CAMERA NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1024, 16 November 1912, Page 4

CAMERA NOTES.

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An annual publication, “The Householders’ Aunual aud Directory,” has been distributed gratis throughout this district recently, and among a series ot competitions connected therewith, is one of interest to amateur photographers. The prize list is au attractive one, and comprises the following: First, hall-plate “Favourite Victo” camera, valued at ! second, post-card “Ensign” camera; and two cameras of less value for third and fourth. The conditions of entry are very light, the only apparent stipulation being that a certain brand of paper—and one that I can recommend —is used for the printing process. The competition is open to all those under the age of 20 years, aud the date on which all prints are to be sent in is February 28th, 1913. The subject of the competition is “laudscape.” THE SPEED CRAZE.

Among many camera workers to-day there exists a craze lor “speed,” or, in other words, a desire to cut exposure down to the minimum. While this is very necessary for press men and studio work, it is not so with amateurs, and is to be regarded rather as a drawback in many respects. Iu support ot this contention, it must be pointed out that the greater the sensitiveness of the photographic plate the greater the tendency to fog aud coarse grain, and thus less facility of working iu the darkroom. Another effect of extreme sensitiveness is the curtailment ot latitude iu exposure, aud proportionately less opportunity of forced development. Speed may also be accelerated by the use ot lenses of the ultra-rapid form that have of late years been placed on the market. The combination of a lens of abnormal aperture aud a plate of extreme speed, as can now be obtained, places within the reach of those desirous a means of curtailing exposure to a degree almost iucorapreheusible. The following would be an ideal combination for a rapid exposure: The Bausch “Glaukar” anastigmat, working at f/3.1, a “Violet Label” Lumiere plate (said to be the fastest in the world), and the modern focal-plane shutter. THE LENS QUESTION. The rapidity of a len? is based on its largest aperture, and, therefore, observing the rule governing apertures aud exposure, a lens working at f/3 would be three stops faster than a lens working at f/8 ; that is to say, with a given subject requiring au exposure of i/(sec. at f/8, with an aperture of f/3 the exposure would be reduced to 1-32nd of a second for the same subject aud conditions—certainly au advantage in many emergencies.

For the amateur, whose main requirement is au “all-round” lens, there can be none carrying greater advantages than an annsligmat ot medium rapidity, say, working at f/6, preferably a “convertible.” The advantages of convertibility are iu the facility it offers of the use of thiee foci iu one complete lens. The ideal amateur’s anastigmat has a focal length of 6 inches of the' complete lens (for laudscape, architecture, etc.), a single component of inches focus (suitable for portraiture and narrow angle work), aud another combination of about 20 inches focal length (for low power telephoto purposes), these figures applying to half-plate size. If the lens has full optical corrections, the use of the single components is possible without the necessity of stooping down to obtaiu a flat field.

THE EFFECT OF FOCAL LENGTH

For successful landscape work it is necessary to have a lens of focal length equal to about the length of the plate used, aud for portraiture an extension equivalent to the length and width of the plate. The focal length has a direct bearing on perspective.

The use of a narrow angle lens for landscape work would destroy all tbe necessary pictorial perspective, as such a lens conveys but little idea of distance between near and distant objects, thus destroying all possibility of aerial perspective, a feature very necessary in pictorial work. The question of adapting the lens to the subject is of equal importance in portraiture. It is obvious that a long camera extension is necessary it good model-

ling is to result. To obtain the hands and legs of a “subject” occupying a sitting posture in as nearly as possible the same cone of light as the lace and body, and so render them all iu true proportion, the bellows extension required must be sufficient to allow of the camera being placed at the necessary distance to obtain this. The narrower the angle of the lens the greater will be the distance between the camera and the subject. The rendering of a portrait of a relative with hands and legs proportionate to those of a giant, and similar familiar distortions, has been the greatest factor contributing to the condemnation of home portraiture, but that excellent results may be produced is amply proved by the work of those amateurs who have observed these rules amoug others which control tbe production of a creditable portrait.