A PHOTOGRAPHIC GUN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 683, 8 July 1882, Page 2

A PHOTOGRAPHIC GUN.

The Engineer says “In taking instantaneous photographs it is wel] known that some difficulty is experienced in bringing the object into the field of the camera. The process of taking aim at, for instance, a moving object such as a ship, has sometimes to be repeated several times, and in the end the result is unsatisfactory. M Marrey has, to get over the difficulty} designed a photographic gun. This is neither more nor less than a very large revolver, with a stock to put to the shoulder. The barrel is a telescope—that is to say, it contains the lenses of a camera ; there are sixteen apertures which take the place of the chambers. The photographer puts in a sensitized plate behind these apertures, and performing an operation analogous to cocking the weapon, he is ready for the field. On seeing a flying bird lie takes aim and pulls the trigger, the chamber revolves once, and in one second he obtains sixteen little pictures of the bird in various positions. Hitherto M. Marrey has made use of his photographic gun for the purpose o I investigating the flight of birds. In this case clearness of definition is or little consequence, so long as a dark image or silhouette the shape of the bird is obtained, so that it matters little whether the object aimed at be focussed or not; but it is obvious that in a multitude of other cases the image can be obtained perfectly in focus. Indeed, it will be seen that the system of thus carrying a small camera to be steadied against the shoulder admits of extension, and may prove of the utmost service to the photographer.