One way of thinking of a camera is as an attachment point for a lens. Camera bodies will come and go, but a lens can last a lifetime, so it’s important to choose a camera “system” wisely. Lens mounts differ between brands, and so not every lens will fit every camera, although many may be adapted. For example, a Nikon lens purchased with the Nikon F in 1959 can still be used on a brand new Nikon autofocus digital SLR body, and that same lens could easily be adapted to fit on a Canon digital SLR.
Of course, many cameras come without interchangeable lenses, which means that as soon as the camera technology becomes obsolete, so does the lens. This is even more true of digital cameras which due to the fast pace of technology become obsolete more quickly.
The most variable factor with film cameras has been the film. Over the years, many different film sizes have been produced, and when they are retired, the cameras that use them become somewhat obsolete. I say somewhat, because many have extended their lives by adapting them to newer films which are currently available.
The most sophisticated technology in an interchangeable-lens, mechanical film camera was the shutter. Once auto exposure came into being, and with it the onset of electronics, the exposure system was the significant factor. Autofocus was next, and even more sophistication in autoexposure, where the camera contains reference information of literally thousands of different exposure scenarios. Still with all this technological advancement, the camera body remains the component with the least longevity and resale value.
Fixed-lens cameras have a different dynamic. As new models are introduced, some become obsolete and disposable, while others may become classic and collectible. Older mechanical cameras may still be worth servicing and maintaining, while for electronic digital cameras, there is simply no repair path. So, if you are particularly fond of your digital camera, take good care of it until you are ready to part with it. They are not as durable as their mechanical ancestors.
You can easily make a camera yourself, and this ability has lead to a significant movement in photography through the use of the pinhole camera. Take a suitable lightproof container, place an aperture the size of a pinhole at one end and a means of capturing an image at the other, and you have a pinhole camera. An aperture the size of a pinhole behaves like a lens stopped way, way down, and as such has infinite depth of field. So much in fact that focusing is not necessary.
The iconic pinhole camera is a cardboard oatmeal container with a pinhole made in aluminum foil on one side, and a piece of photographic paper taped to the other. The resulting paper negative is contact-printed onto another piece of photo paper, or using today’s technology, simply scanned and inverted. Taken to the other extreme, a sophisticated camera can be constructed of wood using 4x5 or larger sheet-film holders and precise, laser-drilled pinholes that create spectacular time-exposure photographs.
Cameras come in many different designs which are suited to different purposes.
The view camera is essentially a large bellows with a lens board on one end, and a sheet film holder at the other. Although primarily used for studio work, the more portable field camera can be taken on location to capture incredibly sharp and detailed landscapes. The lens and shutter are combined into a single unit, and a ground glass used in place of the film holder for focusing and composition, not unlike the LCD of a modern digital camera. Because the front and back of the camera can tilt and shift, perspective control and depth of field enhancement are built-in. Digital image capture is accomplished by replacing the film holder with a digital back.
The medium-format camera takes 120 or 220 roll film, or has a sensor larger than 24mm x 36mm. They come in SLR, TLR, rangefinder and viewfinder designs. Digital image capture is accomplished by replacing the film holder with a digital back, and integrated digital models are becoming popular.
The SLR or single-lens reflex is a TTL (through-the-lens) design which employs a mirror (the reflex part) to divert the image to the viewfinder for focus and composition. To take the picture, the mirror flips up and the shutter opens to expose the film. This enables the photographer to preview focus, composition and depth of field exactly as they will appear in the photograph, all in the same view. Digital image capture is accomplished by purchasing a digital SLR body that is compatible with your existing range (if any) of interchangeable SLR lenses.
The TLR, or twin-lens reflex uses two optical systems in unison, one for previewing the image, and one for capturing it. When one is in focus, so is the other, but parallax error and the inability to preview depth of field still remain an issue. TLRs typically do not employ interchangeable lenses, although one model, the Mamiya C330, did. There are no commercially-available options for digital image capture, although some have experimented with shooting the ground glass of the viewfinder.
The rangefinder camera surpasses the SLR in both quality and compactness, and uses a rangefinder, sometimes with an integrated viewfinder, to determine focus. However, depth of field preview is not possible, and unless specifically corrected for, parallax still remain an issue. Due to the elimination of the mirror box, the lenses, which are usually interchangeable, are set closer to the film plane and therefore more compact and accurate. There is currently only one model of digital rangefinder, the Leica M9.
The manual-focus viewfinder camera is the most economical to produce, combining an uncoupled optical viewfinder with a simple zone-focusing system. The subject-to-camera distance is measured or estimated and set on a focus scale on the camera’s fixed lens. Some cameras employ a small enough aperture that the range of sharp focus extends from about 10 feet to infinity. These single-zone cameras are known as fixed-focus. There are no commercially-available options for digital image capture.
The auto-focus viewfinder camera is the precursor to the modern digital camera. Combining a sophisticated auto-focus and auto exposure system with a fixed zoom lens, it is just one step away from the modern compact digital camera as we know it today.
The “compact” digital camera may or may not employ an optical viewfinder, but almost always uses an LCD display to preview the image to be captured as well as review those that already have. Although this is technically a TTL system, the resolution of the LCD display may be insufficient as a means of focus and depth-of-field preview.
The “bridge” digital camera is a more sophisticated version of the compact digital camera, with greater control over exposure and focus, and often employing an optical viewfinder. It has the physical appearance and layout of a compact rangefinder. Like the compact digital, it also contains an LCD which can be used to preview and review images.
The “super-zoom” digital camera is a more sophisticated, less compact version of the bridge camera. Super zooms have the physical appearance and layout of an SLR, but as the name suggests have a fixed zoom lens of unusually wide range. They use an electronic viewfinder in place of the reflex mirror for more reliable, TTL composition under bright conditions.
The “mirrorless” digital camera is an interchangeable lens camera that is more compact than a super zoom but with quality rivaling that of a DSLR. Its closest cousin in the film world would be the rangefinder. Many of these cameras are based on the micro-four thirds standard employing a 17mm x 13mm sensor (half the width and height of 35mm or full-frame digital). While the LCD is used primarily for composition, many also have optional, detachable electronic viewfinders, not unlike a rangefinder.
All digital cameras (with the exception of the Leica M9) are auto focus, auto exposure cameras, but may have limited manual exposure and even more limited manual focus capability.
Film cameras may or may not have auto exposure or auto focus, depending largely on their date of manufacture.
A quick guide to camera types and their uses. Keep in mind that any camera can be used for any purpose; it’s not the equipment so much as the photographer using it that makes the photo. However, as an example, a 35mm or digital SLR with an available tilt-shift perspective control lens may be more suitable for those shooting architecture than say a mirrorless digital camera with nearly the same optical quality.
View Camera - Studio, product, fashion, portraits
Field Camera - Landscape, architecture, portraits
Medium Format SLR - Fashion, product, portraits, landscape, nature, architecture, sports
Medium Format TLR - landscape, portraits, snapshots
Small Format SLR - Fashion, product, portraits, architecture, nature, sports, snapshots
Rangefinder - Landscape, nature, portraits, photojournalism, snapshots
Viewfinder - Lomography, snapshots
Compact Digital - Snapshots
Bridge Camera - Product, nature, portraits, snapshots
Superzoom - Product, nature, portraits, snapshots
Mirrorless - Landscape, nature, portraits, photojournalism, snapshots
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