Evening star., 1952-11-09
Camera Angles:

VIC 1CSuIIlC IOQdy OuI BlOSSdTy
Of Photographic terms intended
to aid beginners who sometimes
find it difficult to interpret some
of the terms and phraseology
encountered in articles on pho
Biography.
Quite often we hear Of "cam-
era movements" This does not
refer to picking up the camera
and moving it bodily. but to the
several adjustments which make
certain cameras adaptable to
architectural and commercial
studies. Almost everyone who
has taken a picture Of q build
ing, especially q tall one, has
noticed that the vertical lines
appear to converge. To correct
for this phenomenon and others,
certain cameras are designed to
compensate for undesirable ef-
fects sometimes evident in pic
lures made with cameras hav-
ing immovable fronts and backs.
The focusing adjustment is
one common to most inStru-
ments. This is the bellows ar
rangement which permits the
distance from lens to film to be
changed either by moving the
camera back or the lens forward
or backward. A few amateur
cameras permit adjustment of
the front which holds the lens.
A fairly common adjustment al
lows the front to be raised in a
vertical line without making any
relative angular or lateral
change between film and lens.
This is called the rising front.
A falling front permits the low
ering of the lens without lateral
or angular change.
Lateral Adjustments
Other possible movements Of
the front or lens of the camera
are lateral adjustments, swing
ing, and fitting provisions. In
the lateral adjustment, the lens
board is moved left or right
while it remains parallel to the
film plane. A fitting lensboard
will swing forward or backward
providing an upward Or down.
ward tilt of the optical axis Of
the lens. The optical axis of
the lens may be swung to left
or right with a swinging front. ,
Similar camera movements
are to be found in view cameras
which also have adjustable
backs whereby the film plane
can be changed. For example,
the back can be rotated around
its vertical axis by moving one
side forward while the other
side retractS. The back may
also be tilted forward or back
ward. 1t is not often that the
amateur will be called upon to
use these camera movements,
even if his camera allows them
to be made. They can be most
effectively used, however, when
photographing large groups of
people who are posed in depth.
In camera club discussions we
often hear the word "contrasty"
used. This is a word to de-
scribe a negative or print which
is lacking in normal tone ranges.
A contrasty print or negative
will show great differences in
density between the shadow and
highlight areas. A contrasty
negative is caused by override
velopement while the contraSty
print is the result of using the
wrong grade of paper. If there
is excessive contrast, correction
can be made when making the
print if a soft grade of paper
is used.
Cooted Lenses
The coated lens" is no longer
q novelty but is considered
standard equipment for new
cameras. The coating is applied
to lenses to improve the trans
mission of light while cutting
down the reflections that occur
between the lens surfaces. The
coating is obtained by applying
q thin metallic film, only a few
millionths of inch thickness.
while the lens is being heated
in a vacuum. "A coated lens can
be recognized by a characters
tic color tinge which is not
visible on the surface of a lens
which has not received this
treatment. Uncoated lenses can
be coated easily and quickly
and your old lens should receive
this treatment If 1t Is worth
1lain0 of all