PhotoHistory

From: THE BARNET BOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHY 1898

The Hand Camera and its use

By W. Thomas.

What is the best form of hand camera? How often this question is asked, and yet how impossible to give any definite reply, with the conditions of use, and the requirements of each worker being so widely different. Some desire a form of apparatus capable of being closed up into the smallest space, weighing but the least possible number of ounces, with the fewest necessary movements, confined to touching a spring, or pressing a button, and the total cost not to exceed two or three pounds; while others do not care so much as to its possessing these qualities, if by a little increase in bulk, weight, and cost, it is capable of use in a less restricted manner, on subjects of wide variety, and under such conditions of light, and atmospheric effects, as when shutter exposures are being given, call for the maximum light passage to the plate.

Assuming the camera to be intended exclusively for use without a tripod, then it becomes not a difficult matter to point out its essential features. First and foremost, it should be characterized by simplicity in construction, and every part be easily accessible, complicated movements being rarely found necessary, except perhaps, to raise the price of the instrument. When being employed in the field, the camera and its working parts ought not to need the slightest consideration, each movement, whether they be few, or many, being made, without requiring troublesome attention at the moment when every thought should be devoted to the subject.

The component parts of an instrument, complete and effective for this class of work, may be taken to be a good lens capable of covering at f/8, a shutter, some simple means of focusing, adequate finders, and the means of carrying plates either in some form of magazine, or ordinary dark slides.

Each system of holder for plates possesses its own distinctive advantages, which are preferable, depending entirely on individual needs, or tastes. Some admire one method, and some the other.

When plates are carried in one of the many forms of magazine which cameras are nowadays fitted with, it is important when re-charging it, that care be taken to see each sheath and plate is laid true in its place, as the slightest irregularity at this point, means certain trouble when changing a plate after exposure, indeed, perhaps fifty percent of the misfortunes which occur when out at work, from failure to act of the changing arrangements, are directly caused by carelessness when laying the plates in the magazine. Given reasonable care in this matter, almost any of the modern automatic changing methods, may be relied on to answer satisfactorily. When however the slight additional bulk, weight, and it may be increase of cost is not objected to, then there can be no denying separate dark slides possess many and important advantages.

No need to fear a wasted day caused by some plate sticking, and rendering further work impossible, without having recourse to a dark-room which probably is miles away; and again, one must not overlook the opportunity they give of carrying plates of different degrees of sensitiveness, a matter of service when subjects to be dealt with are varied, such as, say, clouds and water, landscapes and figures. In the first case, when light is fairly good, the ordinary speed plate will be found amply quick enough during the daytime, and fifty percent cheaper in price. When open landscapes are being taken, during summer time, medium rapid plates generally will be quick enough, but many opportunities, for pictorial work, arise under conditions of atmosphere and light, in which to obtain fully exposed negatives with a shutter demands a plate of extreme sensitiveness, and if for no other reason than that they offer this opportunity of carrying a varied assortment of plates, many workers prefer dark slides to any form of magazine.

There are advantages, and disadvantages, with both systems, and it becomes simply a question for each worker to consider which fulfills his requirements best.

The Lens.

Good work can be, and is done, with cheap single lenses, but the opportunities offered are considerably restricted, what is needed, being such a lens as may be used at full aperture of f/8 or f/6, and will then cover the plate from corner to corner, sharply. This is necessary not only because the actinic quality of light is not always over good, but that moving subjects demand the shutter should be working with rapidity, sometimes indeed with considerable speed; under which conditions two factors are absolutely essential, a large working lens aperture, and a rapid plate. It is well, therefore, to buy the best lens you can afford, it more than pays in every way. For 1/4-plate work, a rectilinear of 5 or 5-1/2 inch focus, working say at f/5.6, and with iris diaphragm, by one of the best makers, will allow work being done under any condition of weather, or other circumstances, when shutter work is possible.

Finders.

