CAMERA AND ITS ACCESSORIES

A camera is basically nothing more than a light tight box with a pinhole or a lens, shutter at one end and
a holder of sensitized material at the other. While there are various kinds of camera from the simplest
construction (Box-type) to the most complicated, all operate on the same principles. The exposure of the
sensitized material to light is controlled by the lens and its aperture, and the shutter through its speed in
opening and closing the lens to light.

EARLY FORMS OF CAMERA

1. Pinhole Camera – a camera of simple design and construction usually home-made consisting of a box
having a small aperture functioning as lens at one end, the image being projected on the film at the other
end. FOCUSING SYSTEM FOR PINHOLE/ A PHINHOLE PHOTOGRAPH

2. Box Camera – a simple camera is little more than a pinhole camera. It has a lens and shutter. In the box
camera, the pinhole is replaced by the lens to enable the photographer gather more light to be recorded.

3. Camera obscura (Lat. dark chamber) was an optical device used in drawing, and one of the ancestral
threads leading to the invention of photography.

Main Kinds of Camera

1. View Camera

 The biggest and the most sophisticated among the different types of camera. A version of press
cameras; they have removable lenses, can be focused by moving either the front or the rear of the camera,
and are equipped with long bellows. The back can be moved or swung both vertical and horizontal axes
and its lens board raised, lowered or tipped. This flexibility enables the photographer to control the image
formed by the lens. Practically useless for Candid or action photography. Useful and effective in the
reproduction of small objects.

2. Reflex Camera

a. Single Lens Reflex (SLR) Camera  The term “Single lens” means that only one is used for both viewing
the scene and taking photographs of it, thereby preventing parallax. It has a detachable lens and is mostly
used in police photography.

Parallax - The difference between what is seen through the viewfinder and what is exactly recorded on
the film.

b. Twin Lens Reflex Camera  Employs 2 separate lenses – one for viewing and one for focusing, and the
second is usually mounted under the first, transmitting the light to the focal plane recording. The camera
has permanently fixed lenses and an automatic parallax adjustment. Its two lenses focus in unison so that
the top screen shows the image sharpness and framing as recorded on the film in the lower section.

3. Polaroid Still  This camera is restricted in its uses but ideal in instant photograph when there is no
requirement for enlargements.

4. Digital Camera- A digital camera (or digicam) is a camera that encodes digital images and videos
digitally and stores them for later reproduction. Most cameras sold today are digital, and digital cameras
are incorporated into many devices ranging from PDAs and mobile phones (called camera phones) to
vehicles.

Essential Parts of a Camera

1. Body or Light Tight Box – suggest an enclosure devoid or light. An enclosure, which would prevent light
from exposing the sensitized material inside the camera. This does not necessarily mean that the box or
enclosure to always light tight at all the time because if it does, then no light could reach the sensitized
material during exposure. It means that before and after the extraneous light, which is not necessary to
form the final images.

2. Lens – the function of the lens is to focus the light coming from the subject. It is chiefly responsible for
the sharpness of the image formed through which light passes during the exposure.

3. Shutter – is used to allow light to enter through the lens and reach the film for a pre-determined interval
of time, which light is again blocked off from the film.

4. Holder of sensitized material – located at the opposite side of the lens. Its function is to hold firmly the
sensitized material in its placed during exposure to prevent the formation of a multiple or blurred image
of the subject.

5. View-finder – it is a means of determining the field of view of the camera or the extent of the coverage
of the lens.

Camera Parts and Accessories

 Camera- A light tight box with a lens on one side and film holder at the other.
 Lens Opening – to control the amount of light the lens lets into the camera, a mechanism called
the diaphragm is placed behind the camera lens.
 Diaphragm - is a thin opaque structure with an opening (aperture) at its center. The role of the
diaphragm is to stop the passage of light, except for the light passing through the aperture
 Aperture - is a hole or an opening through which light travels.
 Shutter – a device that controls the length of time the light enters the camera.
 Film Advance Mechanism – is a motor which advances the exposed film automatically. A lever
that advances the exposed film manually.
 View Finder – is viewing the scene you wish to photograph.
 Flash Unit – we used a flash unit with a simple camera when bright sunlight is not available for
taking a good picture.
 Lens - Responsible in forming the image of the subject
 Holder or Sensitized Material – Located at the opposite side of the lens. Its function is to hold
firmly the sensitized material in its place during exposure to prevent the formation of a multiple
or blurred images of the subject.

Accessories:

 Tripod – is a three legged device which may be adjusted to any reasonable desired extension. It
is used to hold the camera when the shutter speed is low as 1/125 of a second to prevent
vibration.
  Light Meter – is a device used in reading the intensity of light that strike the object or subject.
 Extension Tube – a device use in photographing a minute objects. It is attach to the lens board of
the camera and the lens is attached to it when close- up photographing is necessary.
 Camera Grip – a device used to hold firmly the camera so as to prevent the vibration or movement
of the camera during the exposure period. It is attach to the body of the camera.
 Range Finder – is an optical device utilized for focusing the camera and calculation of distance
from the camera to the subject.
 Cable Release – this is attach to the shutter release button to prevent accidental movement of
the camera during the exposure period especially when longer exposure is made.
 Lens Hood – a device used to eliminate some reflection of lights which might destroy the image
cast by the objects, especially, when the light is coming from the top or side portions of the
camera. It is usually mounted in front of the lens barrel.
 Filter – is a colored transparent glass placed in front or behind the camera lens, used to transmit
light of some colors and hold back light of other colors, and to achieve correct rendition of color
in black and white, and creates special effects by over correction.

Major Types of Camera:

 View Finder Type – the smaller and the simplest type of camera, its view finder framed the objects
that will be recorded on the film.
 Single Lens Reflex Type – The best way to determine the entire coverage of the camera is to look
directly behind the lens of the camera. On this manner, the objects can be framed properly and
recorded on the film.
 Twin Lens Reflex Type – Basically, the twin lens reflex camera has two lenses, one for the viewing
and focusing of the objects, and the other is the taking lens.
 View or Press Camera Type – the biggest and the most sophisticated among the different types
of camera. This type of camera is practically useless for candid or action photograph. However,
this type of camera is very useful in law enforcement photography especially in the reproduction
of document and photomicrography.