Camera design
Fundamentally, all cameras consist of the same basic components: a light-tight box, a
method of focusing the image onto the image plane, an image sensor to capture and
record the image, and some means of controlling exposure. However, the history of
camera design has seen many developments, leading to ever more sophisticated and portable
devices, culminating in the twentieth century with the addition of electronic components and of
course, the introduction of digital cameras. Today, many manufacturers are winding down their
production of film-based cameras in favour of the development of digital systems.
Cameras may be classified according to their design and this is often dependent on the way
in which the image is viewed (Figure). The four main categories of camera design are: direct
vision/rangefinders (both compact and advanced models), twin-lens reflexes, single-lens reflexes
and view cameras, all of which are described in more detail in Langford’s Basic Photography.
When considering purchasing or using a camera for serious photography, however, what is
more important is the camera system. The system encompasses not only the design of the
camera, but the level of sophistication in design, the degree of control by the user, the way in
which it is used and the type of accessories available with it. Traditionally, camera systems using
film have been classified by image format; that is the size and dimensions of the captured image.
by
Michael Langford
Efthimia Bilissi
Langford’s
Advanced
Photography