view camera

Definition: Design of camera in which the lens and film holder are held on moveable panels which can be tilted, rotated and shifted to control the shape, focus and placement of the image. * Usually applied to large-format - 6x9cm and greater - cameras with lens and film holder standards or panels sliding on a common rail, with a flexible bellows connecting lens and film holder, the whole being used on a tripod or studio stand. View camera lesson in one minute Shifts of lens or film standards (vertical or sideways movements at right-angles to the main optical axis) have the effect of changing position of image. Tilt (rotation about a horizontal axis) or swing (rotation about a vertical axis) of the front standard mostly controls placement of the plane of best focus. Tilt or swing of the back or film standard mostly controls the shape of the image: for the image to be undistorted, the back must be parallel to the front of the image. The most important movement is changing the distance between the two standards, which focuses the image. NB: View camera lenses are specially designed to give a larger image circle than the format, in order to accommodate the movements.

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