Years ago, the question of whether finders were necessary, or not, in a camera of this kind, was a matter on which some at least expressed very different opinions, from those now held by most workers. Further experience has shown that when certainty in working is desired, some kind of finder is an absolute necessity as part of the working mechanism. It usually takes the form of a small camera-obscura, what is required being, that it should not be too small, should give a perfectly discernible image, and be so adjusted, that only so much of it is shown, as will be projected on to the sensitive plate, when the exposure is made. The reason of its importance is that it enables the subject being arranged tastefully, as well as ensuring that the whole of it is on the plate.

Where no attempt at pictorial work is intended, and the important matter is simply that the object being photographed should be in the center of the plate, then it is only necessary that the finder should show as wide an angle of vision, or a little wider than the lens being employed inside the camera. But when something more is aimed at, viz.: tasteful composition over the whole plate, then it is necessary to block out on the finder all excess of view, beyond what will be received on the sensitive plate.

The Shutter.

What particular form may be best is a matter of doubt, but whatever it be, exposure must be possible without vibration, it should give greater exposure to the foreground than the sky, and ought to allow of being regulated for exposures ranging from 1/4th of a second up to perhaps 1/100th, for ordinary work.

Where shutter work has to be done, which demands anything less than 1/100th of a second, then special shutters for the purpose are needed, but after having used hand cameras of one form or another for the last nine or ten years on such classes of subjects as are ordinarily dealt with, the occasions on which any greater speed than 1/30th of a second has been called for have been extremely rare. It may be said this would not allow of taking subjects such as a close finish of a cycle race and such like, which is quite true; did occasion arise for so doing, then a shutter such as the focal plane would be employed as a matter of course. But by far the greater amount of work done with hand cameras would be the better for receiving a longer exposure, better because light action on the sensitive plate would be more thorough, and far better because when slowly moving objects, such as waves rolling shoreward, are given 1/10th instead of 1/100th of a second, we get less of petrified naturo, and a more natural appearance in the resulting photographs. As a general rule it is well to give the slowest exposure possible.

The Focusing Arrangements.

These need be only very simple, and generally are done by scale to distances. As a rule with the lens working at f/11, and the scale set at 15 feet, it will be found that the depth of focus is sufficient for most ordinary work, and any alteration in the focussing seldom necessary, when dealing with subjects where figures are included, that are not required to be approached much closer than the distance mentioned.

So far as may be necessary for hand-camera work simply, the instrument should be without complications, is better for having a good rectilinear lens, needs a shutter easily adjusted for exposures ranging if possible, from a 1/4th of a second, up to say 1/100th, properly adjusted finders, some means of quickly altering the focus of lens, one or other method of carrying the plates or films, and for purely hand-camera work, there is no need for any other addition to it.

Passing away from the camera to its use, one is faced immediately with the fact that in spite of the multitude of such instruments now in use, the general average of results produced by its means are, in quality, unmistakably below those done with a camera and tripod, nor is the reason for this far to seek. In the latter case, a plate of medium rapidity is generally employed, such an exposure given, as makes no serious strain on the developer used to bring the latent image fully out; the action of light having been ample, and the plate not so easily spoiled, as one of higher sensitiveness, there is not that call for such skilful treatment, as where light action on a highly delicate emulsion, has been but brief, and needs to receive careful handling, before good, well-graded negatives may be produced.

To use a hand camera is the simplest matter imaginable, to properly employ it the most difficult — simple, because of the facility with which plates may be exposed, difficult, because to succeed demands careful practice, and a thorough understanding of photographic manipulation. We must have learnt to see, and that quickly, must have gained coolness and self-restraint, and perhaps not the least qualification necessary is that of being a good photographer. Whether content to produce good straight-forward representations of such scenes as come before you, or more ambitious attempts at pictorial work be made, they can both be done with the hand camera quite as well, nay indeed, given sufficient technical skill, and trained perception to see the beauty presented in line and mass, it is by no means clear this form of implement does not offer greater facilities for successful working, than the more complicated form used with a tripod.

