a great help in the days before optical stability mechanisms and fast media.
More elaborate camera designs allowed adjustments for aperture, speed, and focus as well as a means to view/frame the subject, measure distance to the subject and possibly collapse the camera or lens for carrying and storage. Or even focal length. Piece of cake!
Of course those who grew up in this digital era and its smartphones don’t see any need for collapsing means, light gauging, etc, etc. Just press and send …
Now off to the store for traditional boxing day bargains!
