Category Archives: history

a lens for all reasons

Posted on January 10, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. When Leitz first marketed the Leica in the mid 1920s, it was an innovative success. By 1933 other makers had competing cameras out. The mighty Carl Zeiss organization not only marketed cameras, but their Tessar lens was a excellent … Continue reading →

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a neater meter

Posted on January 7, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. One area of photography that absolutely demanded consistency in exposure was movies. Any unexpected exposure shift between scenes or reels was obvious and annoying to theatre goers, especially those who paid hard earned money for the movie experience. Weston … Continue reading →

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anchors aweigh!

Posted on January 6, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Those were the heady days of home movies when people lugged out the heavy projector and its awkward screen. Today, we call such marvels ‘boat anchors’ – not much value to a camera collector, and only good if you … Continue reading →

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daylight blues

Posted on January 5, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In the mid last century, one could buy daylight or tungsten transparancy (slide) film. The difference was in their white balance. Incandescent bulbs would have a colour balance around 2700 degrees kelvin and a special blue filter on the … Continue reading →

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boys will be boys

Posted on January 4, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Most of us have heard of the rivalry between Leica (Leitz, Wetzlar) and Contax (Zeiss, Jena) last century. On page 455 of the October 1935 issue of American Cinematographer,  Leitz, New York placed this ad to extol the virtues … Continue reading →

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the good, the bad, and the ugly – again

Posted on January 3, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. The last time I used this title. it was for a Leica accessory . This time it is camera design at and after the mid 1930s and the minicam revolution. Good camera design encompasses many considerations. Ergonomically designed, utilitarian, light, … Continue reading →

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riding the rails

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. View or Field cameras and Kodak folders, etc used a rail or two rails in parallel to move the lens, lens board (and shutter, if part of the lens) away from or closer to the sensitive media to capture … Continue reading →

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how to introduce a new revolutionary product

Posted on December 31, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Leitz, a few years earlier, taught photographers the virtues of an enlarged small negative to introduce their novel little camera with small negatives. Traditionally, much larger cameras were used. The camera size determined the size of the final print … Continue reading →

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De Cry of a desert victory

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. When America joined in against the Axis in WW2, the Hollywood studios and British studios made movies to support government involvement (and keep some actors at home).  The scene at left is a still promoting the movie “Desert Victory” … Continue reading →

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copy cats

Posted on December 29, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. I wonder who came up with the “small negative, big print” idea? I always thought it was Leitz as part of the minicam revolution and demonstrating that a negative can be tiny and still be enlarged for a great … Continue reading →

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