One of the most iconic cameras from Zeiss Ikon, the 35mm Contax offered a system with interchangeable lenses and a multitude of accessories. It was launched with the difficult task of competing with Ernst Leitz’s Leica. Although it has not outgrown its competitor in glamour, technically, It brought important innovations that marked the history of photography.
A very practical book with good advice on the technique of Gum Bichromate. From paper preparation to archiving. Some more in-depth considerations on sensitometry and trichromia using the process complete a book that can be a guide for the beginner and also a roadmap for anyone who wants to explore the process further.
Using Petzval-type lenses for portraits when the subject’s face is out of the center of the image requires some care. The article discusses and gives an example of how to decentralize the lens to reposition its optical axis over more peripheral areas of the photographic frame.
Lens description with photos, measurements and presence in a manufacturer’s catalog. Photographs of pencil inscriptions on the edge of optical elements and details of the standard carte-album format, popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, to which this lens was intended.
A short text, with photos, analyzes a portrait lens constructed by Derogy-France, based on the famous drawing by Josef Petzval of 1840. It briefly discusses, from this manufacturer, how the Industrial Revolution impacted the optical industry in 19th the century.
Brief article discusses the design, characteristics and ancestry of Wollensak’s Wide Angle Velostigmat lens and shows an image made with it on an 18 x 24 cm negative.
Article addresses the technical and historical aspects of the first lens actually thought, calculated and developed for photography, in 1840 by Joseph Petzval.
Excellent book on evolution of concepts about light throughout history. All back and forth movements about its corpuscular or wave nature are approached within the cultural context of each moment and the philosophical theological preferences of each scientist. At the end it shows how much science really can not have as purpose an investigation into…
Published in 1866 this treatise is a great introduction to the optics of the first decades of photography. There is a theoretical part about light behavior and the basics about lenses, but there is also a lot of practical information organizing families and progresses made in photographic lenses manufacturing. It can be found online at…
Calculator for easy assessment of photographic formula’s cost. You enter quantities, dilution, packaging and price and get right away how much one liter of that working solution costs. Very convenient to compare different formulas, purchased ready to use or homemade, and decide what suits you best in financial terms.
Find a compact set of chemical reagents, 8 in total, that will allow you to develop film and print B&W photographies. With instructions about mixing, using and cost considerations. A nice starting point if you are interested in setting up a photography darkroom and make your own chemicals.
Homemade pinhole cameras using packaging left overs, woodwork, 3D printing and camera parts. Features also pictures taken with them.