The choice of subject is only bounded by the limits of exposure, speed of plate and actinic action of light available. The first has already been touched upon, when the lens, and shutter, were dealt with.

Plates have recently been so increased in speed that it becomes necessary to somewhat modify advice, which a year or two ago might have been perfectly correct, viz., to work with the fastest plate procurable. But there is this advantage now, as then, that if some convenient form of actinometer be used to test the light, we are able to judge at once what speed of plate will be necessary to deal with each subject as it arises. There are several forms available, amongst which the one introduced by Watkins, made so that it becomes a permanent part of the camera, answers remarkably well, especially as it cannot be left at home without being noticed. In developing shutter-exposed plates, if full exposure has been obtained, then the ordinary modes of procedure suffice, so also when over-exposure occurs, but by far the greater proportion of failures one sees in this class of work, arise simply from under-exposure. There seems so much charm in driving a shutter at its highest speed, and at the same time using the lens stopped down, to secure sharp definition, the wonder is not that failures flourish, but that any good work is done at all.

With regard to particular developers there is only this to be said. Whatever agent be employed, so arrange that before density is obtained, all the detail you require is first brought out; this simply means, if pyro is being used, it is kept low, until the plate is ready to be treated for density, then a further addition of pyro and bromide will generally suffice to rapidly finish off the work.

When a batch of exposed plates is being dealt with, a most certain method of negative making will be found in employing in one dish, either one or other of the following one-solution developers:

No. 1 FORMULA.
Amidol 20 grains
Sodium sulphite 1/2 oz
Water 7 oz

No. 2 FORMULA.
Dissolve in water 20 oz
Metol 75 grains

then add

Sodium sulphite 1-3/4 oz
Carbonate of soda (crystals) 1-3/4 oz
Bromide of potassium 6 grains

No. 3 FORMULA.
Sodium sulphite 1-1/4 oz
Carbonate of potassium 1/2 oz
Eikonogen 1/4 oz
Boiling water 12 oz

Any of the above developers will be found to rapidly bring out all there is in the plate, and if overexposure is feared, they may all with advantage be diluted, with an equal quantity of water, in order to slow down their action.

In another dish, it is advisable to have the following re-developer, to impart density to the plates, as they become ready for that operation, or to successfully deal with any, which are found to have been considerably over-exposed, and upon which the first developer is acting too vigorously.

RE-DEVELOPER. No. 1.
Hydroquinone 1/4 ounce
Sodium sulphite 2 ounces
Potassium bromide 1/4 ounce
Boiling water 12 ounces

RE-DEVELOPER. No. 2.
Washing soda 2 ounces
Sodium sulphite 2 ounces
Water to make 12 ounces

For use mix equal quantities.

By employing two different developers in the manner suggested, it becomes a simple matter to produce good negatives, from plates having had all kinds of exposures, some under, some over, and it may be some which have had about the right exposure; in this way one of the most fruitful causes of failure in the production of hand-camera pictures, error in exposure and development, is minimized, if not altogether done away with.

There are sometimes occasions when out with a hand camera, when subjects present themselves, offering exceedingly good opportunities for securing pleasing little pictures, but which require one or two seconds exposure to render them successfully. At such times it may generally be arranged to rest the camera on a stone, wall, or gate, or to hold it pressed against a tree, or some other rigid support.

For successful work, see that the camera is simple, its parts of the best your pocket can afford. Give the slowest exposures your subject will allow. Develop for softly modelled negatives first, getting what density is required afterwards. See that the camera is held perfectly steady, during exposure, and don’t forget it is simply a camera, and lens, and will require you behind it, just the same as any other employed with a tripod, and in conclusion bear always in mind, it is the simplest form of camera work and the most difficult, making the utmost demands on your skill, if high-class results are to be the outcome of its use.